Page 16 of Nico

I wonder if he still drinks coffee with two sugars.

A chill crawled slowly down my spine, as it occured to me that those weren't observations made from interviews, magazine articles, or public appearances. Those were observations made by someone watching far too closely.

Logan shifted beside me. "Okay, that's a little weird.”

Although Logan sounded like his usual self, I could see his shoulders tensing a little.

Nico nodded. "Now look at the dates."

The timestamps lined up beside each comment. Some were weeks apart, then months and years apart. The same obsession stretching back through multiple accounts and platforms, growing steadily more personal and intimate.

Another click. The room seemed to get colder.

The bodyguard is annoying as heck.

I frowned and Nico glanced at me. “They’re talking about you.”

Right. I was too slow to react, because I was still processing this new bit of news. The post continued.

He’s an annoyance who always gets in the way. I can’t take a good shot of Logan today.

Another post.

He watches everyone too closely.

He's always there.

I wish he'd disappear.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

"When was this posted?" I asked.

"Three months ago."

A memory surfaced immediately. Logan and I were at Los Angeles for a premiere event. An overly enthusiastic fan had ignored barriers and tried pushing through security toward Logan.

I chalked it off as nothing unusual. It happened occasionally. I'd intercepted them before they reached him. Security had escorted them away, and I hadn't thought about it since. Could it be that fan posting these messages?

Logan's expression tightened. "I don't remember this person."

"You probably wouldn't," Nico said. "Most celebrities don't remember individual fans."

Nico hesitated, and then added. “This person remembers you though.”

Nico showed us more posts, and this time, there was no pretending they were harmless.

Nobody understands him like I do.

Everyone around him wants something.

One day he'll realize who actually cares.

They keep us apart.

The word us sat on the screen like something alive. My wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin, as I’d seen this before. Well, not this exactly, but enough versions of it.

Celebrity obsession had rules. Fans felt connected to people they'd never met. Parasocial relationships happened. Most remained harmless, and normally people respected boundaries. However, this felt different.