Page 7 of What If It's You?

“What was that?”

“That was the time my sisters left me in a corn maze and didn’t tell my mom because they thought they’d get in trouble.Orit was the time a nice lady found me in a corn maze.”

Drew’s eyes sparkled.

“So we’re…watching your memory?”

“No, we’re experiencing an event that happened in this universe…and variations that presumably happened in various other universes,” he said.

“But we justmadethat happen.”

“Every possible outcome that could exist within the laws of physicsdoesexist in some universe.”

“But then…what changes in the universe where you’re found? Where he’s found?”

“I wish I knew.” Drew’s shoulders slumped slightly, his bright blue eyes clouding with frustration. “We’ve managed to get the program to where we can glimpse alternate possibilities based on the user’s input—what if I’d been at this intersection just a minute sooner, or what if I’d stopped that fight?—but we’d need a quantum computer with ten x the linked qubits to observe an alternate timeline in any kind of sustained way. Which is why I’m so worried.”

“Worried about what? The butterfly effect?”

“No. Like I said, every possible outcome—”

“Right, right. The universe already exists somewhere.” I shook my head, still not quite able to grasp the concept. “Then what are you worried about?”

“Whatever Jim’s gonna say at the board meeting that will throw me off my game. I mean…sure, we’ve got the program running on a basic level, and the headset only glitches maybe one time out of ten, but we’re still years away from a meaningful user-facing product. What if he calls me out in front of everyone? Like…what do I even say this isfor?”

“What this is for? Drew, you just showed me aliteral alternate universe.”

He blinked at me, then a slow smile softened his face. I’d never really noticed how strong his jaw was when he wasn’t smiling.

“It is pretty cool, right?”

“It’s like something out of a sci-fi novel.”

His smile widened, cheeks pinking slightly at the compliment.

“I mean…that’s the goal. But right now there’s just so much we don’t know. Like, even on the most basic level, it’s unclear whether we’re somehowaccessingthe universes or whether the computer is just managing to simulate them based on user input and the AI framework we’ve built for it. Plus the processing power, obviously.None of this works without that, and the limits are still…” He exhaled heavily.

“So you’re telling me it’s possible you only managed to show me whatwouldbe happening in an alternate universe, based on exactly what you wanted to find out about whatmighthappen in that universe.”

“Pretty much.”

“If Jim has any dumbass questions about whether what you’re doing is worth Pixel’s time and money, tell him that. Though, honestly? I think even Jim Donovan will realize that this is next-level incredible. Like…potentially change-the-world incredible.”

“You really think so?” That painfully shy smile quirked the corner of Drew’s lips as he glanced up at me, need plain in his wide blue eyes. Something skipped in my chest, and I blinked, startled. Was I thinking about Drew…likethat? Obviously he was attractive, sneakily broad-shouldered and fit beneath his tech uniform of T-shirts and hoodies—I’d seen him poolside at company events, his washboard abs were like some Easter egg he’d inserted into his personal code. But plenty of people were objectively attractive; that didn’tmeananything. It was normal to worry about a friend, right? And he had always been such a good friend to me. That had to be all that was going on here…

My phone trilled in my pocket and I jerked backward, startled less by the text notification than by the unexpected turn my thoughts had been taking. Today of all days, when I woke up to aringin Ollie’s drawer, I’m going to start having palpitations over Drew?

Okay…startwasn’t precisely true, it wasn’t the first time I’deverwondered whether Drew and I might have worked as something more. Jesus, what did that say about me? Yes, fine, the idea of forever was scary, but that wasnormal,right? But thinking about another guy when you have every reason to be happy….

That was just like my mother. I swallowed the rush of sweet saliva flooding my mouth. Guilt curdled even further as I saw the name on the screen.Ollie. Could hesmellme thinking bad thoughts?But the message was anodyne:Already dreaming about the fried squash blossoms. Do you think they’d look at me funny if I ordered three plates instead of an entrée?

Normally the evidence that Ollie was thinking of me—andmyfavorite appetizer, he could pretend he loved the squash blossoms more than life itself, but if he had his way we’d start with steak tartare every time—would have given me a momentary burst of happiness. Or at least contentment. At this particular moment, it just made me feel queasy with panic.

It’s our anniversary and there’s a ring in his drawer.

The thought made my breath come short. Somehow the focus I’d needed for the morning’s meeting had pushed that little nugget of pure anxiety to the back of my brain until now.

“Once I pull together the presentation, would you mind giving me notes? I know I tend to get a little…in the weeds with the tech and physics side of it, when I should really be selling AltR to the board as a product.” Drew nibbled his lower lip. I just blinked at him, not quite able to process what he was saying. “Hey…are you alright? You look pale…”

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