Satin

Eight

|Unedited |

'We're gonna do what, now?' Spluttered Zeke with a mouthful of pizza.

Pushing the plate of spaghetti away from her, Aspen dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin and readjusted herself before answering. 'If you think for a second I'm going to sit back and let whatever is happening happen to me, you're crazier than I thought. So what do we need? Iron? Pure salt? A ouija board?'

'This isn't an episode of Supernatural. Don't make me regret telling you about this.'

'Don't ridicule me. You should be happy I'm not freaking out right now.'

'Why aren't you freaking out?' Zeke asked, ripping apart a basil leaf with his long fingers. 'I was prepared for unconsciousness or irrational anger. I even learnt the Heimlich maneuver. You're eerily calm.'

Aspen pressed her palm against her chest. Her heart was pumping at a hundred miles an hour. 'I don't feel calm, but freaking out isn't going to make the situation any easier. It makes the most sense to chill out and come up with some sort of plan.'

'Very rational. I underestimated you.'

'Don't make a habit of it.'

Zeke laughed, running his hand through his hair. 'I won't.' He promised. 'Now, are you ready for dessert?'

...

After sharing a slice of chocolate fudge cake, Zeke paid for the bill and the two of them left the warmth of Leonardo's. It was most likely some time after ten, though Aspen wasn't sure since she had checked her phone only once to see if Penny had tried to contact her. Pulling her coat closer to her body, Aspen moved closer to Zeke as the two of them walked leisurely down the well-lit street. 

'So you remember that guy I was with at Orion's the other day?' Aspen asked, shoving her hands into her pocket. A group of women in short, skintight dresses blundered past the two and into a club a little further up the street, laughing drunkenly.

'Mysterious Mr Runaway! You really shouldn't bring up ex's on a first date.' Zeke's jovial tone was refreshing, helping to lift the thick tension that had been circling them all night.

'He's not an ex and this isn't a date.' Zeke scoffed but didn't argue. 'Anyway, he was reported missing by his parents last week and so I called in and told the police I knew where he was and they interviewed me earlier today.' 

'Is this your idea of light conversation? Because it's not great.' Aspen shot Zeke a glare. In response, he mimicked locking his lips and throwing away a key.

'As I was saying,' she continued 'Turns out he's dead. He's been dead for over a week.' Zeke stopped walking, his face void of emotion. Completely oblivious, Aspen continued walking down the street. It was only when she turned to await his reply that she saw he was no longer beside her. 'Zeke? You okay?' She questioned. Shaking his head, Zeke smiled and continued walking. 

'Just thinking.' He said, unconvincingly. 'So, you're sad your stalker is dead, is that what you're getting at?'

'What I'm getting at is what if that wasn't Jasper? What if there was a demon or ghost or something in my bedroom.' 

'Woah woah woah. Hold up. You invited your stalker into your bedroom?' Effortlessly, Zeke and Aspen maneuvered through people crowding the streets. Aspen noticed that whenever he was able, Zeke would walk directly underneath streetlights. Every so often, half of the sidewalk would be taken up by velvet ropes and party-goers. Taxi cabs were parked at every corner, waiting to pick people up. 

'I didn't invite him into my bedroom, he sort of snuck in there and I caught him. That's the part of the sentence you chose to respond to?'