“Harriet,” he managed, already undone.
“I know it’s late, and I didn’t call,” she blurted, wringing her hands. “But I couldn’t... I mean, I needed to...”
“Come in,” he said, stepping aside.
They settled on the couch, maintaining a careful distance that felt more like the Grand Canyon than a few inches. Harriet took a deep breath, looking like she was gearing up to diffuse a bomb. “Gale, I’m so sorry. What I did with E.M.M.A.... it was monumentally stupid. I hurt you, and I’d take it back if I could.”
He felt something in his chest loosen. “Why’d you do it, Harriet? I mean, manipulating an AI to avoid admitting we’re perfect for each other? That’s some next-level avoidance.”
Harriet looked down, her cheeks flushing. “I’ve spent my whole life believing in logic and algorithms. But when E.M.M.A. said we were a match, I freaked. I wasn’t prepared. I think I’d gotten so used to ignoring my feelings for you, for saying how impossible it all was, that it felt unreal.”
“Before you say another word, know this. I forgive you.” His voice came out rougher than he meant it to. “I get it now—how fear makes you protect yourself, even from good things. Fuck knows I’ve been doing the same thing all season.” He swallowed hard. “But I’m sick of being scared. I want to make this work,Harriet. You, me, the kittens. The whole shebang. If you’re in, I’m all in. No more running—either of us.”
“No more secrets, no more setups. Just us, figuring out this mess together.”
Gale pulled her close, his heart doing somersaults in his chest. “Together,” he agreed.
Just then, a dramatic mewl from the kitchen had them both jumping.
He looked at her, saw the laughter dancing in her eyes, and knew he was exactly where he was meant to be. Crazy cats, brilliant girlfriend, and all the chaos that came with them.
Bring it on.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I stand before TrainTech’s glass doors, my reflection a jittery hologram of the confident researcher I’m trying to be. My blond hair is yanked back in a ponytail so tight it’s like I’m trying to physically hold my scattering thoughts together. Adjusting my glasses, I suck in a breath that feels like it might crack my ribs. Moment-of-truth time. Tony has said he’d move on, but I had to come clean to my team.
I approach our work zone and my team’s already deep in their morning routines. Hana’s got her noise-canceling headphones on, lost in her monitors. Karl’s scribbling furiously on a whiteboard, his latest algorithm taking shape in a tangle of symbols and arrows. Amir’s leaning back in his chair, eyes closed, clearly running through some problem in his head.
And me? My stomach’s doing its best impression of a washing machine on spin cycle.
“Morning, team,” I manage, my voice wavering like a rookie tightrope walker. “Before we dive in, there’s something that I obviously need to address.”
I move to the front of the room, their gazes tracking me like heat-seeking missiles. My hands are shaking—the traitors—so I knit my fingers together, a desperate attempt at steadiness.
Come on, girl. Time to switch from imposter to imposing.It’s now or never. “I owe you all an apology,” I begin, my voice strongerthan I feel. “I’ve made big mistakes, and I want to own up to them. It’s specifically... some results I’ve been withholding. Results involving me and Gale Knight.”
The desks go quiet. Hana’s fingers freeze over her keyboard. Karl’s marker hovers mid-equation on the whiteboard. Amir leans forward, brow furrowed.
“I...” I put my hands on my hips and lean forward, taking a deep breath and ordering my thoughts. The only way through is with the truth. When I straighten back up, I am as ready as I can be. “I had a lot of fear over what the data might imply. Worried about potential consequences to my personal life and friendships. The algorithm picked up on something I’ve been trying to ignore. It detected a strong emotional connection between Gale and me. A romantic one. But by keeping this information to myself, I compromised our research integrity and betrayed your trust.”
I force myself to meet their eyes, even as my stomach does backflips.
“But please believe me when I say that I’m committed to making this right. To being transparent moving forward. I know regaining your trust will take time, but I’m prepared to do whatever’s necessary.”
The silence stretches, thick with tension. Then Karl breaks it, his voice a mix of frustration and concern. “Harriet... why? Why didn’t you feel you could share this with us?”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the hardest part. They deserve the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it is for me.
“The real reason is... I doubted the validity of our own system,” I admit, my voice low but steady. “But it goes deeper than that. I’ve spent years fine-tuning algorithms to detect patterns in human behavior, but when E.M.M.A. picked up on something in my own life, I couldn’t accept it. Because accepting it meant facing my own... inadequacies.”
I swallow hard, pushing through. “I kept thinking there had to be a bug, or the data was skewed. Because how could someone like him be interested in someone like me? I practically live in this office and spend more time with E.M.M.A. than actual people.”
I let out a humorless chuckle. “Ironic, right? I built a system to understand human connections, but I couldn’t trust it with my own. Because trusting it meant believing I was worthy of that connection.”
The silence that follows feels endless. Then, unexpectedly, Amir speaks up, his voice gentle. “Harriet, do you realize you’re the one who taught us to trust the data, even when it surprises us?”
Hana nods, a small smile forming as she pushes back her bangs. “Yeah, and how many times have you told us that the most interesting findings are often the ones that challenge our assumptions?”
