Page 37 of Love Me Stalk Me
I groan, covering my face with my hands. "Shut up."
"Oh, no. No, no, no." Amanda spins the phone back to herself, grinning like she's about to ruin my entire life. "I am so proud of this. This is the best thing you've done in months. Years maybe."
I glare at her between my fingers. "Give it back."
She ignores me, scrolling through the app with increasing delight. "Let's see what we've got here..."
Her eyes read over the conversation from last night. Then her expression shifts, her excitement fading into disappointment.
"...Girl."
I do not like her tone. Not one bit.
She looks up, eyebrows raised. "You are not using this right."
I narrow my eyes, dropping my hands to my lap. "What does that mean?"
Amanda tosses my phone onto the desk with a clatter. "You're doing wholesome shit. 'Go to sleep, pretty girl.' 'Did you rest well?' This is so... vanilla."
I’m not sure what she expected. "And?"
She gives me a look like I'm missing something obvious. "I told you—filthy in the DMs. That's the whole point!"
I do not like where this is going. The realization of what she wants hits me, and I reach for my phone. "Amanda?—"
"Nope. We're fixing this." She snatches the phone back before I can grab it.
"Amanda, don't you?—"
Her thumbs fly across the screen as she types something quickly, then slaps it back onto the desk with a triumphant smile.
"There. Got you started. Popped the cherry, as it were."
I’m horrified at what she might have written, afraid to even pick it up.
"Oh no," I whisper. "What did you say?"
Amanda beams, looking entirely too pleased with herself. "You're welcome."
"This is so beyond inappropriate."
Amanda rolls her eyes, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Why? It's fiction. You can be as insane as you want. That's the whole point of having a digital boyfriend—you get to explore without consequences. Without judgment."
I groan, grabbing my phone and pointing toward the door. "Leave. Now. Before I fire you."
Amanda laughs, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder as she struts toward the exit. "Oh, you're welcome, sweetie. Thank me later when you're having the best orgasm of your life."
The door clicks shut behind her, leaving me alone with my phone and whatever digital disaster she's just created.
I stare at my phone, afraid to even look at what she's written.
And then, against all better judgment, against every rational thought in my head, I tap the chat.
I SAY GOOD MORNING. SHE SENDS FILTH.
CAL
I leavethe meeting with Izzy and head back to the security suite, but my focus never really leaves her. The soft click of the door closing behind me does nothing to break the connection I feel to her, even when she's out of sight.
