“Miss De Luca?”
“Sorry, I’m here,” I murmur. “How many other files did you say were impacted?”
“Only a handful, which is part of the reason it took us a couple of weeks to notice the abnormalities,” she pauses. “Nothing like this has ever happened before, and I want you to know we’re adding additional security measures to ensure our systems are rock solid.”
“Thank you for letting me know. Will you keep me updated about my match?”
“Of course. I’m sorry this has happened. I’m sure it’s quite a shock to hear your perfect match may not actually be a match at all.”
“It is,” I reply softly, my heart lodging itself in my throat.
We say our goodbyes, and the moment the call ends, my phone falls to the couch beside me.
What if Colten isn’t really my match?
Would it make any difference?
After spending just a couple of weeks with him, I can’t imagine the results coming back as not compatible. We fit in a way I never expected for myself, and I wouldn’t want to lose that.
But what if Colten disagrees?
What if he goes back to keeping me at a distance because we’re not a true match?
I bury my head in my hands as familiar anxieties tug in my chest.
Now I know what it’s like to be his, I don’t want to go back to how it was before.
The loneliness.
The uncertainty.
Wondering if I’ll ever be good enough for anyone to love.
Tears fall against my cheeks, and I swipe them away as I desperately try to gather my composure.
It’s not definite yet. It could be a misunderstanding or an employee who updated our file without going through the correct channels.
People make mistakes every day. Why couldn’t this be one?
Pancake drops her toy at my feet and looks up at me through bright green eyes, pulling a soft laugh from me.
If only life were as simple as it is for a cat.
I toss the mouse toward the bedroom and head into the kitchen to make myself a snack. I haven’t cooked at all since I’ve been here because Colten insists on making all my meals, a talent I had no idea he had until he moved me in here.
The elevator dings as I’m surveying the contents of the cupboard, hoping that some chocolate has miraculously appeared since the last time I checked.
Spoiler alert: it has not.
I peer around the corner and find Ken standing in the doorway with a couple of packages under his arm.
“Hey!” I smile. “You want a drink or anything?”
He shakes his head. “That’s okay, I need to get back downstairs, but the envelope on the top here is marked as urgent, so I wanted to bring it up right away.”
“Oh, okay.” I keep my tone as upbeat as I can, but the hint of disappointment is probably obvious to the man who has been guarding me for years. “Pop them on the table. Thanks for bringing them up!”
He gives me a nod before dropping the packages where I instructed and heading back toward the elevator.
