I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t think past the ringing in my ears and the way my skin still tingled where he’d touched me.
He picked up his shirt from the chair, pulling it on with the same efficient movement he’d used to remove it. Like nothinghad happened. Like he hadn’t just turned my entire world upside down with three words and a compatibility score that shouldn’t exist.
“We’ll need follow-up testing,” he said, checking something on his tablet. “The protocol requires a secondary trial within forty-eight hours for any match over ninety-five percent.”
“Nicolo—”
But he was already walking toward the door.
“See you tomorrow, Maryah.”
And then he was gone.
Leaving me behind.
Shirtless.
Shaking.
Furious.
And more confused than I’d ever been in my life.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at the door he’d disappeared through, trying to process what had just happened. The scanner had powered down, but the number was still burned into my retinas.
98.7%.
I’d designed the system. I knew what that score meant.
It meant we were perfect for each other.
It meant everything I’d spent seven years trying to ignore was scientifically, mathematically, undeniably real.
It meant I was in so much trouble I couldn’t even see the bottom of it.
I grabbed my shirt and pulled it on with shaking hands, my skin still warm from his touch. The testing room felt too small now, too full of his scent and the memory of his fingers in my hair.
Tomorrow, there would be another test.
Tomorrow, I’d have to face him again and pretend that 98.7% didn’t mean anything.
Tomorrow, I’d have to lie to myself all over again.
But for now, I just needed to get out of this room before I did something really stupid.
Like cry.
Or scream.
Or track him down and demand to know what the hell he thought he was doing to me.
I made it to my car before the tears started.
Flip my life.
Flip it all.
Chapter Four