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Poppy - 6 months
You know, it's funny.
When you taste a little bit of fame, even as little as I'd gotten, you kind of get it in your head that these people would always care about you, always miss you if you weren't around. But the sad truth of it was, people were fickle. They had short memories.
After a couple weeks of not posting, they took most of their attention elsewhere.
It had been more upsetting than I wanted to admit at first. After all, my followers had been such a huge part of my life there for a while.
But after living a true crime story for a while, I found I was having a hard time reporting on them. Because all I could do was picture the women being held like I'd been held, being terrified like I'd been terrified, but not having the kind of people behind them like I did, not having the sort-of survival training I had on my side in that basement.
I couldn't stomach the true stuff anymore.
I couldn't even watch the documentaries anymore.
"How is this any different?" Nia asked, waving at the TV with fingers I found oddly elegant.
"Any different than what?" I asked, looking at some hot action star dude run around the screen like a crazy person.
"From true crime stuff," she clarified, reaching for the popcorn between us.
How Nia became my friend was a bit of a blur.
One moment, I only knew her name in passing, knew her simply as The Hacker at Finn's work.
The next, she was hanging out with me all the time.
As someone who'd never had any close friendships, and even fewer with women, I found I liked it too much to question it.
"I don't know," I admitted. "But, somehow, this doesn't bother me like the true stuff does. It's just too over the top, I guess."
"You know, you could do this," he declared.
"Become a hot action movie star?" I asked, pursing my lips. "I think I'm too lazy and fond of tacos to have a body like that," I decided.
"No, I mean... if you can't do the true side of true crime, what is stopping you from doing the fake side of crime?"
"Pretty sure no one wants to hear me do a podcast on fake cases."
"No, but like... what about writing some books?" she asked, shrugging. "I've read your notes for your Murder Mystery nights. You have what it takes."
I wasn't sure if it was good that I was no longer unnerved by the fact that Nia literally knew just about everything about me. I comforted myself with the idea that she knew everything about everyone around her, and yet still liked them, still respected them. It said something about a person that they could see all your bright and shiny, but also all your dark and tarnished, and still not judge you for it.
It was something I'd never even thought of before.
But, before, my obsession had been the non-fiction stuff. It was what I watched, what I listened to, what I obsessively read and researched.
I'd never had much of an interest in the fake stuff.
But I had always been into books, into reading, into coming up with interesting crime scenarios.
It was something to consider, that was for sure.
I had my savings. And my old videos were still bringing in passive income for me. But, eventually, I would need to work again. It was smart to start considering my options before they became a necessity.
"I mean, that, or you can just sell your used panties," Nia declared, shooting me a wicked smirk when a laugh bubbled up and burst out of me.
"It's important to have a backup plan," I agreed, smiling.
"I think I hear your man," she said, looking toward the front door. "You are a useless watchdog, Yogurt," she informed my dog who was sleeping on her back with her legs up, her jowls hanging upside down. "Very gorgeous, but useless."
This had been the first time Finn had needed to go away for work since we'd officially gotten together with complete transparency.
I hadn't been given a lot of details, since Finn's work did require some secrecy, but he'd told me he would be gone for a long weekend. Then he'd informed me that various members of his team would keep my company while he was gone.
There was Gunner for one day, who clearly did not want to be there, though he'd taken to Yogurt pretty well. That night, Lincoln had come to stay. And then sweet Kai spent a day with me. Smith had stayed over that night. Amita had come the next morning, bringing loads of takeaway for us to gorge on. She'd been relieved by Rosie. And then, finally, Nia.
I'd missed Finn like crazy, but I liked spending time with his people, getting to know them a little better. These people were his found family. I wanted to get close to them as well. Because there was one thing I knew for sure, and that was that I was going to be with Finn.
