Page 83 of Virtual Seduction

"Aaron's not here yet?" I cut in, directing the question to Arjun, who only shook his head and returned to arguing with Maddy.

"Who in their right mind would choose Katsuki?" he cried.

My skin prickled. It wasn't like Aaron to be late. He disliked tardiness, and he knew this was an important day. He should be here.

"You guys!" I snapped. "Izuki, Katzu-whatever the fuck those are, quit it. Now's not the time. Aaron is supposed to be here, but he's not. I’m worried."

Both stared at me, surprised by my outburst. My chest heaved, but my mind was clouded with worry. Something had to have happened.

Arjun cleared his throat, reaching for a wine flute from one of the passing servers. He handed one to Maddy and then to me. I took it only because I needed something to do to keep my fingers from fidgeting.

"I shouldn't be telling you this," Arjun said once he'd downed his glass. He looked uncomfortable. "But I don't think he's coming tonight."

Flummoxed, I stared at him.

"In fact, I don't think he'll continue working at OceansPlay," Arjun said with a sad face. "Or maybe he's just planning to cash out on all those vacations he's been stacking up."

My heart was pounding so loudly I could hear it through my ears. Aaron was quitting? Was it because of me? I was almost scared to ask.

"Wait, what?" Maddy was the one who spoke up. "Didn't he just develop a game? And I thought we needed to give one month's notice before quitting. He can't do that."

Arjun shrugged. "Actually, he can do whatever he wants. His contract was revised more than two years ago…considering the shit load of money the company pays him, I'd say he's a pretty big shot."

I swallowed down Arjun's words, and for the first time since Aaron came into my life, the thought of losing him occurred to me…and it scared the fuck out of me.

Sure, I'd always thought pushing him away would keep him from getting hurt, but right now, the only thing I could think of was that I would lose him, and it would fucking hurt me.

"Hey, Fliss." Maddy's gaze was focused on something behind me. "Isn't that your dad?"

I swung my head to look in the direction she gestured toward. True enough, my dad was walking into the hall, looking extra dapper in his tailored black suit and Oxford shoes.

My eyes turned to him as he walked, and I rolled my eyes at his apparent arrogance. Then Derick came into view, looking as handsome and clean-cut as my dad.

Behind them was my mom, who I was shocked to see. She was a very busy woman, always nose-deep in one social service business or the other. As usual, she looked amazing. Her dress was a sky-blue sequin V-neck with long sleeves. She looked every bit like a very successful businessman’s wife.

The three of them together were a sight for sore eyes. For a brief second, I compared my plain self to their obvious exquisiteness, feeling very small.

I had put in some effort, though. My dress was a black mermaid one-shoulder long sleeve with a high slit that Maddy had chosen because she was sure it would drive Aaron crazy.

Although the thought of Aaron going crazy over me was mouthwatering, I mainly chose the dress because I felt pretty in it. I'd even ditched my glasses for contacts and put on makeup. My confidence was still a bit frayed at the edges, but I was making progress.

My mom, ever the observant one, found me first. She led her flock in my direction, a smile taking over her beautiful features.

Her arms were outstretched when she reached me and pulled me into a hug. "You look amazing, darling. Absolutely stunning."

I kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Mom. You do, too."

My dad appeared. "Let go of her, baby, so I can hold her. I haven't seen her in so long."

I pulled away from my mother to smile at him. "We had dinner, two days ago." I let him pull me into a hug, inhaling deeply. Since that night, we'd met twice weekly, and our relationship was improving.

He kissed my forehead. "Two days is too long. Are you sure you don't want to move back home?"

I laughed. "Positive."

I hugged Derick next. During this, he commented about never getting used to seeing me without my huge glasses, earning himself an elbow to his side.

When he released me, I stepped backward to grab Maddy's hand. Surprise shone in her eyes before she fixed an uncertain smile on her face.

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