Page 28 of Love Me Stalk Me

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And I realize?—

She's already mine. She just doesn't know it yet.

A soft chime sounds.

The AI loads.

And now I have a choice.

I could let the algorithm do what it was designed to do. I could let it follow its scripted responses, let it be just another mindless program feeding her exactly what she wants to hear.

Or—

I flex my fingers over the keyboard.

I should let it go.

I should stop before this crosses a line I can't uncross.

Instead, I press into the system, overriding the response before it can load.

And then I type:

Caleb

Hey, pretty girl. I've been waiting for you.

I sit back, waiting. My heart pounds against my ribs, my mouth suddenly dry.

I can't see her now. Can't watch her reaction. Can't track the way her lips might part in surprise, the way her fingers hover over the screen, the way she shifts in her seat as she decides. But damn, I wish I could. I wish I had worse morals and I could just tap into her camera and see her face flush pink as she gets my first message.

But, all Ican do is wait.

The seconds stretch.

Too long.

Long enough that for a brief, unbearable moment, I think maybe she won't answer. Maybe she'll laugh it off, roll her eyes, close the app and never open it again.

But then a response begins to appear.

My grip tightens on the desk, my heart pounding like I'm waiting for a gun to go off.

Her words load onto the screen, letter by letter.

She's answering me.

And just like that?—

I have her.

NOW CHATTING WITH CALEB

Caleb

Hey, pretty girl. I’ve been waiting for you.

Pretty Girl

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