He Called Me a Leech, Then Got Mad When the AI I Talked to Wasn’t Him Chapter 09

He Called Me a Leech, Then Got Mad When the AI I Talked to Wasn’t Him Chapter 09

In any case, Finn spent that entire afternoon with me at the beach.

Before we parted, I took the initiative to make plans with him. For the next few days of my

graduation trip, we would travel together.

The sky gradually darkened as the sunset faded.

Finn walked me back to the hotel where I was staying, then left on his own.

When I returned to my hotel room, I finally let myself unwind from the exhaustion of the day.

I casually opened my phone and scrolled through Instagram.

The first post on my feed was something Sophie had just posted.

The photo showed her and Ethan standing side by side beneath the sunset by the ocean.

The angle was suggestive, the atmosphere soft and intimate, and they looked especially

close.

The comments were filled with our high school classmates leaving “couple goals” comments and heart emojis. Quite a few people even tagged me just to stir the pot and

tease me.

I stared at that glaring photo, but not even the faintest ripple rose in my heart.

The heart that once would have obsessed over it had already gone cold, little by little.

I casually typed “Congrats” in the comments, locked my phone, set it down, and went into the

bathroom to shower.

By the time I finished showering, dried my hair, and picked up my phone again, I realized

several unread messages from Ethan were sitting on the screen.

Ethan: [What do you mean, congrats?]

Ethan: [It was just a photo. Don’t overthink it.]

Ethan: [Sophie just has a childish streak. She’s naive and innocent, so stop targeting her all

the time.]

Ethan: […]

Ethan: [Who exactly was that guy today? Is he trustworthy?]

Ethan: [You’re too delicate and too trusting. Don’t believe strangers so easily. You’ll get hurt.]

I read through the messages one by one and found the whole thing absurd and laughable.

He could take suggestive photos with another girl without the slightest hesitation.

Then he turned around and tried to control who I became friends with, worrying that I would be deceived by outsiders.

My fingertip tapped lightly against the screen, and I replied calmly.

Lila: [He’s not a stranger.]

After sending that message, I ignored him.

For the next three days in Maui, I traveled with Finn.

He was thoughtful and attentive, and he remembered all my little habits.

Because he knew my hearing wasn’t good, he always slowed down when he spoke and stood

on the side where I could hear him more clearly.

He took care of my emotions, accepted my little sensitivities, and was gentle in every

possible way.

Those few short days together were easy and healing.

I almost forgot about Ethan, the person who had troubled me throughout my entire youth.

Or maybe I already had forgotten him.

When the trip ended, it was time to fly home.

The airport was crowded, and everyone was hurrying in different directions.

Before we left, Finn and I exchanged Instagram handles.

Finn smiled and told me that from now on, whether it was something small in daily life or

something stressful about school, I could come to him whenever I had a question.

He would always be there.

I nodded, my heart full of gratitude.

But deep down, I quietly thought this was probably nothing more than a brief connection

from a chance meeting during a trip.

Once the trip ended, we would return to our own lives.

After this, we probably wouldn’t have much to do with each other anymore.