Page 52 of Dangerous Games

“You’ll see. Play your game while I finish up.”

She gives me a funny look as she grabs her controller. “How did you know I game?”

Shit.

Now is not the time to tell her I let myself into her place and looked around.

“You work at AFK, so I assumed you would play. Wouldn’t make sense to work at a video game store and know nothing about them.”

“I guess that would make sense,” Bronwyn concludes as she turns her system on.

Always so skeptical of everything that’s going on.

I can feel her eyes on me occasionally as I finish the pizza and get it in the oven. I don’t think she trusts me fully yet, and that’s okay. She will.

Just as I join her on the couch after putting it in the oven, a chat box pops up on the screen.

mrfafo: Your mic is off. Are you feeling better today?

My body tenses at the question. It feels personal, like they know each other on an intimate level.

“Who is that?” I ask, trying to keep my tone as casual as possible as I twirl a strand of Bronwyn’s raven-colored hair around my finger.

“Just someone I game with,” she replies without making eye contact as she minimizes the chat without responding.

Hmm.

Not liking that it’s a fucking guy.

“You can talk to your friend, cara,” I tell her, keeping my same casual tone as I throw my arm over the back of the couch so it’s resting behind her shoulders and cross my leg over my thigh.

Bronwyn’s eyes move to my foot that’s bouncing, the only indication that I’m anything but relaxed right now. I force myself to stop as she slides her gaze to me before opening the chat back up.

ravenslayer: Headset is dead. I’m a lot better. Thanks for checking in.

My jaw clenches as I read her response.

Thanks for checking in.

Who the fuck is this guy?

mrfafo: anytime. I know you’d do the same for me. Up to play?

How close are these two?

ravenslayer: for a little. I can’t stay on long though.

mrfafo: got a date?

Bronwyn snorts as if that’s so fucking funny.

“You two seem close,” I say, breaking the silence. My fist opens and closes behind her head. I want to fucking break something.

“We’ve been playing online together for a while.” Bronwyn side-eyes me. “Are you okay?”

“Sure.” I just want to kill whoever this fucking douchebag is.

“Are you sure? You seem tense.”