章 321: Side chapter: Halloween

It was Halloween night, and New York City was buzzing with costumed chaos, but I was in my apartment, determined to stay as far from the madness as possible.

This year, I wanted one night of peace — just Carmen and me, homemade snacks, and some cheesy horror movies on the TV. But, of course, peace and quiet wasn't exactly in Carmen's vocabulary.

I glanced over at her as she sat on the couch, scrolling through her phone with an amused smirk on her face, looking effortlessly elegant, as always.

She wore her usual black attire, looking every bit like the vampire she actually was, although I swear her makeup was a bit more dramatic than usual.

"Carmen, you really didn't have to dress up for the occasion," I teased, setting down a bowl of popcorn and flicking on the fake spider lights around the TV.