𝐈𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐭 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

C H A P T E R _ T H R E E

"Oh my God, I love this pancake! It's like a taste explosion in my mouth!" Archie said, his mouth stuffed with food. "Granny, you could open a restaurant and call it 'Witch's Kitchen' or something!"

"Oh, it's nothing," Anita replied, waving off the compliment. "And please don't call me Granny; I'm only 56 years old."

"Oh, okay, Granny," Archie said with a  grin. "But seriously, these pancakes are so good they might be magic. Did you cast a spell on them or something?"

I rolled my eyes and started to stuff my mouth with the pancakes that Anita had made. The kitchen was pretty decent. It had a rustic charm, with wooden cabinets and a stone countertop. A large window over the sink let in plenty of natural light, offering a view of the forest outside. The old-fashioned stove and oven were well-maintained, and a sturdy wooden table took up most of the space in the center of the room, surrounded by mismatched chairs. Pots and pans hung from hooks on the walls, and the delicious smell of pancakes filled the air.

"It's time to go now Anita. It's already getting late," Mylo announced placing his plate inside the sink.

"Right now? It's already night. How will she see through the woods?" Steven asked, looking concerned.

Anita smiled. "Oh, I know these woods like the back of my hand. And I'm not going alone—my dog is here." She called out, "Ricky!" A dark grey dog walked inside, tail wagging enthusiastically.

"Whoa, is that a pit bull?" Archie exclaimed.

"No, it's a golden retriever!" Steven argued.

"That's an Australian cattle dog," Mylo snapped, rolling his eyes.

"I didn't see the dog earlier. Was it here?" I asked, puzzled.

Anita nodded. "She ventured into the woods, but she always comes back when it's time for me to go home.

Archie bent down to give the dog a pat. Ricky, licked Archie's face enthusiastically.

"Gross, it smells like my gym socks!" Archie exclaimed, wiping his face with a grimace. We all laughs.

We all gathered outside to bid goodbye to Anita. As she prepared to leave, Archie blurted out, "Can't you stay for the night and play hide and seek with us?"

Anita chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm afraid not, dear. But you kids have fun and don't come out during night." She switched on her flashlight and, with Ricky by her side, disappeared into the woods.

"Will we see her tomorrow?" Harrison asked, watching the light fade into the darkness.

Mylo shook his head. "No, she won't be back until next week."

With that, we all headed back inside the cabin, the door closing behind us as the night's chill began to set in.

We gathered around the fireplace. We decided to play cards, spreading out around the cozy living room.

Archie, always the joker, suddenly pulled the sheet Mylo was using to cover himself and wrapped it around his own shoulders.

"Hey, I jerked off into that sheet!" Mylo said with a smirk.

Archie recoiled in disgust, shoving the sheet away from him. "Ew, gross, man!" he exclaimed.

Steven walked into the room carrying a cart of beers. We all grabbed a drink and started joking around.

"Why did Anita Bath refuse to play hide and seek?" Archie asked with a mischievous grin.

"Why?" we all asked in unison.

"Because she was tired of everyone asking her to 'hide in a bath'!" Archie quipped, laughing at his own joke.

We groaned and chuckled, the warmth of the fire and the camaraderie making the cabin feel like the perfect getaway, despite the rain and eerie woods outside.

After a while, we all decided to head back to our rooms, except for Mylo, who said he would sleep near the fireplace for the night.

"Come on, man, we won't try to pull your pants down like last time," Archie teased, giving Mylo a playful shove.

"You good, Mylo?" I asked, glancing over at him.

Mylo nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I like the fireplace," he replied, taking off his glasses and placing them carefully on the small round table beside him.

We all bid goodnight to each other and headed off to our respective rooms, leaving Mylo to enjoy the warmth of the fire crackling in the hearth.

I climbed into bed, feeling the cool sheets against my skin. "Are you going to sleep with your jeans on?" I asked Harrison with a teasing smile.

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Nah," he replied, unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them off before slipping under the covers beside me.

I reached out, cupping his cheek gently, and we exchanged a smile. In the next room, we could hear Archie and Steven horsing around for a few minutes before their voices quieted down. The only sound left was the distant hoot of an owl.

Harrison nudged me, and I turned to him, meeting his gaze.

"The coast is clear," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet of the night.

I climbed on top of Harrison, my hands moving to take off my shirt. As I leaned in, he gently rolled me over, causing the bed to creak softly under us. We paused for a moment, listening for any other sounds, but all was quiet. Then, without hesitation, we resumed.

"Mr. Lucas, will you marry me?" he whispered against my neck, planting soft kisses along my skin. "I like it when you say my name" I whispered brushing my fingers through his soft hair. "And I like it when you unbutton my jeans" he snickered.