Page 32 of Goodbye Note

ChemicalSmuggler: Do you want to be stalked, Arik?

Arik Vesper: Depends on who’s doing the stalking.

My cheeks heated as I typed, but I hit send anyway.

ChemicalSmuggler: Is that so?

Arik Vesper: We’ve already done the blood ritual. Doesn’t it come with benefits?

I regretted sharing that as soon as I hit send, and the comments started flooding in.

NotReal: Blood ritual?!

Littlebitsad: KINKY AF

ChemicalSmuggler: Damn just putting your kinks out there on the internet like that!

ChemicalSmuggler: This place is turning into the wild west.

Arik Vesper: You must have that effect on me. I seem to tell you a lot I don’t mean to.

ChemicalSmuggler: Good. Don’t stop.

“How’s it going?” Kiernan asked, making me jump. “Skittish? What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

Kiernan glared and hit a few keys to log himself into the chat on his phone. I was sure. It took him a minute to scan back. “Wait, is this…?” He stared at me.

“I’m pretty sure.” It was behind a screen, so I couldn’t be sure-sure, but he knew me.

“Are you two friends?”

I lifted a shoulder. “Somewhat. I’m sorry it got off the rails. I’m working on pulling it back in.”

“Don’t be sorry. They are on fire right now. You should hang out with Varian!” He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Keep it up. This will have people taking.” The glee on Kiernan’s face was unmistakable, and all I felt was another weight added to my shoulders.

How long until my head went under? I could only hold so much and keep treading water. I couldn’t exactly hook him and reel him in. If I had that power, I would have already.

A private message popped up on my Discord. I didn’t even realize there was an option for that.

ChemicalSmuggler: I realized I don’t have your number.

My heart stopped. I typed my number into the chat, and my finger hovered over Enter. What if it wasn’t him? I sent it. I could always change my number, right?

My phone buzzed with a text five seconds later. Like he’d already typed it out and had been waiting for the number.

313-999-6666: Now I have unfettered access right to your pocket.

He already had unfettered access right to my brain. But I wasn’t going to tell him that. I added him as a contact.

Arik: How do I know this is really you, and not someone scamming me online?

Varian: You can never be too careful on the internet. I guess you’ll have to let me prove it to you.

Arik: Is this where I get all those unsolicited dick pics I keep hearing about?

Varian didn’t reply for a long time.

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