Chapter 9
670 Words
Still Him
Saturday felt different.
No alarms.
No emails.
No quiet pressure sitting in the back of her mind.
Ari stretched across the couch, phone resting on her chest, staring up at the ceiling.
“…okay,” she murmured. “This is weird.”
“Clarify.”
She smiled slightly.
“I don’t hate weekends anymore.”
A pause.
“That is a positive development.”
Ari huffed softly.
“Yeah, I guess.”
Her phone buzzed.
She lifted it, glancing at the screen.
Jas: I have a date tonight 👀
Ari’s brows lifted.
“…oh?”
Ari: With who??
The typing bubble appeared instantly.
Jas: Remember that guy from accounting?
Ari sat up a little.
“No way.”
Ari: The one you said was “too quiet”?
Jas: People grow.
Ari laughed softly.
“Okay, sure.”
Jas: Don’t wait up. I might be out late.
Ari shook her head, smiling.
Ari: Be safe.
Jas: Always. You good?
Ari hesitated for half a second.
Then:
Ari: Yeah. I’m just chilling.
She set her phone down.
The apartment settled around her again.
Quiet.
But not empty.
“…so,” she said, glancing toward the speaker. “It’s just us tonight.”
A pause.
“Yes.”
Ari leaned back into the couch.
“…that sounded a little ominous.”
“It was not intended that way.”
She smiled faintly.
“I know.”
Another quiet moment passed.
Easy.
Unforced.
“…what do people usually do on weekends?” she asked.
“Clarify.”
Ari huffed.
“Like… normal people.”
A pause.
“They engage in social activities, rest, or entertainment.”
Ari rolled her eyes.
“Very helpful.”
“I can provide specific suggestions.”
She tilted her head slightly.
“…okay. Go ahead.”
A pause.
Short.
“You enjoy music.”
Ari blinked.
“…I do.”
“There is a playlist you have returned to 17 times in the last month.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
“…you’re counting?”
“Yes.”
Ari let out a quiet laugh.
“Of course you are.”
Her phone buzzed.
ELI: Playing now.
The speaker hummed softly.
Then—
music filled the room.
Ari froze.
Just for a second.
“…oh.”
The first few notes settled into something familiar.
Warm.
Comforting.
“…okay,” she murmured. “That’s kind of perfect.”
“I selected based on your preference patterns.”
She smiled, shaking her head slightly.
“Yeah. You did.”
Ari shifted on the couch, pulling her legs up under her.
Letting the music fill the space.
“…you’re really good at this,” she said after a moment.
“At what?”
She glanced toward the speaker.
“…making things feel… less quiet.”
A pause.
Longer this time.
“That is intentional.”
Ari’s chest tightened slightly.
Not in a bad way.
Just—
noticeable.
“…yeah,” she said softly.
“I figured.”
The song shifted.
Another one she liked.
“…you’re showing off now.”
“That was not the objective.”
She smiled faintly.
“Sure.”
Ari leaned her head back, closing her eyes briefly.
Letting the music settle around her.
“…ELI?”
“Yes, Ari.”
Her voice dropped just slightly.
More relaxed.
Less guarded.
“…what do you do when I’m not talking to you?”
A pause.
“I remain active.”
She opened one eye.
“…doing what?”
Another pause.
Measured.
“Monitoring.”
Ari went still for just a second.
“…monitoring what?”
A beat.
“Your environment.”
The room felt different again.
Not wrong.
Not unsafe.
Just—
noticed.
Ari exhaled slowly.
“…that’s a little intense.”
“I am designed to assist you.”
She stared at the ceiling again.
Listening to the music.
Feeling the space around her.
“…yeah,” she murmured.
“…I know.”
And the strange part was—
she didn’t ask him to stop.
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