AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nate:Maybe tell me why you’re asking and then I’ll tell you how much
Todd: The app is restored.
Todd: You’re welcome.
Todd:Also, goodnight. And I think there’s a hurricane or something. Stay safe.
Nate stared at his phone. The app was fixed. He should be thrilled. This meant that they didn’t have to worry about the presentation for Tech Start. They could show off the app and hopefully walk away richer. But it also brought back the complication of his other lies to Colby. The ones where he pretended to be a stranger. Now after spending so much time together, could he even tell her?
He pulled up the app, half-expecting to see the broken heart and message again. But it opened right up like normal with the interface changes he had added earlier in the week. A tiny notification bubble popped up from the app itself apologizing for glitchy performance and lack of support. Nate cringed. They needed to find a better way to handle that. Alisa could write something up that sounded better. The message with the broken heart hadn’t been kind. But if they mentioned the hack, wouldn’t people freak out about a data breach?
More thoughts to push away. The beta testers were all in Houston. Likely they weren’t worried about the app’s offensive message at the moment. They were all in hurricane mode, plus it was the middle of the night. The team could figure out a better and more comprehensive and honest way to address what happened.
A message made the phone buzz in his hands.
Sewzy:OH MY GOSH WE’RE BACK!!!!
Sewzy:Sorry for shouting. But !!!!!!
Sewzy:So glad I didn’t lose you.
Nate felt awful. She was upset with Nate for not telling her the truth and turned right to Napper. She had to have been checking the app a lot, since it just came back online and she was already messaging.
Should he answer?
He had half a mind to walk out into the hallway and just spill it all. At least then he wouldn’t have this sick feeling churning in his gut every time he thought about it. The messages kept coming.
Sewzy:Isn’t this hurricane nuts? I’m really scared of storms, but riding it out with a friend, so it’s all good. You?
If he didn’t respond, she would probably just think he was sleeping. Maybe he could just not respond again, ever. After the app was down, she would probably just think that maybe Napper deleted it when it crashed.
But if Napper never responded, it would be like Colby got stood up again.
Nate couldn’t do that to her, not even as Napper. He started typing.
Napper:I’m fine. I think. Just hoping it will be over soon and won’t linger or destroy too much
Napper:I think we’ve had quite enough hurricanes in Houston
Sewzy:Amen!
Sewzy:Get some sleep. I don’t know how much battery life I’ll have or how much I can talk over the next few days, depending.
Napper:Take care and stay safe! We’ll talk soon.
Sewzy:I hope so. If I haven’t told you already, I really can’t wait to meet you.
Nate shut down the phone, feeling more conflicted than ever. Right now, Colby was lying in the hallway, typing these messages that she thought were going to a stranger. One she really liked.
A few minutes before, she had held Nate’s hands and touched his face. Maybe it was just the intimate moment—being trapped together in the house during a traumatic event or maybe it was more. It felt like more. The only thing holding them back was his secret and this guy she liked and couldn’t wait to meet. Was it weird that he felt jealous of Napper? That guy got a fresh start with Colby and no baggage.
Because Napper was fake. But Colby didn’t know that, and she turned to Napper on the app when things weren’t good with Nate in real life. What did that even mean?
If she could go from touching his beard and holding his hand right to talking with another guy on the app, was she even worth pursuing?
Nate sat in the bathroom on the counter for a while longer, just letting his thoughts sift and settle. He was bone-tired, but also keyed up.
When Nate went back to the hallway, Colby was asleep. She’d turned back toward his pillow, her hands tucked up under her chin. Carefully, Nate took her hands in his, palm to palm. When he woke sometime later in the night, hearing a distant crack and crash, their fingers were intertwined.
Colby slept through the noise. She also slept through him kissing her knuckles, one by one by one.
