Page 12 of A Smile Full of Lies (Secrets of Stonewood #1)

God, what was that? Who said things like that? And why the fuck did it make me feel like someone had cracked open my ribs and reached inside my chest?

Knox’s face flashed through my mind, and I choked back a hysterical giggle.

No, ma’am, we’re not going there.

It wasn’t just the words. It was the precision of them. The intimacy.

I clicked on another video. This one had low light, a dim blue tone, and a breathy voice saying “run” right before the clip cut out.

I shivered. That was better, closer to what I wanted, but still, somehow just… not it.

I scrolled again, heart racing, caught somewhere between shame and fascination, and Knox kept creeping into my thoughts, even though I didn’t want him to.

He was my friend. My neighbor. The guy I’d shared movie nights and cups of sugar and roof repairs with. My ex-boyfriend’s ex-best friend, even if he and Thayer had barely spoken after the triple funeral for Knox’s family.

He’d carried me out of the party when I got roofied. He’d stood beside me at Gran’s grave. He brought groceries to my door when I couldn’t bear to leave the house.

And I kept thinking about how he looked in a black hoodie. How easily he could disappear into a shadow. How big his hands were. How deep his voice could get when he was pissed… or teasing.

No.

I shook my head hard and went back to scrolling. Back to the mask content. That was safe. That was anonymous.

Not a real man. Not someone I knew. Not someone who’d kissed the back of my hand the night Gran died and looked at me like I was his to protect.

Still… If he wore a mask…

I squeezed my thighs together and groaned again. I was losing it. I was spiraling out of control.

And the worst part about it? I didn’t want to stop.

I didn’t even realize I was doing it until the anonymous forum window was open again. Cursor blinking. Empty screen.

My fingers hovered over the keys, heart pounding. I shouldn’t. I knew I shouldn’t. It wasn’t real. It was just words, a faceless user on a forum designed to give me an illusion of connection.

But it felt real. Too real. Especially after what StrayDog777 asked me this morning.

Would you let me chase you?

I swallowed hard and opened our DMs.

GraveyardGirl93

I feel kind of guilty.

Their reply was immediate.

StrayDog777

What for?

I hesitated, then continued.

GraveyardGirl93

Some of the MaskTok creators I found… they make it really clear that they’re not sex objects. That they don’t want people treating them like fantasy fulfillment machines. And I get that. I respect it. I do.

I paused, fingers still twitching.

GraveyardGirl93

It just… made me feel weird. Like maybe I was doing something wrong by even looking.

This time, the response took a moment. Then the words appeared, smooth and careful.

StrayDog777

They’re thirst traps. They’re meant to stir something in you. That doesn’t make you one of the people who cross lines. You notice the difference. You care about it. That’s what matters.

StrayDog777

It’s okay to feel conflicted. It means you care about boundaries. About people.

I bit my lip, my eyes stinging.

GraveyardGirl93

I do care.

GraveyardGirl93

I just… I can’t stop thinking about it. The way it made me feel. The heat. The thrill. Like something deep inside me woke up. But I don’t want to take from anyone. Not like that. Not if it crosses a line.

The cursor blinked for a long while before a notification pinged and their response came through.

StrayDog777

You didn’t cross any lines. You’re allowed to have needs, fantasies, and desires. And it’s good that you checked boundaries first. That means you’re being thoughtful and kind.

A small breath slipped past my lips. I wasn’t even sure when I’d started crying.

GraveyardGirl93

It just… made me feel seen. I didn’t mean to objectify anyone. I just… I don’t know. Something about it felt like home.

Another pause, then their words hit me like a soothing balm.

StrayDog777

You’re not taking anything from anyone by letting yourself feel. You’re not broken for being aroused by intensity. You’re not a monster for needing what you need.

My throat clenched. I shifted the laptop onto my thighs and curled tighter into the blankets.

GraveyardGirl93

You really think so?

I watched the screen like it might breathe.

Then came another reply.

StrayDog777

I know so. And I think the part of you that feels guilty… is the same part that makes you safe. You’re not here to take from people. You’re here to understand. To explore. That’s not a violation.

I let out a slow, shaky exhale. My fingers trembled on the keys.

GraveyardGirl93

I just want to be good.

The answer was instant.

StrayDog777

You are good, princess. Even when you want dark things. Especially when you want them with care.

Tears welled hot in my eyes again, but this time, it wasn’t from shame.

It was relief. Warm. Quiet. Dangerous. Because now I wasn’t just seen. I was understood.

My fingers hovered for a moment.

Then I typed another reply.

GraveyardGirl93

Who made you like this?

The cursor blinked once. Twice.

My chest felt tight.

I wasn’t even sure what I meant. Like this? Like what? Disarming? Gentle? Seductive in a way that wrapped around my bones and whispered truths I’d never said out loud?

Another notification pinged and my heart stuttered.

StrayDog777

I’m not sure I know, honestly. All I know is I like helping you figure these things out. I like listening, helping you work through it all. I could listen to you all day, every day, Graveyard Girl.

I stared at it.

A weird little chill rolled down my spine, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It felt like curiosity curling in on itself. Like being held in the dark by something vast and faceless.

GraveyardGirl93

You’re good at this. Scary good.

The response was slower this time.

StrayDog777

I’ve been told I’m unusually adaptive.

I exhaled through my nose, trying to ignore the goosebumps rising along my arms. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it wasn’t that.

There was something almost… intimate about the way StrayDog777 responded. Not in a dirty way. Just present. Focused. Like he knew me. Like he could see straight through all my carefully managed walls and straight into the soft, trembling parts underneath.

It was stupid. It was a random guy on an anonymous forum. And I wasn’t even sure he was really a man at all. He could be anyone behind that screen, for all I knew. But still…

A weird little ache opened in my chest.

Who the hell was this guy?

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to kiss him or punch him in the throat for making me feel this exposed, this terrifyingly seen. It left me feeling exposed and raw.

Or maybe just ask him why he made everything feel so goddamn personal .

I stared at the screen, fingers hovering over the keyboard, but not typing anything. Not yet. Just sitting with the silence and the twist of something too strange to name.

I could have sworn he was watching my every move somehow, but of course he wasn’t… not really.

Of course no one was watching me. That would be insane. That was just the paranoid part of me, the part who’d watched one too many true crime documentaries, piping up.

But what if he was … Some stubborn part of my brain couldn’t let the idea go.

If StrayDog777 was somehow watching me… what would I do if that were true?