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ByteMe69 most definitely had a heart. It wasn’t something her fantastical imagination had conjured up. It was as real as the one beating inside her own chest.

And for reasons Quinn would never understand, his had been filled with concern…for her.

It was there, echoing its way through the phone’s speakers as he’d pleaded with her to tell him what was going on. The guy knew nothing about her, yet he’d done everything he could to keep her from hanging up.

Not because he wanted something from her, but because he’d been worried.

A single tear fell from the corner of one eye, but she used a shoulder to swipe it away. This was stupid.Shewas stupid.

She never should have started a relationship with the guy in the first place. Sure, it was an anonymous one that only took place either online or with the occasional phone call. And apart from a few flirtatious moments over the course of their last few weeks of contact, they’d pretty much kept things well within the friend zone boundaries.

Quinn also never should have ghosted the poor man the way she had. But she’d been so scared that night, and while the moment of terror was short lived, it had sent her straight into survival mode.

Thinking you’re going to die can do that to a girl.

As it turned out, she wasn’t in any sort of imminent danger, after all. The scratching coming from the patio door located on her living room’s north wall wasn’t her ex making good on his many threats. No, no.

It was a cat.

A scrawny black and white cat, to be more precise. And the only things the poor girl was guilty of was being hungry and seeking shelter from the cold night air.

At the time, however, Quinn wascertainsomeone had been trying to break into her townhome. So she’d hung up on ByteMe69 and immediately implemented her go-plan.

With a system already in place—and her high-end, encrypted-out-the-wazoo tablet within reach—it had taken less than a minute to disconnect her phone service and erase her gaming account.

The only two points of contact ByteMe69 had.

It wasn’t until Quinn ducked down and carefully made her way to the small coat closet near her front door that Quinn got her first glimpse of the would-be intruder.

After calming her racing heart—and releasing several under-the-breath curses directed toward the furry feline—she’d gone to the door, slid it open, and greeted the cat with a cautious hand.

A few licks and the sweetest purr later, and Quinn was the proud owner of a cat she’d affectionately named Oreo.

The furry feline was a godsend those first few days. Oreo had snuggled and purred, keeping her company when the one person she wanted to couldn’t.

Well, hecouldhave. If she’d let him.

And there were many,manytimes over the last few weeks when she’d considered making that call. But in the end, she’d decided against it.

Not because she didn’t want to. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The reason Quinn hadn’t called her only true friend—a sad fact she refused to give much thought to—was because the shockwave of fear that had rolled through her system that night had left a mark.

It was a stark reminder of a promise she’d made herself six years ago. One that had remained unbroken…until him.

She’d learned the hard way that life was much less painful when she kept the deepest parts of herself closed off from everyone else. And for the first five years following Justin’s arrest, that was exactly what she’d done.

But then, one day several months ago, Quinn had gotten bored and decided to log into a game she’d played back in high school. It wasn’t long before she stumbled upon a cocky, smart-assed gamer with a voice that made her think of sex, and the uncanny ability to make her laugh when she needed it most.

In a moment of weakness, Quinn had let her guard down. Not fully, mind you. She’d never, ever do that again. But with ByteMe69—God, she wished she’d at least gotten his first name—Quinn felt different.

Almost…happy.

He’d done that for her, and what had she given in return? A broken promise to call when she could and a vanishing act that could rival even the best of magicians.

What’s wrong?

Tell me what’s going on.

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