Page 75 of The Stalker Snafu

Rafe threw himself onto one end of the couch and checked his phone. “That little turd still hasn’t texted back.”

Adrian settled into the armchair opposite me with a grin. “I bet he’s off macking on that girl.”

“What girl?” Oliver asked.

“The one he’s always talking about. He keeps hoarding chocolates for her,” Adrian answered with a waggle of his eyebrows.

I perked up at the mention of chocolates. Lucky girl.

“He needs to lay off her.” Rafe slid the phone back into his pocket. “He bailed on us the other day because he wanted to surprise her. It isn’t healthy.”

“Oh, just let him be.” Julian waved them off. “I’ve never seen the poor boy in love before. It’s entertaining.”

“And hilarious,” Adrian added. “I’m still not totally convinced he didn’t make her up in his head. If she’s real, then I need to meet her.”

“Why wouldn’t she be real?” I asked. Did guys normally make up girlfriends in their heads?

Adrian grinned. “Because it wouldn’t be the first time he made someone up. Rafe, who was that imaginary friend he had? Wilbur?”

“Winston,” Rafe corrected.

I immediately felt defensive of their friend. While Mr. Elephant wasn’t imaginary, I knew he was at risk of judgement as well. “Hey, lots of kids have imaginary friends. It’s supposed to be healthy.”

Rafe sent me a dry look. “He was in high school when he invented Winston.”

The others laughed while I tried not to join in out of principle. Sentient elephant stuffed animals aside, it was pretty funny to picture a teenage boy hanging out with his imaginary friend.

A car door slammed loudly outside, making me jump, but Rafe just rolled his eyes. “Good. He’s finally here.”

“Everyone outside of Kincaid is accounted for, then.” Julian rubbed his hands together and gave me a sympathetic look. “And we should hear back from my contact soon.”

I nodded distractedly, but any hope of answers was quickly forgotten when a grinning Finn Everton bounded through the door.

Holy.

Flipping.

Mothercracker.

CHAPTER 29

A Mind Fudge

I rubbed my eyes, convinced I was hallucinating. But when I risked opening them again, Finn was still there.

He skidded to a stop in the middle of the foyer, eyes widening and jaw dropping comically as I gaped back at him. “Cupcake? What… What are you doing here?”

This could not be happening.

“Finn?” I asked in equal confusion, lowering my hands. “What are you—Cheese and fries, you’re one of them, too?”

My brain was on the verge of splitting in half, and it appeared I wasn’t the only one—but I must’ve hit my threshold for shock because all the continuous surprises became too much and I somehow found the situation absolutely hilarious.

All I could do was laugh. It was that or cry, and I refused to bawl my eyes out in front of a room full of guys I barely knew.

So, I cracked up like a crazy person.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I yelled to the ceiling, clutching my stomach as the uncontrollable laughter took over.