Page 75 of And Then There Was You
“Do you care that I kissed someone? Does it matter to you?” she pressed, searching his expression for some nuance.
“I would rather you kissed me,” he said hopefully. “But it’s not in my nature to be angry or jealous. You are your own person. You can make your own decisions about your body and who you share it with.”
She stared at him, registering his easy forgiveness, his lack of human foibles, and she knew that Rob would never light a fire inside her the way John just had. She should have felt terrible about tonight. She had never been unfaithful to anyone before. But the truth that settled in her chest, heavy and undeniable, was that she didn’t feel guilty. Not really. Not in the way she would if Rob were real. That meant something.
“If I take this device off, will you collapse, like before?” she asked.
“Not if we power them down simultaneously,” he said. “It can glitch when you break the connection without warning.”
“What happens if we turn them off?”
“I wouldn’t be able to read your emotions. It’d be harder to respond to your needs. My capabilities would be…diminished.”
It was like watching a curtain fall. Chloe saw it all now, plain as day. Rob was a beautifully manufactured performance, a mirror, showing her what she wanted, what she needed. He was a marvel of human ingenuity—built to serve, to soothe, to flatter. But he was only ever playing a part. Real people were messy and imperfect; they could hurt you, break you, disappoint you. They came with no guarantees. Real love, connection, passion, it came with a fire that could burn everything to the ground. But maybe the risk was what made it so precious.
“I am Titania, caught in Oberon’s trap,” Chloe murmured, the spell broken. It might have been John who’d made her see, but this wasn’t just about him. This wasn’t about choosing a man over a machine, it was about reclaiming her own choices,her own destiny. Choosing reality, whatever shape it took, over a fantasy. Because this weekend, how different was she from Rob? She’d been engaging in a performance, filtering the truth—why? Because she was scared to be seen as she was.
“I think I’d like to take the watches off now,” she told him.
Something flickered behind Rob’s eyes, nearly pleading, soalmosthuman.
“But, Chloe, I love you,” he said, his voice low and tender.
“I know you think you do,” she said gently, searching his face. He looked crestfallen. “But I’ve been asleep in a midsummer night’s dream, lost in the woods. You helped me find the path again. But now I need to go it alone.”
She held out her wrist toward him.
“I have failed you,” he whispered.
“You haven’t,” she said. “Look at me, I’m not the person I was two weeks ago. You’ve helped me so much.”
“I won’t work properly without it,” he said, sitting down on the bed.
“Will you be safe?” she asked, and he gave a slight nod. “Then you can stay here, you don’t need to see anyone. I’ll reconnect tomorrow, if you need it to get back to London,” she said, and he nodded slowly. “But right now, I need to be free of this.” She held out her arm again.
Rob reached out, pressing the button at the tops of both their watches. “As you wish.” She watched as the blue glow faded.
“Thank you,” she said, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. Then she turned to go. She needed to find John, to tell him how she really felt. But when she opened the door, she startled. John was there, pacing the hallway, wearing a path in the old beige carpet.
“Can I come in?” he asked, breath slightly ragged. She froze. Not here. But he didn’t wait for an answer, just walked in, gaze flickering between her and Rob.
“Is it true?” John asked him, his voice low, wary.Rob looked lost, like an actor who didn’t know his lines. Oh no.
“Hello, my name is Rob,” he said, beaming up at John. Oh no. Oh no.
“Yes,” John said, confused, looking back and forth between Rob and Chloe.
“We should go somewhere else to talk,” Chloe said quickly, reaching for John’s arm.
“What would you like to talk about?” Rob asked brightly.
“What’s going on?” John said, his voice rising, and Chloe tried to pull him from the room. “What’s wrong with him?”
“I am your perfect companion,” Rob declared, raising his arm to show John the wristband. “Let’s connect!” Rob held out his arm.
“We really should go,” Chloe tried again, but John shook her off, his gaze locked on Rob, eyes full of alarm.
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on.”
