Page 26 of Fangirl
I lift an eyebrow. “Well, I’m twenty-nine. I’m obviously more mature. You’re only twenty-six.”
His chuckle is deep, rich, and completely unfair.
I adore it.
“Oh yeah, that’s right,” he muses. “I forgot you’re a cougar, Fangirl. Lucky for you, you already know I’m into older women with fancy accents who own one-eyed cats and drink tea.”
I feel my cheeks redden, and the screen doesn’t feel like a screen anymore. He’s right there, teasing and flirting, waiting for my reaction.
I gulp.Penis.
I lean forward, matching his intensity. “You’re lucky I’m into younger men with bright-green eyes.”
His grin widens, his voice dropping a fraction lower. “Well then, I guess we’re both lucky, aren’t we?”
The air between us shifts and thickens, like something new is taking shape.
Something I’m not ready for but desperately want anyway.
I swallow. I shouldn’t say it. I should let the moment pass.
“I feel something special when we talk,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s more than just the banter. It’s you. You make me feel… alive.” My heart slams against my ribs.
Why the hell did I just say that?
His face softens, but he doesn’t look shocked. Ifanything, he looks like he understands exactly what I mean.
“And you make me feel like I’m not alone,” he confesses. “Like there’s someone out there who actually gets me.”
The sincerity in his voice punches through me like a comet.
I reach out, fingers pressing lightly against the screen, hating that this is the closest we can be.
“I’m here for you.”
And for the first time in a long time, I truly mean it.
Then—
A loud noise erupts from his end—a deep, masculine voice in the background. His expression shifts, shoulders tensing.
“Fuck,” he mutters, eyes darting off-screen. “I gotta go, Fangirl.” He looks back at me, his eyes filled with something I can’t quite place. “But thank you. And I’ll talk to you soon.” Then a small pause. “Miss you already.”
Then the screen goes black.
No goodbye. Just gone.
I sit frozen, my reflection staring back in the silence he left behind.
My heart twists.
What the hell was that?
Pea stirs beside me, stretching his paws and blinking up curiously.
I run my fingers over his fur, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I think I’m in trouble, Pea.”
