Page 13 of Stalked

My phone buzzes again, more insistent this time. I slip it from my pocket under the table, angling it away from my friends' curious eyes.

You look fucking gorgeous today. That blue top really brings out the color of your eyes. I've been watching you pretend I don't exist for two weeks now.

Heat crawls up my neck. I glance across the cafeteria, finding him staring directly at me, phone in hand. Unlike me, he doesn'tbother hiding it. The intensity in his eyes makes my stomach flip.

I'm still waiting for the answer to my prom invitation.

I swallow hard, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. He's right—I haven't bought a dress. I've been stuck in limbo, telling myself I might not even go, all while secretly imagining what it would feel like to walk in with his hand at the small of my back.

“Who keeps texting you?” Zoe tries to peek at my screen.

I tilt the phone away. “Nobody important.”

I know you watched that video I sent last night. Liked what you saw?

My cheeks burn hotter. Last night's video—Vane in his bedroom, shirtless, telling me exactly what he plans to do to me after prom. I'd watched it repeatedly as I touched myself, hating myself for it each time.

“Your face is all red,” Dani points out, grinning. “Definitely not nobody.”

I look up again. Vane raises an eyebrow, challenging me. His confidence is infuriating. And worse—justified. Because, despite everything, despite knowing better, my body responds to him as if it's been programmed.

Say yes, Lia. One word. That's all it takes.

I stare at my phone, my heart pounding against my ribs. My fingers hover over the keyboard, a war raging inside me. Pride tells me to ignore him. Something else—something I don't want to name—tells me to say yes.

Fine. Yes. If it gets you to shut up.

I hit send before I can change my mind, immediately regretting the impulse. Across the cafeteria, I see Vane's face break into a genuine smile—not his usual smirk, but something that transforms his entire face. He looks almost... happy. It's concerning.

“Okay, seriously, what is going on with you?” Megan demands, waving her hand in front of my face. “You're being super weird.”

I take a deep breath. They're going to find out tomorrow anyway.

“I'm going to prom with Vane Blackwood.”

The reaction is immediate. Zoe chokes on her diet soda. James's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. Dani lets out a low whistle.

“Vane? As in the guy you've been complaining about all year?” Megan's voice rises an octave. “The arrogant jerk who thinks he's God's gift to the school?”

“The very same,” I mutter.

“I knew it!” Dani claps her hands together. “I totally called this back in September. You two have had chemistry since, well, Chemistry.”

“Oh, please,” I roll my eyes. “It's not like that.”

“Not like what? Not like you've been obsessed with each other?” James teases. “Everyone can see it. The way you two argue is basically foreplay.”

“When did this happen?” Zoe leans forward, hungry for details. “Why didn't you tell us?”

“Because there's nothing to tell,” I insist, even as my phone buzzes with another message from Vane. “He asked, I said yes. End of story.”

“End of story? Girl, this is just the beginning,” Megan says with another whistle. “Vane Blackwood. Damn.”

My phone buzzes again in my hand. I glance down, angling the screen away from my friends' prying eyes.

It's another message from Vane.

My breath catches when I open it. It's a close-up photo of his mouth, with his lips parted slightly and his tongue visible. The caption reads.