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Me: So you were in my bushes?

Stalker: No

Me: Tell me why you were at my house.

Stalker: Checking on you.

Me: Tell me who this is!

Stalker: You haven’t even tried to guess.

Me: Give me my last hint.

My stalker sends a photo of himself. It’s dark, but it looks like he’s in a car. His hand is blocking most of his face, and it almost looks like they’re wearing a mask. My heart skips a beat. Could it actually be the rockstar? It feels too good to be true. I thought that ship sailed a while ago, and I blew my chance with him. But what if it’s Jackson, and I guess wrong?It’s not Jackson,I tell myself.

Me: Cas?

Stalker: Be ready tomorrow at five.

I shouldn’t be agreeing to this. It feels like I’m setting myself up to be let down. Why am I even texting this number? I should be scared. I should’ve blocked them the first time. A quiet voice whispers,but what if it’s really just Cas and you’re totally just freaking yourself out?It’s right—what if it is Cas? I can’t fuck this up twice.

Me: We’ll see.

Stalker: We sure will. Good night, Vivienne.

This time, I don’t text back. Part of me is still worried it could be Jackson. He didn’t confirm or deny my guess. As much as I want it to be Cas, maybe I should still have Roxy come over to help me get ready…just in case it’s not him. This should scare me far more than it does. Or maybe it does, and I’m just not willing to admit it to myself.

I crawl into bed, mentally exhausted, ready for sleep—but it doesn’t come. Every noise jostles me awake, and it’s well after two in the morning before I finally fall into an exhausted, deep sleep.

Chapter fifteen

My bags are packed, and the hotel room is empty. Tomorrow I fly back to San Diego, and then the second wave of the tour begins. Outside, I toss my luggage in the back of the minivan next to the brand-new security system. Before I close the hatch, I put my band hoodie over the top. I don’t want her to see what’s back here—or anyone else—especially while the car is parked.

Since I’m hoping she’ll let me sleep over, I can install the system easily. The best part is going to be checking on her anytime I want. This will make being away from her easier, since I need toknow she’s safe at all times. The rest of this tour is going to break me. I wish I could take her with me.

I make the turns like I’ve done it a thousand times, even though it’s only been a handful of practice drives. When I arrive at her house, I park right in front, then stroll up the front walk like I live here. I’m dripping with confidence as I sit down on the front bench and text her:

Me: Come out and play, little muse.

A few minutes later, someone who is not Vivienne—but I instantly recognize as the girl she was with the night of the concert—throws the door open, pokes her head outside and scolds, “You might be a rockstar, Cas Wilder, but you’ll behave like a gentleman and come to the door if you want to date my bestie.”

She slams the door closed. I pull myself off the bench and trudge like a sad little puppy dog to the front door, where I knock twice. This time her friend answers, smiling.

“Hi, Cas—“ She waves. “Come on in.”

Great, I’m dealing with a psychopath best friend. It’s not the first time. I smile at her. “Thanks, where’s Vivienne?”

“Oh she’ll be along. She’s just finishing up. Why don’t you take a seat and the two of us can chat?” Her friend motions for me to sit in the living room.

I really like her house. It’s totally her in a way I can’t really describe. It just feels like somewhere she would live. I glance around, mentally mapping everything I can see and filing it away with the floor plans I already memorized. I’ve definitely scoped out a few different camera placements. No blind spots. The friend clears her throat.

“So what time are you bringing our girl home, and where are you going?” she demands.

I can’t help it. I laugh. “What’s with the third degree? Don’t you trust me?”

She crosses her arms and glares at me. “I absolutely do not trust you with my best friend’s heart, Cas Wilder. You better be good to her or I’ll tell the entire fan Discord channel. That’s right, I’m on the inside.”

I throw my hands up in defeat. “I promise. I won’t hurt her.”