Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Amelia

Once I close the door behind me, I lock it, then lean against it for a moment to catch my breath. The night has been a whirlwind of emotions, and my heart is still fluttering from that final kiss. His touch and words left me feeling giddy and lightheaded.

It wasn't a hallucination. He really tastes like strawberry.

Strawberry Chapstick.

"Lights on, seventy percent," I say, expecting the flat to illuminate. But nothing happens, so I say it again, louder this time, "Lights on, seventy percent." Still, the apartment stays dark.

Strange.

I reach out and press the light switch manually, and the room is bathed in a warm glow. The unease dissipates slightly, and I shake my head at my nervousness.

Probably a bug.

I need to check my systems.

Placing the special edition on the kitchen counter, I let my fingers glide over the cover, and my mind wanders back to Oliver. His confession and acceptance of my feelings for Grey and Misha feels like a dream. His kiss, gentle and hesitant yet filled with so much emotion, still tingles on my lips. Knowing I was his first kiss makes it even more special.

I giggle quietly, touching my mouth.

He loves me.

Needing to share my excitement and thoughts with someone, even if it's just an algorithm, I call out, "Jamie, come back online, please."

There's no response.

I frown. Was there a network failure while I was out?

"Come on, Jamie. I know I haven't talked to you for a while. I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me, please." I look up at the ceiling, waiting for Jamie to respond, to come online, but there's only silence.

The sense of unease starts to creep back in, and I feel a slight chill despite the warmth in the apartment. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to shake off the feeling. "Jamie, seriously, this isn't funny."

I walk to the couch to look for my laptop, but it's not where I left it earlier.

Fuck.

Then there's a loud crash behind me, like something heavy fell over. My heart skips a beat, and I whirl around just in time to see the shadow of someone moving. Panic seizes me, and before I can fully react, a sharp pain explodes at the back of my head. The world spins, and a wave of dizziness overwhelms me before everything goes dark as I collapse to the floor.