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ChapterOne

Brea

The smell of steaks on the grill permeated the late afternoon air and the campfire roared in the firepit the guys had built. Our backyard was now fit for entertaining and I couldn’t wait for everyone to get here. We’d just keep to ourselves that we’d dug up dead bodies not far from here only a year ago. Sometimes details like that were best left out, especially for cookouts.

“We have arrived!” June called out dramatically as she walked in with Stephen behind her. Lincoln’s parents were adorable, his hand on her lower back as she led the way inside with her usual bright smile. “This looks great, kids. It’s obvious you guys have put in so much work!”

“Can’t even tell it was a cemetery at all,” Stephen joked.Well, there goes that plan, I guess.

“Dad,” Lincoln growled. “Let’s keep that to ourselves?”

“Sure, sure,” he snorted as he clapped his son on the back. It was strange seeing the less stoic version of Lincoln, but hilarious at the same time. I had a feeling they weren’t afraid to press each other’s buttons. With his dad being gone a lot for work, and us being constantly on the move, they didn’t get a chance to spend a ton of time together. “Need any help?”

“No, Ethan’s coming with the rest of it, and Brea and Ryker handled the sides,” Lincoln explained.

“And Ben?” June asked. She was here for two seconds and was already worried something had happened.

“My job was to track down Onyx and get her settled somewhere safe for the evening. Let me tell you, that took literal hours,” Ben said with a dimpled grin. He was more casual than usual tonight with faded jeans and a vintage tee, but his blond hair was still combed back to perfection. “She’s a brat.”

“Aw, my grandkitty is not,” June protested as she playfully swatted at Ben. She gave me a quick hug as she took the chair next to mine at our new patio table. “And how are you? Ready to leave us again?” She kept joking about it but I think she was genuinely sad to see us go. The past year we’d stayed local for our haunts and had kept the vlog alive that way. Surprisingly the trips twice a week were just as full of activity. In fact, ever since I’d woken from my near death experience with the ability to see the past when I touched certain objects, various paranormal activity flocked to me like moths to a flame, more so than ever. It was both exciting and unnerving. But so was being thrown into a past memory unexpectedly.

I’d had to start wearing gloves on hunts when the glasses cams were rolling, otherwise I was afraid that I’d black out on the Darklings and freak everyone out. The guys were also extra careful about sticking close to me at all times.

In fact, it went beyond hunts. They didn’t happen as often out in public spaces, but because it could happen I wore gloves basically everywhere but home. With a house as old as ours I still found random objects with memories, but we’d cleared out almost everything except the structure itself so I wasn’t about to start wearing them at home.

“I am. It’s been so long since we’ve been on the road. I’m not made for staying in one place for too long. But we’re just going to do a few weeks there, then come home before the next. We still want to spend time at home too,” I promised. She looked relieved. We’d tried to tell them it wasn’t going to be the same as before, that we also craved these down times together as well, but she was a worrier at heart.

The sound of tires on gravel had us looking over to see Olivia’s car making her way to the front of the house. It had been so long since I’d seen my best friend that I knocked my chair over in my haste to get to her. She parked and jumped out of her car, matching my energy. We ran toward each other and slammed into a hug, both of us falling into the bushes and laughing hard enough she let out a snort.

When we calmed down I looked over at her. She was as gorgeous as ever with her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I’d always thought she was pretty, but seeing the smile on her face made her gorgeous. We’d missed a lot of years letting time and space get between us, but now that we’d reconnected, it felt like I was finally getting to know the real Olivia. She’s far more outgoing than I am, but she also loves our small girls’ nights and backyard barbecues.

“Well, glad to see you two are still a mess,” a familiar voice said. My heart stopped at the sound and I pulled myself out of the bush to face Olivia’s older brother. He was much taller than my memory of him, and with a ton more muscles. His blond hair was shaved close to his head and his jawline was sharp, as it always had been, but now it made him look older, the stubble adding to the effect.

Something in his eyes was off though, the pale blue clouded by shadows, like he’d seen too much in the years we’d been apart.

His smile had my chest tightening, familiar memories hitting me all at once. From teasing childhood moments to talks by the campfire out back. He was always like a big brother to me and never made fun of me for being into the supernatural. Honestly… he made me feel normal more than anyone else.

“Sully,” I breathed out.

“Good to see you, Brea,” he said with a grin. I hadn’t seen the man since he left for the army at eighteen. Every time he was home I was gone, and with Olivia and I not talking for a good portion of that, it definitely made the gap wider.

“You too,” I said as my brain finally caught up and I launched at him in a hug. He stumbled with a grunt and Olivia had to steady us.

“Careful with him Brea, his balance is a bit off,” Olivia said quickly. Sully’s face hardened and I winced.

“Sorry Sully. I’ve never been a subtle one,” I apologized, but he waved me off.

“No worries, just an injury that hasn’t healed yet,” he said. The look on Olivia’s face told a different story but I wasn’t going to pry. Instead I wrapped my arm in his and led him over to the table.

“I’m glad you’re here. Welcome to our home,” I said. He shook his head at the word home.

“Girl, this is not just a home,” he argued. “It’s amuseum.”

“Are you surprised?” I asked. That had him laughing, the sound was so familiar nostalgia washed over me. Unlike other older brothers, even when we annoyed him he was always nice. Sully was just a genuine person. I hated that his time in the military had given him the dark shadows he carried around now.

“And who is this?” Ethan asked as he stepped up. He held his hand out to shake Sully’s, and his smile was as amazing as I remembered it. He gave me a wink and I relaxed immediately. For some reason I was worried they wouldn’t like him, and Sully, despite the years apart, was important to me. Sully’s eyes trailed over Ethan, just like a big brother assessing his little sister’s first date. I had to bite back a laugh, but Ethan took it as good natured as ever; his smile was wide, face friendly, and he even looked down to earth in his hoodie and jeans.

“My brother, Sullivan,” Olivia answered since Sully didn't speak up for a few beats, the silence about to shift to awkward. “And Sully you know Ethan, Ben, Lincoln, and Ryker. At least from the vlog.”


Tags: Jarica James Paranormal