"Aren't you supposed to be talking to Lucas?" I asked into the phone, glancing at the clock on my wall. An hour had passed since Nathan said he would call me back.
"I'm checking in," Nathan explained, his voice steady.
"It's been an hour," I said, my tone softening as I heard a familiar squeal. I turned toward the crib and saw Leila reaching up, her tiny hands grasping at the air.
"I know," Nathan said. "A lot can happen in an hour."
I walked over to my daughter, balancing the phone between my shoulder and ear as I lifted her into my arms. "Haley isn't here yet, and Brooke's somewhere in the house," I explained, adjusting Leila on my hip.
"Peyton?" Nathan asked, concern lacing his words.
"Finishing up at TRIC," I replied, holding the phone with one hand while steadying Leila with the other. "She should be here soon. Brooke thought a slumber party would be fun."
Leila grabbed the phone from my hand, squealing into it.
I laughed and placed the phone on speaker. "Someone misses you," I said.
"I can tell," Nathan chuckled.
The doorbell rang, echoing through the house. "I think that's Peyton," I said, going downstairs. "I'll call you before I put Leila down."
"Okay," Nathan promised, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
I tucked the phone into my back pocket as I approached the door, opening it to find Peyton standing there.
"Hi, Mylah," Peyton said, holding an ouija board.
"Haley's not here yet. Brooke's somewhere, though." I said.
A loud crash echoed through the house, and I whipped my head around.
"What the hell was that?" Peyton asked, setting her things down.
"I have no idea," I admitted, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in my chest.
"Let's check it out," Peyton suggested.
Reluctantly, I followed Peyton upstairs. Horror movies flashed through my mind. The curious ones always ended up dead. I hesitated but continued after them. I ducked into my room, placing Leila back in her crib before backing out and closing the door behind me.
"Okay, on the count of three," Peyton whispered, holding a bat she must have grabbed from somewhere.
"Where the hell did you get a bat?" I asked, incredulous.
