At least she didn’t tell me to fuck off.
CHAPTER 8
Audrey
Iwake up to a jackhammer in my skull and a text waiting on my phone.
Layla:
hydrate, you lightweight.
The sunlight streaming through my curtains is personally offensive. I fumble for my phone, squinting at the brightness, and immediately regret every whiskey I consumed last night.
You really hurt me, Logan.
Oh god. I said that. Out loud. To his face.
I groan and pull the pillow over my head, but it doesn’t block out the memory. His expression when I said it—that flash of something raw and wounded before he shuttered it away. The way he asked if we could be friends.
I’ll think about it.
What kind of answer is that? What was I thinking?
I wasn’t thinking. That’s the problem. All that time rebuilding myself into someone untouchable, and I let whiskey and cheese curds demolish it in a single evening.
My phone buzzes again. This time it’s a calendar reminder:8:00 a.m - Lab standup.
It’s 7:15.
Shit.
I force myself upright, head pounding, and reach for the glass of water I had the foresight to leave on my nightstand.Thank you, Drunk-Audrey. As I drink, I scroll through my notifications on autopilot.
Email from Layla about a board meeting.
Email from Serena with a link to an article about biomedical patent law, subject line:For your next argument with Caleb.
Email from Logan Whitman, sent at 2:07 a.m.
I stare at it for a long moment. The subject line reads:Simulation Parameters - Priority Algorithm Model v1.
He was up at 2 a.m working on this. After everything that happened at the bar, after I dumped three months of hurt feelings on him and walked away to dance with my friends, he went home and finished the work.
I open the email.
Audrey,
Attached are the simulation parameters we discussed. I’ve included three model variations based on different priority weighting systems—one that mirrors standard neural processing hierarchies, one optimized for latency reduction, and one hybrid approach that might offer a middle ground.
I also ran preliminary tests on the hybrid model. Results are promising. Happy to walk you through the methodology whenever works for you.
—Logan
P.S. Hope your head isn’t hurting too much this morning.
That last line catches me off guard. It’s almost... playful.
I read it three more times before I realize I’m smiling.
