Page 32 of Lost to the Woods

“So…pretentious, then?”

“Fine. Whatever. I’ll take that over being fake.”

“That’s rich, coming from a masked YouTuber. Do you not see the hypocrisy? You post riding vlogs, too.”Which I watch like my favorite show…

“Of meactuallyriding, thank you very much,” he barks back. “Also, I wore a mask before it became a trend. It’s to protect my identity. And it was supposed to be scary. Not my fault that everyone started to sexualize it.”

“And the voice?” I raise an eyebrow.

“It’s just my fucking voice.”

“Your fanbase is vile,” I say quickly, giving him another reason.

He seems caught off guard. “What?”

“Yes, they areobsessedwith you. I literally got death threats over you. It’s hard as it is for me being an egirl and sharing parts of my life online. People will say the most unhinged things in the comments. And it got progressively worse after they clocked that we were friends. I’m a TikToker, a trend, just a pretty face with a nice body. You’re like a celebrity. I could never be good enough for you in their eyes.”

“Why haven’t you said anything? I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks,” he purrs, cradling me closer. “You’re all I want, Bunny. You always were. Always will be.”

I pretend I didn’t hear that. I can’t afford to. “Ghost, I want big love like from old movies. You… you don’t do romance. And even if you wanted to try for me, you’re too paranoid to takeoff your mask. You barely go out. Imagine us on a date. Because I can’t see that happening.”

He doesn’t argue. For a second, I feel like I’ve won.

Oh, silly me!

“And you were ready to throw all of it away like I meant nothing to you? Simply give up without even trying to make it work? And for what? To see what else is out there?”

“What? No!” I protest, stiffening. “I just freaked out! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Wow. So that’s why you left me fucking stranded at the airport trying to reach you? Because you didn’t want tohurtme?”

I’m not good at confrontations. There’s so much hostility in him that my eyes fill with tears.

“I texted you not to comebeforeyou boarded,” I mumble under my breath, as if that made it any better.

His hand tightens on my thigh, just where my stocking ends and bare skin peeks from under the skirt of my dress. “And you really thought I wouldn’t fly there anyway?”

“Well… I hoped you’d have saved yourself the trip.”

“In hindsight, maybe I should have. But I never imagined you’d block my number and have Nate, of all people, confronting me about how you didn’t want to see me.”

“Come on. I felt horrible. The last thing I needed was you showing up at my doorstep.”

“Right,” he says, voice thick with sarcasm. “Because me, proving to you what a mistake you were making, would have been horrendous.” His hand slides across my leg, fingers grazing the bare skin between the lace of my thigh-high stockings.

I open my mouth to respond, but he cuts me off. “What was the reason, Bunny?” His voice is steady. Unyielding. And I know he’s not going to drop it.

I shift in his lap, my pulse pounding in my eardrums, my head a mush. “You know how we were… um, sexting?”

“Yes.” It’s impossible to read anything from his tone—no amusement, no irritation, just stillness.

“And—” I hesitate, heat creeping up my neck. “Oh, this is so embarrassing…”

“Speak up.”

My breath hitches, and my lower abdomen clenches at the authority in his voice. His command sends a jolt through me, sharp and electric, leaving a tingle behind. I force myself to look at him, though my heart slams against my ribs like a trapped bird.

“I might have… given you the impression that I’m more adventurous. Or… more experienced than I actually am.”

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