Page 31

He’s been stalking me… Killed my boyfriend, then my best friend, and if I’m correct in my assumption, he’s killing my co-worker right now.

“I know him from the library; I work there, and he used to come in when he was still in school.”

“That’s so funny! He’s never mentioned you, I don’t think. I could invite him if you don’t mind…” She says, pulling her rhinestone-covered phone from her tiny purse.

This is it—the moment of no return.

“Ellie, I would love that,” I hear myself say, but the words feel like they’re floating out of someone else’s mouth. “He will be so surprised. I haven’t seen him in so long!”

‘Surprised’ isn’t the word; stunned is more like it.

I watch her call him, the happiness taking over her entire face when she hears her brother answer the phone.

“Hey, Pres! I know this is kind of random, but I’m at this party, and you’ll never guess who’s here… Wynnie, from the library, she says she knows you… What do you mean, ‘what am I doing here?’ I can go to parties, Preston, I… yeah, you can talk to her… ”

She reaches out, handing me her phone. I take a quick glance at his name and picture of him sticking his tongue out on the screen before bringing it up to my ear.

“Hello?”

“What the fuck are you doing? I just got finished—” he snarls, but I cut him off.

“I’m so excited to see you; I cannot believe we haven’t run into each other in so long.”

“Wynnie, I swear to fucking God, if you lay a goddamn hand on her—”

“Please, come. We’ll have so much fun!” I open my mouth with fake excitement, getting Ellie just as eager.

“Fuck you, Wynn—”

“Ellie will send you the address! See you soon, bye!” I hang up the phone and hand it back to Ellie. He knows this is a trap. Smart boy.

“He’s coming?! Oh, you have worked your magic, Wynnie!” She squeals, sending him her location. “Hopefully, he comes ready to have fun, because I cannot handle him being protective brother bear. He’s always so worried about me. What I get for being the baby sister, I guess.”

The moment the phone call ended, I started to feel the mask begin to slip. I shake as I reach for the vodka bottle again, pouring myself a small drink to drown out any shred of hesitation. The alcohol burns, but not nearly as much as the shame.

“Can I tell you something, Ellie?”

“Sure, of course.” She’s still smiling, still trusting, and completely unaware of what’s about to happen.

I take a large gulp of my vodka, finishing it off. Liquid courage, as Ellie had said before. Or liquid cowardice—not sure if there’s much of a difference anymore.

“I’m not having a party.”

My comment hangs in the air. Confusion flickers, slow and uncertain. Her pretty little features crumple as she tries to piece together what I’m saying.

“What do you mean? You just wanted to hang out or…”

I lean in closer to her, close enough to see the gold flecks in her brown eyes and smell the fear creeping in.

My voice drops to a vicious whisper. “Your brother, Preston, he’s been stalking me. Following me around for months. He’s killed my boyfriend, he’s killed my best friend, and probably someone else tonight.”

It feels so relieving to finally say everything out loud. The toxins living within me are evaporating from my body with each syllable, each one more venomous than the last. Tears form, filling her wide brown eyes as she shakes her head in disbelief.

“No. No, that’s not even remotely possible. You don’t know him—you don’t know Preston.”

“Oh, but I do. I know him a lot better than you think. Probably better than you know him.”

“No, you’re wrong!” Her voice cracks with desperation. “My brother, he’s a good guy! He works hard! He used to volunteer at a shelter. And—And he sends money to the old lady who lives down the road from him because she can’t afford her medicine. He’s not—”