Page 115 of Stay Scared

Owen retrieves it and holds it behind me. I slide my arms inside, and his hands leave the fabric once it settles.

The ordinary movement feels stranger than anything the camera recorded.

I look toward the tripod. “What happens to the feed buffer?”

“Twelve seconds remain in volatile memory. None of it is written to storage.”

“Can Rook reach it?”

Owen looks at the server rack. “After tonight, I’m not claiming certainty.”

“Good choice.”

I pick up the tablet.

PURGE ACTIVE BUFFER.

I press it.

TEMPORARY MEMORY CLEARED.

The live feed resumes with only the present: me fully dressed and Owen beside the racks.

Nothing from before this second remains on the device.

“I would have kept every image if you hadn’t made me delete them,” Owen says.

I look at him. “I believe you.”

He leaves the admission as ugly as it is. “I would have kept making more.”

The server fans suddenly sound louder.

“Even after tonight?”

“If you left that choice with me.”

His eyes meet mine. “I don’t trust myself with that choice where you’re concerned.”

Nothing waits behind the confession to make thousands of photographs easier to forgive.

Only Owen.

The man who saw someone watching me and decided to watch harder.

Rook gave him a reason to begin.

Eventually, wanting me was enough to continue.

“You’re still dangerous.”

“Yes.”

“At least you’re finally admitting it.”

“I wasn’t disagreeing.”

His mouth almost curves.