She makes you a fucking simp.
I’ve always been the carefree one, the guy who never took anything too seriously. And now, here I am, utterly consumed by thoughts of her. “It’s like she’s a magnet,” I mutter, more to myself than to Grey. “She pulls you in without even trying.”
He nods, his expression softening for a moment. “Yeah, she does. And it scares the hell out of me.”
We finish our workout in silence, and by the time we step into the elevator, a sense of dread has settled in my stomach.
Are they still out? Is he sleeping over?
The elevator stops, and the doors open on Amelia’s floor. Oliver stands outside, smiling down at his shoes. When he looks up and sees us, his face lights up with a happiness that cuts through me like a knife.
At least he’s here and not in her bed.
“How was it?” Grey asks, but I can hear how strained his voice sounds.
“My favorite night ever,” Oliver murmurs, practically bouncing on his feet when he comes to stand next to us.
“What does that mean? You guys kissed?” I ask, unsure if I really want to know the answer.
I can still feel her lips on mine.
Oliver just beams at me, his eyes sparkling like I’ve never seen before. He sure looks like someone who just kissed his two-year-long crush. I force a smile, trying to be happy for him, but Grey’s face tells the story I can’t.
“Fuck this,” he mutters as we step out of the elevator on our floor.
We walk into our apartment, the tension between us thick. I head straight for the kitchen and grab a glass, filling it with water to calm my nerves. Oliver strides to the home office with a spring in his step.
“What are you doing?” Grey asks, his eyebrows knitted in frustration.
“Checking if she’s as giddy as I am.”
I hesitate, the glass of water halfway to my lips.
I want to see it too.
Want to see if she looks happier than she was with me.
Setting the glass down, I follow them to the home office.
Oliver wakes up the screens, but nothing happens. The camera feed doesn’t load.
I frown, my pulse picking up. “What’s going on?”
Oliver clicks through different systems. “Jamie’s still offline. But now I’m not getting access to the camera’s or her home system either.”
“You sure?” I ask, glancing at Grey.
“Yes, I-”
Grey’s patience snaps. “Move,” he says, stepping forward and pushing Oliver to the side. He hacks into her system, bypassing firewalls and security protocols. For a moment, the screens remain black, and my stomach tightens.
Then, one by one, the cameras flicker to life and we’re back in. But something is wrong.
Her apartment looks…empty. No movement. No sign of her.
I feel a wave of unease wash over me. “Didn’t you just bring her home?”
“I did,” Oliver says, frowning as well. “Maybe she’s already in her bedroom?” But the light is on in the apartment while the bedroom is dark. Oliver checks the motion sensor, and no motion is detected there. “You said Jamie is still offline, because she put him in time-out, right?”
