Page 278 of Trick or Stalk

“He wasn't pretending.”

My heart stops for half a second. “What?”

“With you.”

I stare at him.

“The mask was a lie. Making me wear it was a lie. Letting you think there were two men was a lie.” Wilder pauses. “But what he feels about you isn't.”

I look away. “You can't know that.”

A quiet laugh comes from him. “Oh, I fucking know.”

Despite myself, I look back at him.

Wilder shakes his head. “My brother bought a dog a Halloween sweater.”

A laugh bursts out of me before I can stop it.

Then I put on a somber expression. “That isn't funny.”

“It's fucking hilarious.”

“Penny looked adorable.”

“I'm sure she did.” He shakes his head. “But that’s not the point.”

I fight another smile.

Wilder watches me for a second. “I've never seen him like this, Presley.” The humor is gone again. “He remembers everything you say. Talks about you when he doesn't realize he's talking about you. Reads romance novels because you recommend them.”

My eyebrows raise. “He told you that?”

“No. I saw the book.”

I snort. “He's going to kill you.”

“Probably.” The word is too casual. “I’ve teased him a lot about it.”

We sit in silence for a beat.

Something flickers through Wilder's expression. Then it's gone.

“He’s in love with you.”

My breath catches. I stare at him. Wilder doesn't look away.

“He hasn't told me that.”

“He hasn't told me either.” He smirks. “I figured it out. Because he’s my brother.”

My throat hurts.

“And because when you told him not to follow you, he didn't.”

I look out the window. People move along the sidewalk, going about their normal lives. Probably very few of them, if any, have masked stalkers.

Lucky bastards.