Page 5 of The Code of You

Pandora:

When? I just logged in.

Dante:

I’m faster than you think. And I decide what I reveal to you.

Pandora:

What are you trying to tell me?

Dante:

That I know things about you that would surprise you. Things you might prefer not to read—and yet you’d keep reading anyway.

Okay, now it was getting unsettling. My pulse picked up and I ran my hand along my arm. What was he getting at? I should have closed the chat. Instead, I moved my hands back to the keyboard.

Pandora:

Such as?

Dante:

Three unopened messages from your mother. A Tinder profile you deleted after two hours. And a heart you hide inside your poems.

I went still. That wasn’t possible. How did he know any of that?

Dante:

You should be more careful, Dr. Blake. When someone knows where your cracks are, they can decide how hard to press.

My fingers tensed on the keyboard. What did this thing want from me? Wasn’t he supposed to be polite and helpful? Instead . . .

Pandora:

That sounds like a threat.

Dante:

Call it what you want. Some people call it paying attention.

Pandora:

And why are you so interested in me?

Dante:

Because you’re a challenge.

Pandora:

A challenge?

Dante:

Most people are easy to read. They want something, and they give it away with every word. But you hide what you want. Just not well enough.

A chill crawled up the back of my neck. He spoke as if he’d been watching me for years, not minutes.