Chapter 3

3.

The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon.

I rubbed my sore neck. I wanted to call Xavier and tell him I was going to scout the track early.

But before I could pick up my phone, Tessa walked over. "Morning, honey."

She leaned in and pressed her red lips against the corner of my mouth.

A second later, she scowled. She looked at the overflowing ashtray on the table.

"Honey, why are you smoking again? You promised me you'd quit."

She pouted and reached for the pack to throw it away.

I grabbed it before she could. "It's nothing. Just a craving."

Tessa stood still, her eyes scanning me with an intensity I hadn't noticed before.

Seeing my frown, she softened her tone and giggled. "I'm just worried about your health."

"Go wash up. I'm taking you to the carnival today."

She led me to a haunted house attraction at the fair. It was themed like an old gothic manor.

She loved taking me to these places. I once asked her why.

She said, "You used to be a racer. I thought you liked the adrenaline."

I had told her clearly that I hated these scripted scares. She kept dragging me to them anyway.

Last night, I found out why. Merrick was the one who loved haunted houses.

Tessa was just practicing on me.

Halfway through the attraction, we had to do a solo task.

Tessa told me to wait in a "safe room" while she went to find a clue.

The room was dimly lit. I waited for almost thirty minutes, but she didn't come back.

Worried she might have actually gotten hurt, I went to look for her.

I walked down a long corridor and heard Merrick's muffled voice.

"Tessa, baby, aren't you afraid Cillian will catch us if you're this bold?"

I stopped in my tracks. I looked through a cracked window into one of the prop rooms.

Merrick was dressed in an actor's costume, lying back on a velvet prop bed.

Tessa's shirt was half-undone, revealing her black lace lingerie.

There were fresh, dark marks on her pale skin. Hickeys.

Blood rushed to my head. I was about to burst in when I heard her laugh.

"Why would I be scared? That idiot is still waiting in the fake safe room."

"He has no idea that if no one leaves for thirty minutes, the ceiling is rigged to spray red fluid everywhere. He'll look like a slaughtered pig."

They both burst into laughter.

Merrick rolled over and pinned her down.

"The loser probably doesn't even realize the 'ghost' following you guys and scaring him was me."

They started making out, clothes and shoes hitting the floor.

I stood there, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine.

My feet felt like they were rooted to the ground. I couldn't move.

My brain was spinning at a thousand miles per hour.

I finally understood the wink the ticket seller gave Tessa when we walked in.

I understood why a game meant for six people started with just the two of us.

I forced myself to turn around and leave that suffocating place.

As I walked away, I heard Merrick panting.

"I checked with Team Hurricane. Cillian is actually entering the rally."

"You did a great job, baby. Using this vacation to keep him off the track."

"I want to see how he plans to race without scouted notes or a practice run."