“Better orgasms and a bigger dick for one.” I toss out, giving him a shark smile.
“That’s two things, hun.” Stevie brings her hand to my cheek, giving it a little pat. I nip at her hand before diving in to kiss her cheek as she laughs.
“Steffy.” Chase’s voice is small and pitiful.
She ignores him, staring only into my eyes, mischief and heat blazing across them.
He grabs her shoulder, tugging her back. Attempting to pull her attention, his voice more forceful, “Stephanie.”
It takes a split second for me to flip the tiny dessert fork in my hand and reach over to press it against his skin.
“I suggest you take your hand off my girlfriend. Unless you want me to pierce this dessert fork through it.” My voice is a deep growl as I tap the fork against his skin. “But I would rather not get blood on the dress I bought her before I get the chance to rip it off.”
He reels his hand back, as if the fork burned him. He sneers down at me. Decker wears an amused smile, but his eyes narrow in on my hand twirling the fork.
“You’re insane,” Chase spits.
“Insane about her,” I wink.
The waitress comes back at that moment, shuffling around Decker to place the take-out bag on the table and hand me the check. I don’t even glance at it, just hold out my Black Card for her. She taps it against the POS device, handing it back to me to input the tip before scuttling away.
Decker and Chase eye the Black Card as I slip it back into my pocket. Judgmental dicks.
“Well, gentlemen, this has been fun, but we have a long night of sex ahead.” I slip my arm around Stevie’s waist as we stand up, resting it on her hip.
“I’d say it was a pleasure, but it wasn’t.” She gives them a tight smile. “I’m happy, and I will do anything to keep that. If you want any sort of civility between us, you’ll leave me be.”
I grab the take-out bag, and we leave without deigning to wait for a response. But I make sure to loop my free arm around Stevie’s waist, resting my hand on her ass and giving it a squeeze as we walk out the door.
Francis pulls up, the doors winging open before he even stalls the engine. I hold Stevie’s hand as she steps inside then follow behind. We settle against the back seats again, Stevie curling into my body. I hug her against my chest as we take off.
We drive in silence for a few miles, just the soft lull of the radio guiding us.
“What destination, Mr. Knight?” Francis asks.
I squeeze Stevie’s shoulder. “Where to, little dove?”
She looks up at me, exhaustion lining her eyes. The encounter zapped all her energy. It makes me pissed. My bright and beautiful flower is wilting. I want to go back there and put that tiny fucking fork through the both of them. But the last thing I needed was a public fight ending up on the internet, my photo plastered with Decker’s and Stevie’s in the same image. Only a handful of photos of me exist online as it is.
“Can we just go back to your place? I just…I want to be away right now.”
“Of course.”
“Can we eat the melopita while watching the new Vin Diesel movie?”
“Of course.”
“Can I have that T-shirt I wore today?”
“Have or wear?”
“Both.” She grins up at me.
I smile at her, fucking relieved to see some of the sunshine peeking through. “We’ll see.”
She pouts, and I kiss her on the forehead. She nuzzles against me, eyes fluttering shut. I hold her tighter, like if I keep her close to me, I can protect her from the world.
I might play the hero in video games, but I’ll be the villain in life if it keeps her safe.
TWENTY-SEVEN
* * *
STEVIE
I don’t hear from Chase after our run-in at Moira. There are no more pink roses left in odd places, no text messages, no calls. He goes radio silent for the first time since we’ve met.
It still feels like someone is watching me, but I think it’s my paranoia from just being too used to him reaching out. It’s only been two weeks, and it’s strange to be living a life that is so completely Chase-free.
Instead, my days are filled by Aleks. I still text him good morning, and he still texts me good night—even though he stays up for hours after, streaming. I don’t tell him, but sometimes I just lie in bed listening to his solo streams during the week until I drift off to sleep or I play his pre-recorded videos while painting just to hear his voice.
We take every moment together we can get. It’s a head spin. We are running fast and hot now that everything is on the table, but I’m prepared to burn.
Aleks started switching up his streaming schedule slightly so we could see each other more. Thanks to Paige’s amendments to the NDA, the boys are allowed to drive me to the apartment complex, not just Francis. But Francis mostly drives me anyway since the boys usually only use him to drive them places when it is The System-related, and Francis told me he is excited to feel more useful again.
The old man melts my heart.
Deanna knows I’m officially dating Aleks, but that’s all she knows. There was no way of hiding that from her, not with how preoccupied I’ve been with him. She is determined to set up a time for us to go on a double date. Unfortunately, Maya and Alek’s schedules constantly clash. The world of esports stops for no one, especially when it comes to her team.
The System was invited to the opening ceremony for the next Gods League Champion Series in a few weeks, which Sydney is insisting they attend. Aleks was bitter about it until I mentioned Maya’s team would take part and that she would have a ticket for me to attend with Deanna.
We’ll have to sneak around if we want to see each other, but that makes it all the more fun. I love every moment I spend with Aleksander, whether it’s going out on dates, lounging on his couch with his friends, or fucking on his kitchen island.
I should probably be a little worried that I’m getting invested too quickly. That, if it doesn’t work out, the fall is going to be so much worse than it ever was with Chase. That I won’t be able to pick myself back up.
I shake the thoughts from my brain and finish getting ready. I’m spending the night at the apartment, and I went all out getting a little surprise for Aleks after listening to one of his streams the other week. I slip the last of my belongings into my overnight bag as a text from Parker pings through, letting me know he is downstairs.
I lock up and bound my way down the stairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator. Parker’s electric blue Porsche rumbles out front. I slip inside and go to throw my bag into the back when I startle at Sydney’s hunched form.
“Hey,” she smiles begrudgingly.
“Uh, hey. Whatcha doing back there?”
“Someone here insisted on driving to our boxing class earlier and failed to mention a third person would be joining us later.”
“Sydney, love, you’re five foot. You fit perfectly fine back there,” Parker chimes in.
“I’m five five.”
“Same thing. Now, buckle up, I don’t want to hit Friday night traffic.”
I clip in the blue seatbelt as Parker turns up the music so the bass reverberates through the leather. Having driven with Parker a few times now, I know to grip the safety handle as he takes off, his car speeding from zero to ninety in no time.