Earn My Trust

Part 2

All in all, MC was rather proud of herself.

She'd given the hacker a piece of her mind, which he had had coming for a long time, and it even paid off.

He'd been so agitated that, in the heat of the moment, he'd taken off his hood. After all the conversations and everything they'd been through on the chat, after her falling in love with him and getting so angry she could've destroyed something, she'd seen his face, at the very last.

She would lie if she said it didn't have an effect on her. After all, she now had the exact picture burned in her mind. The face to the mystery that was Jake Doe, for she had no idea what his surname was. The face to her every dream and fantasy.

And she liked it.

She managed the whole next day without contacting Jake. He hadn't written her either, probably expecting her to still be mad and offended. She had lots to do and focused on her tasks without complaint.

Yet, on the second day, she couldn't take it anymore. She was chatting idly with the group, making sure Jessy and Thomas were safe, as well as that Lilly stayed at her parents'. Yet, it wasn't the same without his input.

So, she wrote him.

MC: I miss you

Hopefully, he'd treat it as a peace offering when he read it.

Not really expecting a quick reply, she wondered how he'd react to her bold statement. She never really hid her feelings and, by contacting him first, she wanted to show him she wasn't angry at him anymore.

Not as much as she should be, to be honest.

Also, she did miss talking to the man. Not only because there was no one really she could discuss her findings or lack thereof; she enjoyed flustering him and talking to him about other things, too.

Suddenly, her phone beeped. With slight surprise, but also eagerness, she reached for it and couldn't grab it fast enough.

It was Jake, alright.

J: I am quite surprised to read this.

She sat down with the cell in her hands, biting on her lip. She'd suspected it would come off as a shock to the man, and she hadn't been wrong.

MC: Really? You shouldn't be

J: You were angry. Rightly so.

J: You also stated quite specific conditions I need to meet to continue interacting with you.

She snorted. Interacting? Was that what it was to him?

MC: Which doesn't mean I care any less about you

MC: Did you really think I'd write you off?

J: Oh.

MC tried imagining what he might have been thinking at that moment. She stood to take some water and left the phone; when she returned, there was a new message from Jake.

J: In that case, it is safe to admit that I do miss you, too.

She smiled, a pleasant feeling in her chest. So, she blinked and, having sat down again, admitted:

MC: I cannot wait to see you again

MC: Knowing what you look like at last... I can't get you out of my head

That time, it took him more time to text back.

J: I shouldn't have acted so carelessly.

J: Revealing my face to you... was extremely reckless.