I nodded, then looked at Daniel. “Can you grab something for me? You know what I like.”
Daniel frowned. The look he gave me clearly said he was concerned about leaving me, and he’d stay if I asked him to.
I shook my head. “It’s okay. Go ahead.” I smiled.
Hana left with Cass and Daniel, leaving me alone with Omar.
The moment they were out of earshot, Omar said, “Where did you say you met him again?”
“In game.” Which was not actually where I met LostAxis. We first met on aDragon Arenamessage board. But I was curious if Omar would correct me, proving he knew it was a lie.
“When? And what’s his name in game?”
I squeezed my fist. “Why are you asking so many questions, Omar?”
It had to be him. Which ...ugh. Omar was LostAxis?Really?I had nothing against Omar. He was a bit of a goof, and always did whatever Devin did. But why would my ex-boyfriend’s sidekick catfish me? It didn’t add up. Maybe he had a crush on me?
I could not wrap my head around the idea that it had been Omar the whole time. LostAxis had been my friend. He’d made me laugh, and we’d playedDragon Arenaso well together. We were completely in sync with each other. We were an amazing pair.
Maybe there was more to Omar than I had assumed.
Omar shrugged, his jaw still tense. “I think it’s awfully convenient that you have this guy ready the moment you and Devin split. You were already playing with him before you and Devin even broke up. When did you first meet IRL? And what exactly did you talkaboutfor so long online while you were still with Devin?”
I blinked. Wait.What?Was he accusing me of, like ...sextingwith LostAxis? Could it be possible that Omar’s anger here had nothing to do with him actually being LostAxis, and was because he thought I’dcheatedon Devin? With LostAxis? I snorted a laugh. “Um ... you do know that Devin broke up withme, right?”
“Yes, but he’s never really said why. Maybe he caught you talking to that guy. Or maybe not just talking.”
That. Was.Hilarious.I laughed. Loudly. At least I knew he wasn’t LostAxis, because then he’d know I wasn’t sexting the guy.
“What’s so funny?” Cass asked. Daniel and Cass were back, each with a plate of food.
I scooted to let them sit back down. “Omar thinks I cheated on Devin. With Daniel.”
“I never said that,” Omar said, still clearly furious.
I chuckled. “Yes, you did. And it’s preposterous. I’m not even going to defend myself. Ask Devin why we broke up. And while you’re at it, get him to explain it to me again, because your boy didn’t make any sense. And he’s the one who started hooking up with Hana while he still had jet lag.” I was less amused and angrier the more I spoke. Because why shouldn’t I be angry? After everything Devin did ... did his friends honestly think I had cheated?
“What’s going on here?” a voice behind me said. A voice I knew a little too well.
“Devin, this has nothing to do with you,” I said. “Go back to Hana.”
“I could hear you talking about me, so I think itdoeshave something to do with me. Omar?”
Omar shook his head, giving me a look of distain. “It’s all good, bro. Samaya and I were just talking.”
“Whatever.” I stood. Why had I thought coming to this party was anything resembling a good idea. “C’mon, Daniel, let’s go check out that croquet game before the movie starts. It’s kind of hockey-like, right? Sticks? Goals?” I was terrible at croquet. I was terrible at any sport that wasn’t played with a controller in my hand and a screen in front of me. But I needed to get away from these people.
Daniel grinned widely. “Close enough. Nice meeting you, Omar. AndKevin,” he said as he led me toward the grassy area at the bottom of the stairs.
“It’sDevin,” Devin called out as we walked away.
Daniel shrugged, but neither of us looked back.
The croquet game was set up in an area of the yard that had a lot of lighting, but it was still not exactly the best game for the dark. Of course, Daniel was excellent at it, anyway. The guy was a sports nut, and hockey and croquet were both pretty much using wood sticks to propel hard things into metal targets. But honestly? Daniel had been excellent at everything I’d seen him do. Like baking, and even talking aboutDragon Arena. Hell, he wasn’t even as bad as he thought he was at math.
And playing with him, especially after that mess with Omar and Devin, wasfun. Fun was something I wasn’t expecting to find at this party.
Daniel was so ... entertaining. His commentary as he shot the ball (hit the ball? Lol, I knew nothing about sports) had me and the other players in stitches. He sounded like one of those hockey play-by-play reporters. And he had that trademark Daniel grin through the whole thing. He was having fun ... and everyone around him was having fun because of him.
