Locked In

24

AINSLEY

He was manipulating me.

And I hated that I was giving in.

I kicked my left foot in anger, almost tripping over my own legs. The shoes were exactly my size, of course—no surprises there. He probably knew my bra size too. Was there anything about me Theon didn’t know? Doubtful. But was there something about him I didn’t know? Hah, a lot.

“Christ Jesus!” a woman’s voice screamed from inside a nearby house. “Take that fucking skeleton out of the damn house, fool!” Two boys’ laughter followed, probably the culprits of some Halloween prank. I glanced at the house, its lawn freshly cut and littered with all sorts of Halloween decorations—skeletons hanging from the windows, fake spider webs draped over bushes. The boys had likely gone overboard, judging by the poor woman’s outburst.

As I kept walking, I noticed every house on the street had similar setups—yards drenched in pumpkins, ghosts, and skeletons. Halloween had officially arrived. I wasn’t exactly in the festive mood now, but the decorations were hard to ignore.

I made my way down the street, feeling each heated step from the shoes he sent me. Damn him. I’d resisted, stubbornly leaving them on the porch when at first, but in five blinking seconds, I’d caved. And now, I was wearing them, letting them mould to my feet like he’d planned. He just successfully got under my skin.

I reached Ma’am Jeena’s coffee shop and paused, taking in the new spooky sign she’d hung up. The usual warm and friendly board had been replaced with one that read Witch’s Brew Café in swirling black letters. Outside, she’d decked the place in Halloween flair—witch hats, pumpkins, and a few hanging bats. The door itself was wrapped in fake cobwebs.

I pushed inside, instantly hit by the scent of cinnamon and pumpkin spice. The décor inside matched the outside—dim orange lighting, cobwebs in every corner, and new tiny plastic ghosts hanging from the ceiling. Ma’am Jeena was behind the counter, stirring something in a tall glass.

Her latest Halloween concoction, no doubt.

“Hey, Ainsley!” she called as she worked. “You’re just in time. I’m trying out the new ‘Vampire Latte.’”

I frowned, confused and amused.

“Think bloody red foam and a pumpkin-spiced twist. What do you think?” She grinned, eyes alight with excitement.

I nodded, greeting her with a tired smile. “Sounds like people will love it.”

And she had plenty of customers to test it on. The place was already alive with people who had undoubtedly heard about all her concoction.

I got to work.

As I moved through the café, I was painfully aware of the warmth from the shoes, their constant heat comforting in a way I hated to admit. Every step was a reminder of him, as if his presence followed me wherever I went. And I knew that was part of his plan—to make sure I felt him with every step, even when I wanted to be angry. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to scream or sink deeper into the comfort. But I kept moving.

Afternoon came and went.

He didn’t text or even show up here. Not like I was expecting him to or anything. I knew he wouldn’t. But he’d be happy to know my break time was filled with thoughts of him, of how he might have suffered after the fall. I was alive, thanks to him. But did that give him the right to mess with my life because he saved it? Probably not.

Probably. Now it was probably . Okay, great. He was winning.

Dusk came, and I waved Ma’am Jeena goodbye, my body aching for a rest as I walked. Serving and attending to orders was exciting, but it drained me. The thrill didn’t outweigh the exhaustion.

Something was in front of my house. A food box. Different from last night’s. My heart kicked up a notch. I rushed closer and climbed up my front porch, kneeling in front of it, pulling out the paper that rested on top.

Pretend it’s not from me. Don’t go hungry.

My pulse quickened as I stared at the dark orange box.

Pretend it’s not from me. Bastard. How could I pretend?

“Asshole. Will you let me stay mad in peace?” I muttered, my vision blurring. I clenched my fists, trying to summon the strength to ignore it like last night. But instead, I grabbed the box and carried it inside. After locking the door behind me, I brought it to the kitchen. I had thrown away last night’s box this morning, and I clenched my fists again, hoping to repeat that resolve.

At least, I should see what’s inside first .

I set the box on the counter and slowly lifted the lid. There were five sets, each packed with different meals. My eyes widened as I opened each and every one of them. My jaw dropped. He knew. He knew exactly what I loved—everything in the box was one of my favourites.

I bit my lip, fighting the tears that stung my eyes. Damn it. Why was I crying? I wanted to beat myself for tearing up, for being so weak. But the food—each meal looked like it had been made from scratch, home-cooked. Could Theon have made this himself? I shook my head. Impossible. It couldn’t be. Never

I picked up a small portion of lasagna from one of the sets and took a bite. The salty flavour hit my tongue, and I froze. Yes. Yeah. Definitely home-made. And somehow, I just knew it was Theon’s doing.

Suddenly, laughter bubbled up in my chest. My heart warmed at the thought of him cooking for me. Theon. Theon cooked. It was impossible to picture him standing in a kitchen, trying his best with ingredients and pots, but he’d done it. He didn’t even sneak inside like always, just left it at the door like he didn’t want to piss me.

“Why was he being a gentleman all of a sudden?” I mumbled.

And just like that, I sat down, unable to resist, and began eating the food. The taste was bad—terrible, even—but I couldn’t help the laughter that spilled from me with every bite. It was ridiculous, really, but it was so Theon. So imperfect, so strangely thoughtful.

He sent me one million dollars.

If I ever get my hands on him, I swear I’ll kill him.

I’d forgotten about it until this morning, when the bank alert nearly knocked me off my bed. One million dollars. It wasn’t a joke. He actually meant what he said that night. Holy shit .

I was still struggling to wrap my head around it. My heart hadn’t stopped pounding, and my head felt like it was spinning out of control. I thought about staying home today—maybe hide out, avoid Ma’am Jeena’s shop, avoid everything. But I knew if I stayed in that house, I’d lose. He’d win. I’d give in, and I might just end up at his front door because I was so close to texting him earlier.

He hadn’t sent any messages, but I knew it was from him. It had to be him. Theon was relentless. He was trying, in his own twisted way, to stay away, but this—still reaching out one way or another as if wanting me to be filled with thoughts of him as his was filled with me.

My steps slowed as I reached the Witch’s Brew Café , the sight in front of me making me frown. There were new pumpkins lining the entrance. But they weren’t like the usual Halloween pumpkins with sharp, evil grins. These had...a downturn smile? Almost like they were sad. Still creepy, sure, but more like...sad clowns trying to apologise.

Confused, I stopped, a short laugh escaping before I could hold it back. What the hell was this? Had Ma’am Jeena decided to go soft with the decorations suddenly? As I reached for the door, it swung open, and Ma’am Jeena stepped out, looking stressed.

“I got roped in,” she groaned, glaring at the pumpkins like they’d personally offended her.

I raised a brow, trying not to laugh again. “What? You didn’t do this?” I gestured to the sad, droopy pumpkins. They were starting to look kind of cute.

She rolled her eyes. “Does that look Halloweeny to you? Of course not. I found them here this morning.” She fished a folded paper out of her apron pocket and waved it at me. “And this. Why are you two fighting, huh? He’s messing with my shop. Tell him if he pulls this stunt again, I’ll whoop his ass.”

Before I could respond, she bent down and adjusted one of the pumpkins, patting its head like a pet. “Though, I’ll admit, he’s thoughtful. I’m keeping these because they look different from everyone else’s.”

Slightly confused, I looked down at the letter in her hand. My chest tightened as she handed it to me, the handwriting making my heart slam against my ribs. That same neat scrawl I knew all too well.

I unfolded the letter, heat crawling up my neck as I read the words:

Pretend it’s not from me. But that expression seems to match mine well.

Then at the tip of the sheet, in a very tiny handwriting was, My bed misses you.

The breath left my lungs, my gaze flicking back to the sad pumpkins. A small laugh bubbled up, but it got stuck halfway, my emotions tangling in my chest. Damn him. How did he manage to make me feel so...everything all at once?

Even through his pathetic attempt at an apology.

“No crying today. Ugh, just shut the fuck up.” I blinked up at the sky, muttering to my head. Why did I keep crying? Was it because I was still hurt I went through shit and faced the worst of luck thanks to him, or because I was sad that he misunderstood my intention that night and survived a fall that left a scar in his heart? A fall that could have killed him, thanks to me?

Thinking about it, if he hadn’t found me that night, I wouldn’t even be alive and be mad about jobs that he ruined for me. But again, I almost committed suicide several times because of those jobs that he sabotaged.

“Are you coming in, or do you need an emotional moment?” Ma’am Jeena popped out her head to say, immediately retreating without an answer.

Further emotional moments and thoughts, and my legs would be racing to his place.

I glanced around, a little part of me hoping he was lurking around and watching like the creep he was. It was unfair how he could see me and I couldn’t. But then again, who told him she didn’t want to see him again.

Right. Me.

“You cannot be serious. Oh my gosh, Katy, that’s so beautiful!” I squealed, eyes glued to the sparkling ring on her finger. Her boyfriend—now fiancé—had proposed, and I was practically bouncing in the middle of the street, trying not to jump like a kid.

Katy giggled, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear. “You know I told you I saw this coming. But even then, it was still a freaking surprise. I didn’t expect it today. Baby girl, if I’d known—”

We both burst out laughing, her joy radiating through the video call. She looked radiant, glowing with happiness. I hadn’t even met her fiancé yet, but the fact that she was on cloud nine told me enough.

“Have you told the other girls?” I asked, still grinning like an idiot.

“Yeah, I told Laura, but Jade’s phone keeps going to voicemail. She’s probably busy.”

I nodded, my smile wide. As we chatted, I made my way through the brightly lit neighbourhood. The sun was dipping low in the sky, casting everything in a warm orange hue, while stars began to flicker in the darkening sky.

“South Highland is always gorgeous during festive seasons,” Katy commented as she finished telling me the story of her proposal, her eyes wandering to the decorations behind me.

I held the phone higher, giving her a full view of the spooky front yards lining the street. “Tell me about it. People go all out for Halloween. I can’t even imagine what Christmas is going to look like.”

“Right,” she sighed, and we both fell quiet for a moment. I could tell she wanted to say something. Something that made her look at me with worry. Katy had always been the kindest of us, always considerate of other people’s feelings. It made sense that she’d be the first to get engaged.

“Speak. I can hear your mind from here,” I teased.

She exhaled slowly, hesitating for a moment. “The man said you can’t be accepted because you’ve been rejected once by the company, and the spot’s already filled.”

My heart sank. It was like someone had dropped a weight on my chest, but I forced a smile.

“Don’t worry,” she quickly added. “There are so many places looking for someone like you. We just have to find them.”

I nodded. I’d stopped sending out applications months ago. The rejections had drained me, and I’d quit before it could eat me alive. But now that I knew it was Theon pulling the strings, maybe things would be different. Maybe I had a chance. Now that he wasn’t trying to ruin everything.

“Have you figured out who’s behind it? Shouldn’t you report this? Whoever it is should be jailed.”

I chuckled nervously. No way was I letting Theon go to jail. “I’ll handle it,” I promised, hoping that would satisfy her until it was out of her mind.

“Okay. I gotta head out. I wish you were here with me. I wish all three of you were here.” She pouted.

I smiled, “Soon,” and waved goodbye. “Enjoy your night!”

As soon as the call ended, my hands dropped to my sides, Katy’s news weighing heavily on my mind. I didn’t have high hopes for it, but hearing it saddened me still. The brief joy from our conversation was quickly overshadowed by the frustration, so I took a deep breath, forcing myself to let it go, trying to shake off the sad mood. Things would get better. They had to.

“Your place is stoked, Ainz! I should’ve known you were hiding something when you didn’t put up your decorations early!” Cal’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as he zoomed past on his bicycle, waving.

I turned, confused. “My place is stoked?” What on earth was he talking about?

I continued walking, only to have my neighbour, five blocks down, smile warmly as she passed. “You light up our neighbourhood! Happy Halloween!”

I blinked, completely bewildered. Light up the neighbourhood? Had they mistaken me for someone else? Was it too dark to recognise me?

Curiosity began to claw at me as I quickened my pace, my steps growing faster the closer I got to my place. Was something going on? I could see a fog rising in the distance, right around where my house was. My heart rate picked up, and I was practically running now.

If something happened to my house—

I stopped dead in my tracks as I sighted my frontyard, my eyes widening and my jaw dropping to the ground.

Was this...was this my place?

My bag slipped from my shoulder, forgotten, as I stared in complete disbelief. My house—the only one on the block that had been completely Halloween-less—was now a haunted masterpiece. The front yard had been transformed into a fog-covered ghost house, with eerie orange lights flickering through the mist.

My porch was lined with pumpkins, but not just any pumpkins. These were intricately carved, their faces twisted into expressions that ranged from mischievous to downright creepy, and inside them were a flickering orange glow. There were skeletons, ghostly figures swaying in the fog, and cobwebs that looked too real to be fake. It was over-the-top, stunning, and terrifying all at once.

“Oh my—fucking hell. What the...”

The orange lights around my house pierced through the fog, casting a frightening glow over everything. The decorations were so elaborate, so perfectly executed, that it left me fucking speechless. Who could’ve done this?

Holy, it could only be one person.

Theon.

My mouth hung open as I took it all in. How long had this taken him? It was beyond anything I’d ever imagined or seen.

He was going this far? I couldn’t help but worry about his hands—he’d already probably burned himself making dinner for me, decorated Ma’am Jeena’s shop with those sad pumpkins, and now this?

My house was a Halloween wonderland, and I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, scream or run to him.

Few people were stopping to take my house in—that was how beautifully spooky it was. I shook my head, a laugh coming up my throat.

“Manipulative asshole.”

I was weak. He’d won. Even if he didn’t do this, he’d won. Right from when he bought me those shoes. I couldn’t imagine how exhausted he must be after pulling this off, unless he had an assistant. I hoped he had someone to assist him. I didn’t want to think he did this alone.

It was magnificent.