Page 252 of Trick or Stalk

He hands Hades a whiskey. “Emotionally unavailable.”

I burst out laughing.

Hades takes the drink. “That's not a costume.”

“Neither is whatever the fuck you two have going on.”

I accept the cider Wilder offers me. “You know who we are.”

“Yes.” Wilder looks at Hades. “But I still can’t believe you got him to dress as Gomez.”

“Why not?”

Wilder looks at me. “He looks more like a serial killer than—ow!” He rubs his arm where Hades punched him.

I look between them. “You two are weird.”

“You have no idea,” Wilder says.

Hades gives him a look. Wilder takes a long drink. Something about the exchange makes me smile.

“I'm beginning to understand why Hades said you're a pain in his ass.”

“He talks about me?”

“Unfortunately,” Hades says.

I grin. “He loves you.”

Hades nearly chokes on his whiskey.

Wilder's eyebrows shoot up.

I laugh. “Oh, come on. He does.”

“I didn't say that,” Hades mutters.

“You didn't have to.”

Wilder looks strangely pleased, but covers it with a smirk.

“Careful, little bookworm. You're going to ruin his reputation.”

Everything stops.

The music. The laughter. The people moving around us.

All of it.

My fingers tighten around my glass.

Hades goes completely still beside me.

I stare at Wilder, feeling the color drain from my face. “What did you call me?”

Wilder's smile falters, then he quickly says, “Bookworm.”

“No.”