Page 79 of CHOICE Lover
Electra
November 18, 2390.
How could she be so stupid? Had she not kissed him, these regrettable feelings wouldn’t be festering. For a moment last night, she thought something deeper was growing between them. As she ran her fingers over him, there was something burning in his deep gold eyes. Hunger? Worship? Devotion? He made her feel like the heroine in one of her stories, elated and powerful. She got so drunk on the feeling that she allowed herself to believe he would pick her. She almost offered a piece of her heart to him.
But it’s her fault for thinking things might go right this time. That he could even be the type of man to offer her something.He’d been pretending she was a manupartner like he did before. That had to be it.
His words ring in her mind. “It’s you. I promise it’s you, Electra.”
With such perfectly desperate sentiments, how could she not get swept away? She bites her fist, choking back a sob.I will not cry over that man.
This is exactly why she’s never bothered with a boyfriend. Book boyfriends are enough. They can never disappoint you or keep a gorgeous female clone who’s decided she’s a cowgirl in the spare room.
She jolts up.
That’s exactly why Res6 created manupartners! Her stomach squirms. Oh God. She’s a hypocrite. No, the real reason she’s never had a boyfriend is that she was too busy making ends meet while she wrote every spare moment she got. There wasn’t time for a boyfriend. Well, and the men from her time were a questionable lot. But when the time was right, she would have taken the time to find one of the good ones.The one.
Well, that’s a ludicrous fairy tale. Might as well hope she’ll discover she’s a secret witch, or that she’s the long-lost heir of a kingdom of powerful women warriors. She takes a few grounding breaths and forces herself out of bed.You will not cry over that man. You have officially reached this year’s wallowing threshold.
Her mascara-stained reflection stares back at her determinedly. She really shouldn’t have slept in yesterday’s makeup, but oh well. The water steams as she steps into the shower, letting the hot stream wash away her delusions.
When she’s dressed, she finds Res6 sitting at his computer desk, staring blankly at the screen. His eyes have uncharacteristically dark circles, and his hair looks like he’s been dragging his fingers through it.
“Sleep well?” she asks cheerfully, though it’s clear he didn’t.
He doesn’t answer, but his eyes trail her as she gets a pick-me-UP nourishment packet and VitaShot from the refrigerator and takes them to her desk to get situated for the day. There are a dozen messages waiting that need to be sifted through. It’s time for another column entry, and then there’s the correspondence she’s taken up with several fans, including her favorite new friend, Sister Xelna—the leader of the group building that amazing scratching post monument they saw while people-watching on the roller-boats.
As eager as she is to respond to Xelna’s latest message, she has a strong urge to poke at Res6, who hasn’t taken his eyes off her. “Where’s Chryl?” she asks, noting the blanket and pillow on the couch.
He clears his throat. “The lab.” For a moment, her heart leaps. Did he change his mind? He must read the excited expression on her face because he shakes his head. “For tests.”
Her heart sinks. She tries to infuse as much nonchalance into her voice as she can muster. “Oh, well, good for you.”
Res6 groans. “Electra, can we please talk about this?”
She shakes her head. “There isn’t anything to talk about. Last night was a mistake.” His eyes widen as devastation washes across his face. She isn’t going to feel sorry for him. He knows what he needs to do to fix this.
He gets up and—suddenly he’s rolled her chair around and is kneeling at her feet. He takes her hands, holding them between his. His brows are knitted together as if what he’s about to say is incredibly painful. “Chryl didn’t start real, but I think she is becoming real. This is what I was trying to tell you last night before you got upset and left.”
Electra blinks. She left, didn’t she? Then she fell into a spiral of self-pity.
“Lextr sent the scan results. There are new neural connections in the areas of her brain responsible for memory. Her experiences are individuating her.”
“How is that possible?” He wasn’t picking his company over her like she assumed. If what he’s saying is true, Chryl something new. It’s reasonable that he’s grappling with how to deal with her. Shame washes over her at her behavior. The future is really throwing her for a loop.
“I don’t know exactly yet. Most people turn their manupartners in before a year. Chryl is over three years old, which is unheard of. We’ve never thought to study what would happen to a manupartner as it ages.”
Electra swallows. “You suspected this yesterday?”
He nods. “I’ve been watching her. She’s mimicking us.”
“The lying thing,” she guesses.
“Yes, and she’s started replicating your expressions.”
“Oh God. The lasso thing too. If she can learn that fast, could she become dangerous? Her jealousy is already a little frightening.”
Res6 raises himself to his feet, taking her hand and guiding her to the couch. They sit side by side, and her mind instantly goes to the moment they shared in this spot. He brushes his fingertips over her flushed cheeks. “You’re so lovely.”
