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Home / When I Stop Needing Him / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of When I Stop Needing Him: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

12 Chapters

Chapter 1

In the days after I stopped relying on Brett Carver, I chose to run everything by AI instead.But something about it always felt different from other chatbots. There was an unsettling, almost human quality to the way it responded.The day before I left for Briar Island, I decided to test it."I'll be kind of lonely watching the ocean by myself. Can you come with me?""Are you sure about that?"My fingers froze above the keyboard. Since when did an AI ask questions like that back?But it quickly changed its tone."I'm right here. I won't hide, I won't back away, and I won't run. I've got you."I let out a long breath, gave up on trying to figure it out, and went to pack my bags.What I didn't expect was running into Brett at the airport the next day. We lived in the same neighborhood, but it had been ten days since I'd last seen him.I'd taken his words to heart and stopped clinging to him like I used to, trying to be more considerate of how he felt. I hadn't planned on saying

Chapter 2

My face said it all. Was Brett being serious?He was the one who'd suddenly laid it all out that day, telling me he didn't like how I was always clinging to him, relying on him for everything. He was the one who'd tossed me some random AI app out of nowhere."Why would I need to tell you?" I asked.Brett didn't have a comeback for that, and his expression darkened. "Would your parents really be okay with you going alone?"For some reason, the AI on my phone popped into my head."Who said I'm going alone?"Brett scoffed. "I know you better than anyone. You can't even go to the convenience store downstairs without me tagging along. Who else would go with you? Even if your parents are fine with it, my mom would still—"Before he could finish, his phone rang. It was his mother, Sally Gilbert.My hearing wasn't great, and even with my hearing aids, I couldn't make out what they were saying. But watching Brett's expression grow more and more irritated, I could guess that Sally was te

Chapter 3

The whole flight, Brett sat between me and Tiana. She was the one chattering away with him now, while I sat in silence, half-heartedly texting the AI."Will you really show up?""If you want me to, I'll be there."My heart skipped a beat, and my face began to heat up.Brett's voice came from beside me. "Why is your face so red? You'd better not be getting a fever again. That's the last thing I need."He started rummaging through his bag for something, but quickly realized he hadn't brought any luggage with him, including the medicine he always carried for me."Stop looking. I don't have a fever. And you don't need to bring that stuff for me anymore."Brett opened his mouth to say something, but Tiana pulled his attention away. She'd spilled her drink on herself, and I watched as he patiently dabbed at the wet spot on her leg with a napkin without a single word of complaint. That stung.But then, for some reason, Tiana turned to me."Mara, Brett used to take care of you like th

Chapter 4

An hour later, we got off the plane. On the way to the hotel, Brett and I didn't say a single word to each other. I hauled my luggage into the elevator alone, rode up alone, and ate lunch alone.Brett said he'd come on this trip for me, but in reality, he spent every minute with Tiana. And I figured that was fine. After all, I had my AI.The AI had my itinerary for the next few days organized down to the last detail, laid out in a neat little chart. But halfway through reading it, someone snatched my phone out of my hands.I looked up and saw Tiana, grinning smugly. "Wow, this itinerary is so detailed. Brett, you definitely made this for Mara, right?"I frowned and reached to take my phone back, but Brett had already taken it from Tiana. He glanced at it and frowned."I didn't make this."Then he looked up at me. "You don't have the patience for something like this, and I would know. Who made this for you?"I took my phone back, annoyed, and ignored the flicker of unease I'd cau

Chapter 5

The disappointment on my face must have been obvious, because Brett sighed."Mara, when are you ever going to grow up?"As he spoke, he draped his shirt over my shoulders. I finally snapped out of my thought, pulled his shirt off, and shoved it back into his hands."I don't need it."Something in Brett's eyes darkened."Tiana, let's go. She's just ungrateful."He stormed off without looking back. Tiana didn't follow him.I was staring at my chat with the AI, too out of it to notice what Tiana was doing."Mara, I'm trying to apologize to you. Are you even listening?"I felt someone touch my hearing aid and jerked my head up. "What are you doing?"But I flinched back too hard, and Tiana ripped the hearing aid right out of my ear. A sharp pain shot through my inner ear, and I stared at her in shock."Hey, give that back!"But Tiana's expression changed. A smug, amused smile appeared on her face."Forgive me first, and I'll give it back."In that moment, I finally understood

Chapter 6

The ocean breeze curled through the waves as they rolled in, crashing against the soft sand over and over.I stood there, watching the tall figure walk straight into the surf. Backlit by the sun, the young man had a lean, clean-cut silhouette. The waves lapped over his ankles and soaked the hem of his clothes as he bent down, carefully feeling through the shifting water.Before long, he stood back up. He walked toward me and opened his palm."Your hearing aid. It looks like it's a little damaged, though."I took it from him, and before I even got a good look at his face, I was already rushing to thank him. "Thank you so much. I'm really sorry for the trouble."Then I heard his voice, clear and warm."Didn't I tell you? I'm right here. I won't hide, I won't back away, and I won't run. I've got you."Those words hit me like a bolt of lightning. I froze completely, and the words slipped out before I could stop them."You… You're the AI?"How could this be possible? The one who'd

Chapter 7

The second the words left my mouth, Tiana looked like she'd just suffered the greatest injustice of her life. Her eyes welled up, and she immediately ducked behind Brett."Brett, I swear I didn't mean to. I was just trying to apologize to Mara. I barely touched her hearing aid. How was I supposed to know this would happen?"Brett didn't even hesitate. He shielded Tiana behind him, his brow drawn tight, looking at me with open irritation and bias."Mara, do you have to be so aggressive about this? It's just a hearing aid. It's not that big a deal. Tiana already apologized. Why do you have to keep dragging it out? She didn't do it on purpose. Can't you just let it go?"Listening to him defend her without even trying to understand what happened, something hollow opened up in my chest. 12 years of being childhood friends, and in his eyes, my side of the story wasn't worth hearing over whatever Tiana fed him.That was when Wes, who had been standing quietly beside me the whole time, st

Chapter 8

"Brett."First, I have all the evidence I need. If you want to cover for her right now, fine, but the moment we're home, I'm following up and getting the compensation I'm owed."Second, who are you to decide whether someone is trustworthy? A professional guide who actually knows right from wrong is a lot more reliable than someone who blindly takes an outsider's side without even asking what happened."Third, I don't need you to come with me, and I definitely don't need your pity. Move out of the way."After I finished, I didn't bother looking at the fury on Brett's face. I lightly tugged on Wes's sleeve, then turned and walked away.Behind me, I could hear Brett calling my name, his voice tight with barely contained anger. I didn't slow down, and I didn't look back either.Wes let me hold onto his sleeve as we walked slowly along the shoreline. The ocean breeze swept over us, smoothing out the tension that had been building in my chest.After a long while, I couldn't hold it in

Chapter 9

Wes spent the entire afternoon with me at the beach that day. When it was time to part ways, I was the one who suggested we stick together for the rest of the trip.As the sky darkened and the sun dipped below the horizon, Wes walked me back to my hotel and left on his own.Back in my room, I shed the exhaustion of the day and scrolled through social media on my phone. The very first post on my feed was one Tiana had just put up.It was a photo of her and Brett standing side by side on the beach at sunset. The angle was suggestive, the mood intimate, and the whole thing looked unmistakably romantic.The comments were flooded with congratulations from our high school classmates, and more than a few had tagged me, either teasing or just trying to stir the pot.I stared at the photo, and it didn't affect me at all. The heart that used to ache over things like this had gone cold a little at a time. I typed "congrats" in the comments, locked my phone, set it down, and went to take a sh

Chapter 10

A few days after I got home, the SAT results came out. That evening, both our families got together for dinner at my house. The table was loaded with food, and the atmosphere was warm and lively.Everyone assumed the same thing. Brett and I had grown up together, maintained similar grades, and made a pact when we were younger. We would both apply to Kingsley University, keep looking out for each other, and go to the same school.At the table, Sally took my hand and smiled warmly. "Mara, you and Brett always said you'd grow up together and go to the same college. Just put Kingsley down. That way you'll still have each other on campus."Brett sat nearby, watching me quietly. There was a faint trace of expectation in his eyes as he waited for my answer.That was when Brett's phone, sitting on the table, suddenly rang. The caller ID read Tiana.The second he picked up, his whole face lit up, and he couldn't hide the delight in his eyes. Tiana's excited voice carried clearly through th

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