Soda
My online boyfriend was ridiculously clingy.
Every single night, he insisted on phone calls. He needed the sound of my voice just to fall asleep.
It was way past midnight. Hearing his low, heavy panting through my phone made my face burn and my heart race.
"Keep it down," I whispered into the mic. "My roommate is right next door."
My roommate was a total mystery. I had no idea what he actually did for a living, but he was loaded—and terrifying. I definitely didn't want to piss him off.
Then, floating right before my eyes, glowing text boxes suddenly flashed into thin air:
[Does she really not know? The guy next door IS her online boyfriend! It's Matteo, the mafia don!]
[Matteo holds massive grudges. If he finds out she's just a paid stand-in chatting for someone else, he'll blow her head off!]
[Such a shame. This whole story turns into a total angst-fest later. Otherwise, I'd high-key ship them!]
Mafia don? Online boyfriend?
And how on earth do these floating texts know I'm chatting on someone else's behalf?!
Busted. Panic surged through me. I slammed the end button.
I bolted into the hallway, desperate to splash cold water on my face in the bathroom to get a grip.
But as I hurried past, a raspy, shaking murmur seeped through the steamy crack of the shower door.
"Baby... why'd you hang up on me?"