Chapter 48
For as long as I could remember, February had always been the month of love, but around here, it was more like the month of pranks and chaos. It was a slender line between romantic gestures and wild laughter, and I was caught right in the middle of it, sandwiched between my boyfriends, Christian and Haiden. Together, they made my life a beautiful mess—a distraction I had both desired and feared.
The yearly "February Challenge" had kicked off the moment that February 1st dawned, and I knew these two would have a field day. Christian, the smooth-talking sweetheart, loved to shower me with gifts—fluffy teddy bears, heartfelt notes, and even a beautiful Siamese cat I named Cinnamon. Haiden, on the other hand, took a more mischievous approach, with pranks ranging from whipped cream pies in the face to adorned rubber chickens strategically hidden beneath my desk. His laughter was a mixture of playful menace and pure joy.
The first two weeks of the month sailed by easily, filled with treats and light-hearted bickering. Christian would work late into the night, leaving me flowers to find in my coffee-making corner, while Haiden would sneak in behind me with a water balloon, a glimmer of wickedness in his eyes. But this week... Oh, this week was different.
Three days in, the pie wars began. I found myself dodging flying lemon meringue as I made my way through the café, only to receive a piece directly to the face when I turned to chastise Noah, my business partner. I could barely see through the delicious goo coating my glasses, and a cackle erupted from Haiden in the corner. I glared at him, but part of me couldn't help but smile back.
Later that day, Christian arrived with a bouquet of roses that smelled like heaven, balancing a box of chocolates on top. "I'm sorry about the pie. How about we make it a strawberry doughnut day?" he suggested timidly, his dark eyes sparkling as he tried to charm me away from my lingering annoyance.
As I bit into the doughnut he'd brought, I noticed a strange sense of dread creeping up my spine. Haiden had mentioned that he and Christian would be working late again tonight. The two of them had been "busy" for weeks now, and for a moment, I allowed my mind to wander to darker places. What if their incessant overtime was something... more?
"Hey, those are for custo—" Noah started to say before stopping mid-sentence, his expression resembling someone who had tasted sour milk. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," I sighed, but it felt like a lie on my tongue. "Just a bit concerned. They've been working late for weeks… I don't understand why."
"Maybe their company is changing," he shrugged with a hint of sympathy. But my gut twisted discomfortingly around the thought. They would never cheat on me, right?
I shook off the feeling and finished my shift, but as I walked home, the sensation of being watched intensified. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and even the streetlights seemed to flicker ominously. By the time I reached my door, an inexplicable sense of foreboding enveloped me. Just as I fumbled with my keys, a hand suddenly wrapped around my throat, cutting off my breath and pushing me into darkness.
The world faded to black.