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Present day
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Rose felt only marginally safer with Spencer standing next to her. They were both frozen, waiting for The Midnight Flower to act.
“What do you want, Mason?” Spencer seethed as if reading her mind.
The Midnight Flower shook their head back and forth slowly and held out their open palm with a note.
Spencer glowered at The Midnight Flower, then turned to her. “Don’t take the note. Why don’t you man up and show your face?” Spencer reached out with his hand moving toward The Midnight Flower’s face, as if he was going to take off the mask.
The Midnight Flower took a step back. He spoke in a voice that was deep and husky. He didn’t sound like Mason. Was he using one of those voice-changing apps?
“Take the note, Rose. You’ll need it if you want your secret to stay between us.”
“What secret?” she blurted out, her heart pounding in her chest erratically. Without thinking, she reached out for Spencer’s hand for comfort. He responded by squeezing her hand tightly and not letting go.
The Midnight Flower shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you, Rose. I thought you would have figured out who I am by now. That proves you’re as selfish as I thought. I hoped you would change.”
By this point, the other people in the small, crowded restaurant were gawking at the spectacle. Rose wanted to leave.
“Let’s go,” she told Spencer, tugging him back toward the door.
“Okay.” But Spencer surprised her by taking the note from The Midnight Flower’s still outstretched hand.
“He isn’t who you think he is, Rose,” The Midnight Flower warned her, pointing at Spencer. “He has a secret of his own.”
Just as Rose was going to ask what the hell he was talking about, The Midnight Flower pulled a hidden item out of one of the pockets in their hoodie. With a flick of their wrist, plumes of grayish-black smoke enveloped him. Other patrons in the restaurant began leaving because of the disturbance to their breakfast. The restaurant owner came out and promised everyone the scene was over, then glared at Rose and Spencer accusingly.
The smoke wafted toward them, making Rose cough as she inhaled too much of it. She held her hand over her nose and tried to breathe through it. Spencer wrapped his arms around her, and she burrowed her head into his chest while they waited for the smoke to disappear.
But when the smoke had cleared enough for them to see again, The Midnight Flower was gone.
***
One year ago
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Midnight snuck up on them. Spencer alerted her to the time as soon as it was officially the next day.
“We stayed until midnight like you wanted, so can we leave?” Spencer asked with a slight whine to his voice.
Rose groaned and shook the nearly empty bottle of rum. “Fine. We’re almost out of alcohol anyway.”
Spencer jerked his head toward the bottle. “What are you going to do about that, so your dad doesn’t notice you drank it all?”
“It was half empty when I took it. I’ll refill it with another liquid and use food coloring to make sure the color matches if I need to.” Rose replaced the cap on the bottle and stowed it in her bag.
Spencer stood from his perch on the rock across from her. “Got everything?”
Rose surveyed the surrounding area for anything non-nature related and out of place. She zipped her backpack and pulled it onto her back. “I think I’m good.”
“I’ll walk you home.”
“Because it’s so far and so dangerous,” she teased in a lilting voice, shoving him toward the well-worn trail.
Rose matched Spencer’s quick pace down the trail, out of the woods, and back into their neighborhood. Her house was directly across the street from his. He followed her to her front door and said goodnight.
“See you tomorrow!” she called after him, turning to face the door and unlocking it.
Almost as soon as she was inside the house, her parents accosted her.
Her mom pulled her close to her chest for a hug, and her dad awkwardly patted her shoulder.
Her mom spoke first, monumental worry and fear—the type that only a mother could possess—coating her voice. She peered around Rose to poke her head outside. “We were so worried about you two when we noticed you both snuck out! Where’s Lily?”