Tate’s voice cuts through the comms. “You’re cracked, pretty girl. Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Oh, it’s already there.” I say, grinning as I sip from my water bottle.
The match lobby dissolves, dropping us back to the bracket screen, that’s when I see it.
Next round:HavenHexed paired D7LAN.
The grin drops right off my face. The match lobby dissolves. My throat goes dry.
Behind me, Carter must notice the shift in my posture because he crouches beside my chair, resting a hand on my knee. “What is it?”
I don’t answer at first. Just point. His eyes dart to the screen and then narrow. “Shit.”
Across the apartment, Tate speaks before I can even open my mouth. “He’s in your next match?”
“Yeah.”
A pause, his voice sounds barely controlled. “Good.”
Carter squeezes my knee gently. “You don’t have to talk to him. Don’t read his chat. Just play your game. You already beat him once by leaving.”
I nod slowly, but the nausea’s still there, coiled low and tight. A soft ping pulls me from the spiral.
Incoming whisper: D7LAN >> “Nice game. Think you’ll be that lucky against my scores?”
My chest goes cold. I don’t reply. I just close the chat and slam the window shut.
Tate’s voice comes through my headset, razor-sharp and cutting. “Let me in that match with you. I dare him to try anything.”
“You’ll get disqualified for team killing,” Carter says.
“Totally worth it.”
13
Tate
I’m already two rounds deep before I start paying attention to the names I’m crushing. Headshot. Knife. Grenade down the vent shaft.
NoOneGhost [Sniper] 404Respawn
NoOneGhost [Melee] LittleL33tLiar
NoOneGhost [AR] xXDomDaddyXx
I don’t smile. I don’t celebrate. I’m not here to climb. I’m here becausehe’shere.
His name’s been bouncing around in my head since Haven went quiet after her match. It was the way she said“GG”after the match, tight, like it scraped coming out of her throat. The kind of tone she used when she was pretending not to feel something. I’d know. I’ve used that tone my whole life. Fuck that, she won’t break. Not if I have anything to say about it.
I plant a claymore at the corner of a blown-out stairwell and circle around the edge of the map. My heart isn’t even up yet. I’mnot hyped. I’m steady, focused. There’s a message pinging in my ear. I try to ignore it, another ping. I glance at chat.
milxx:Didn’t she fuck both those streamers? Lmao figures.
XtraClout69:Classic—ride the d, climb the rank.
XtraClout69:Ghost gonna simp next?
I freeze for a moment before I smile and turn my mic on. “Say it again.” I toggle to the asshole’s handle. Memorize it. “@XtraClout69, You got a lot to say for someone with a 1.3 KD and a default skin.”
