Page 4 of Stalker's Valentine

“Hey, Merri, how you doing?”

“Good, man,” I muttered but sounded like the opposite. “And yourself?”

“I’m good, but you sure you’re alright?” My eyes were pinned on the screen of my brother’s phone.

“What?” I asked, forcing myself to look up at him.

“You sleeping okay?” Bash was too damn observant.

“I’m fine,” I clipped, and then my shoulders sagged. “I’ve been having a little bit of insomnia,” I admitted, because Bash wasn’t being a nosy dick; he was genuinely concerned. Plus, it was somewhat true. I hadn’t been able to rest. Not knowing who she was or if I had somehow imagined her was driving me crazy.

Now that her picture was in my hands, that she was somehow connected to someone I knew, I had a feeling resting would be even less easy.

“That’s shit, man. I had that when I was in high school. Have you tried Valerian root?”

“What?” I blinked, hoping I wasn’t coming off as a dick. Austin’s buddies were good guys, and they didn’t need me to be a jerk. I just couldn’t seem to focus for crap.

“Valerian root,” Bash repeated. “It’s over the counter and helps you sleep. Though, I will tell you, it smells like death, but it helps,” he shared with genuine concern, and I nodded.

“Might try that,” I muttered. Bash’s gaze dropped to my hand.

“Those the pics from the party?”

“Yup,” I answered. He extended his hand, and I was forced to hand it over. The only reason I didn’t keep it was because I’d already emailed myself the images.

“Hey, Onyx!” Bash called over his shoulder. “You need to print this to send to your mom!” I frowned.

“Which one?” I cleared my throat hoping I didn’t sound too eager.

“This one, with his sisters. The one you stopped at.”

“His sisters?” I leaned over, pretending I didn’t know what he was talking about. “You have three sisters?” I asked just as Onyx walked over. I watched as Bash handed the phone over, and his gaze softened.

“Yeah, four of them. That’s a good one, but Raven is missing.”

“Wait. You’re Onyx and your sister is named Raven?”Aren’t those two shades of black?

“Yeah, they’re a colorful bunch,” Bash said in a teasing tone.

“What do you mean?” I couldn’t help asking. Sweat started to form at the back of my neck, but I ignored it.

I also ignored the way I felt Austin’s eyes on me.

I was probably just paranoid, but I felt the moment he looked at me, he would somehow know. Fucking hell! What a small world was this!? My cutie was my little brother’s best friend’s little sister.

Onyx looked at me and sighed, then handed me back the phone and pointed.

“That’s Coral; she’s the oldest. Then me, then this is Scar, and that’s Olive,” he pointed out. “Raven was sick, or else she would have come, but she’s the youngest.” Everything he shared ingrained itself in my brain.

“How’s she feeling?” Bash asked, and Onyx shrugged like a typical big brother.

“Better, I guess.”

“Scar?” I repeated.

“Scarlett,” Onyx explained. “My dad liked the idea of naming his kids after shades of colors because he said my mom lit up his life.”

Scarlett. Scarlett Trejo.Holy fucking shit, she had a name. The most perfect, pretty name ever! It suited her.

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