My phone vibrated again and I sighed, leaning against the counter opposite Stroop’s litter-and-cat-tree combination.
I should just delete the app. I didn’t know what I was thinking, making a profile. My ideal night was a paperback and tea, not…casual dating. I reached into my pocket and took out my phone, then paused at a message sent yesterday.
The type of men you draw with that profile won’t be nice.
From some guy namedVoid.I clicked his profile. A skull mask covered his face in his profile picture, and his bio was short and simple.
No names. No faces. One night.
I set my phone down.
A second later, I picked it back up and sent:
Men like you?
He responded immediately.
Yes.
A photo followed his message that sent ice water down my spine. It wasme, but not a photo I’d shared on the app. One of me at a book signing with Lithie, Olly, and Eames. From my social media account.
Myprivateaccount.
I quickly opened my profile to see if I’d accidentally approved a weirdo as a friend, when I noticed a new story alert from me. Ineverposted stories.
The story was a black-and-white image of a guy choking a girl, who looked to be, uh,reallyenjoying it. Four words overlaid the photo:Your password is shit.
A hummingbird’s wings flapped against my rib cage. Oh, wait, that was my heartbeat.
It had been marked as sent to close friends, but I had only, like, seventy followers. I didn’tdoclose friends.
Morbid curiosity had me clicking the list.
There was one person on it, a masked face.Void.
He didn’t just find my photo. He’d hacked into my account. He’d added himself as a friend.
I quickly changed my password, and a message followed almost instantaneously.
Good girl.
chapter
six
SHAY
Three weeks before the graveyard.
Good girl.
It felt like I was trying to hide a heart under my floorboard.Good girlbeat loud and thunderous from my phone.
I should have reported him or called the police. I definitely should have at least blocked him. Instead, as I waited in line at my favorite tea shop before work, I sent a message.
Give me one reason I shouldn’t call the police right now.
Void responded instantly.
