Chapter 11: Quietly

I looked at him through the gap in the door.

I knew exactly what was wrong with it.

The new phones handled audio differently.

I'd read about it in the spring, before graduation, and written myself a note to fix one file before the update came out.

Then my life had happened, and I hadn't.

It was about twenty minutes of work.

I typed, "No."

Josh read it and closed his eyes.

"Amy. Come on."

I typed, "You took my name off it. Ask the co-founder."

"Jenna?" He laughed. "Jenna can't even update her own phone. You know that."

"I know. I told Jude Carrick that in June. You told everyone she built it."

He pushed his hand through his hair.

"Okay. Okay, that's fair. I'll fix that. Listen to me."

He leaned closer to the gap. I could smell the beer.

"Come back. As the engineer. I'll put your name on the website. Lead engineer, right under mine. Real salary, once the round closes."

I didn't type anything.

"Jenna stays the face. That's just the business, Amy. People want to look at someone who talks. You know that better than anyone."

Another firework broke over the river behind him. Green.

He lowered his voice.

"And we can still be us."

I stared at him.

"Quietly," Josh said. "She doesn't have to know. Nobody does."

He smiled, a little crooked, the smile from the first winter.

"I miss it, you know? How quiet it was with you. Jenna never shuts up. Not once. Not even in her sleep."

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