My relationship with Zachary became very strange.

During the day, he ran errands and picked up packages for me.

He complained that the cafeteria food wasn't healthy enough.

Sometimes he went all the way downtown to buy food from a little family restaurant. Other times, he cooked for me himself at his nearby apartment.

I'd assumed the black card was just something he'd given me to calm me down.

Then, one day, curiosity got the better of me, and I checked the balance.

I stared at the string of numbers on the screen, stunned.

Worse still, the number kept going up.

Zachary really hadn't kept any spending money for himself.

After that, he had to ask me before buying anything.

Our chat history became something like this:

Z: Baby, three pieces of salmon for lunch. Forty-two dollars.

Z: Baby, milk and yogurt. Six dollars.

Me: Idiot. Are you incapable of dividing by three? You're making me angry.

Z: You pay for the groceries. I cook. It costs you money and me labor.

Z: Baby, I've found a new investment. It needs six thousand dollars. Requesting approval.

Z: I want pulled pork. Twelve dollars. Please buy it for me, baby.

Z: Sex supplies. Three hundred and fifty dollars.

Me: Get lost!

Messages from morning until night, constantly.

Strangely, I didn't find them annoying at all.

I was getting used to days filled with his chatter.

I was even beginning to enjoy being needed. Being depended on.

One day, I couldn't help asking, "Why are you still using Z's account to talk to me?"

Zachary smiled.

"I want you to get used to the fact that Z is me. Then you can transfer all the affection you have for him to me."

At night, he really did treat himself like something made solely for my pleasure.

He used every trick he could think of just to make me feel good.

My scalp tingled. My fingers tightened in the sheets.

But the better it felt, the more something sour ached inside my chest.

Biting my lip, I made myself sound casual.

"You're so good at this. You must have had a lot of exes."

"Of course you have. You practically shoved your girlfriend in my face back then. You can't be that decent."

Zachary laughed in disbelief.

He lifted his head, lips damp, and gritted his teeth.

"Baby, I've never even had a girlfriend. How did I become some faithless bastard?"

"I've never touched anyone else. Ever. I've been saving myself for you."

"You're the only person I've ever transferred money to."

"You're the only person I've ever dated. Online or anywhere else."

"I watched that video a hundred times before I finally messaged you. You were so beautiful, baby. So adorable. Even the little dance was clumsy in the cutest way. I was terrified I'd scare you off. My eyes were practically falling out of my head, and you had no idea I was—"

He stopped abruptly.

His ears turned red, and a slow, dark heat returned to his eyes.

"Baby, it was love at first sight."

"Then how are you so good at this?"

He gave a low laugh.

"I did my research. All in writing. Are you satisfied with the results?"

My face burned.

I glanced down at him, then quickly looked away as if nothing had happened.

"Oh. Well, um. Don't you need..."

He lowered his head again.

"No. Making you feel good matters more."

...