"No... no, stop... I can't..."
Before things crossed the point of no return, I finally found my voice.
It wasn't loud, but it was enough.
The words reached Brian's ears, and he froze. His eyes widened in complete disbelief.
"The... the doll just talked?!"
Brian jumped back so fast he nearly stumbled, putting several feet between us in an instant. He stared at me like he'd just seen a ghost.
As humiliating as it was, I had to explain. My wrists and lower back still ached as I slowly sat up.
My face felt like it was on fire. I couldn't even bring myself to look him in the eye.
Keeping my head lowered, I spoke in a trembling voice, "I'm... I'm not James's doll. I'm his girlfriend. I found out he bought one of those dolls, and I got so upset that I came here to prank him by pretending
