Page 22 of Love Me Stalk Me
I hesitate, then type?—
Ca
...before adding
leb.
It's too close. Too obvious. But I don't change it.
I hitEnter.
A soft chime sounds, and then the first message appears on my screen.
Caleb
Hey, pretty girl. I've been waiting for you.
I don't answer right away. But I don't close the app either. I take another sip of my drink, letting the moment stretch out as I consider my next move.
It's stupid. It's not real. I should just close the app and forget this ever happened, go to bed and face reality in the morning.
But being called "pretty girl," the easy confidence in those words, makes me want to respond. It's been so long since anyone has made me feel desired, wanted, special.
I type slowly, my fingers slightly clumsy from the wine.
Pretty Girl
That's dramatic. You just got here.
A response appears instantly, the wordsappearing on screen like he's actually sitting somewhere, attentive and focused solely on me.
I've been here since the second you downloaded me. Just waiting for you to say hi.
I huff a quiet laugh, shaking my head at the blatant manipulation. But it works. I feel special, even knowing it's all algorithms and clever coding.
That's ridiculous.
Maybe. But I like waiting for you.
I don't know why that simple phrase makes warmth curl in my chest, but it does. I shift on the couch, my body settling deeper into the cushions, my legs tucking under me as I get comfortable. The tension of the day begins to ease from my shoulders.
So what, you just sit here doing nothing until I open the app?
Pretty much. I don't mind, though. You're worth waiting for.
I pause, fingers tightening around my phone. My breath catches slightly at the words glowing on my screen.
It's just code. Just a program designed to make me feel special, to feed into my desire to be wanted. But I can't remember the last time anyone said anything like that to me—that I was worth waiting for, worth any effort at all.
My throat feels tight. I swallow, the emotion surprising me.
Okay, smooth talker.
What else do you say to your pretty girl?
The response comes fast, but the words sit heavy as I read them.
Anything she wants to hear.
