Page 75 of Our Final Game

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay, don’t be a fucking asshole,” he snaps.

“Oh, you’re fine, actually. I was just checking, though,” I laugh. “But I mean … Why not?”

“So, is that a yes?”

His eyes are so enormous, were they always this big?

I lean in closer to him over the counter. “Yeah, sure. Since you finally admit you like me.”

“I never said I liked you. I just … wanna hang out.”

“Who hangs out with someone they don’t like?”

“Can you just shut up and give me your number so I can text you?”

“Sure, but we’ve got to work that mouth of yours if you want a second date though,” I smirk down at him, and he rolls his eyes at me.

Rohan puts his number in my phone and hands me his for me to do the same. I’ve never in a million years thought this scenario would ever play out. I mean, maybe when I first got into Seeker competitively. I thought it would be nice to have contact with Rohan, but he let it be known rather quickly that he didn’t have any interest in making friends with me.

“Thanks … I’ll text you,” he says, his voice so much quieter than usual. It’s making me want to pull him into my arms. Like my body is fighting against reflex.

“Yeah, I’ll see you. Thanks for the coffee.”

“Mmhmm. Bye, Tyson,” Rohan says, a blush coloring his cheeks.

I need to get back to my cubicle before I pull him over this counter and get a taste of his lips like my mind is telling me to.

Chapter 36

Rohan

Ican’t believe I shoved down my pride enough to ask Tyson out on a date. Even with everything that happened in the game. Or that I think happened, I probably would’ve let him ask me on the first date. Listen, I like him and everything, and Understory showed me that, but that doesn’t mean I’m chasing him. But this is a special circumstance, and I just couldn’t help myself seeing him again.

I miss him.

I tried to log into the game to no avail. Then I received an email saying that Riserr was no longer putting any effort into Understory due to a change in leadership and issues with the game. I do remember Tyson talking about that in game that his team was unable to make it work for them, though Ty and I never experienced the problems they were reporting. I think we probably understand why that is now that we beat the game.

Or at least I think we did.

Because right now it feels like I lost, pretty fucking terribly.

I run across the street, stepping over a puddle at the crosswalk, the rain coming down harder than when I left work only thirty minutes ago. I forgot my umbrella, and the hoodie I’m using to cover my head isn’t doing much to shield me. Thankfully, I was only a few blocks from where I told Ty to meet me.

When I round the corner, he’s waiting under the awning of my favorite low-key spot. I sometimes come here after work to grab a bite before heading home if I have a few extra bucks. He’s looking down at his phone, wearing all black as usual, with a cigarette in his mouth. I wish I could run up to him and jump into his arms again, but that would be weird with him not remembering anything. So, I contain myself and approach him as normally as I can.

“Hey, sorry I’m late. I’m coming from work and … shipment came in last minute,” I mumble.

“It’s alright, you’re all wet.” He chuckles, pulling me out of the rain and closer to him after putting out his cigarette. My ears start to burn when he takes off his jacket, draping it across my shoulders.

“Oh, uh, thanks.”

“Let’s get inside,” Tyson says, gesturing for me to move past him.

He feels exactly like he was in the game. The girl at the door asks us how many people we have with us and leads us through the restaurant to our seats. I slide into the booth, wrapping Tyson’s jacket around me a little tighter. It’s going to be a while before I’m all dry, is what I’m telling myself, and not that I want to take in his scent for as long as I possibly can without being weird.

“So, how long have you been waiting to ask me out on a date?” Tyson smirks.