And I was forever grateful for it. The game night group never expected me to do anything except play.
I knocked once, and the door to Shaun and Neema’s apartment flung open.
“You came!” Shaun’s hand shot up for a high five. He’d always been cheerful, but ever since marrying the love of his life, he radiated joy at a glass-shattering frequency.
I dipped my head and clapped my free hand against his as I walked inside. I wouldn’t leave him hanging. “Hey, man.”
Rose, his best friend and soon-to-be sister-in-law, popped up to her feet, eyeing the bag I carried. I held it out between us. “Samosas. The cheesy kind.”
Her eyes widened, matching her bright smile. She vibrated as she took it and pulled one of them out of the bag. “Your mom is the best.”
“My mom’s a feeder.”
“And I’m an eater.” She took a big bite.
I glanced around the apartment. Claire wasn’t here yet. “Whereis everyone?” It was a fair assumption that, where Rose and Shaun were, their partners would be as well.
Rose pointed at the bedroom. “William’s doing one last stream in his old bedroom before Shaun and Neema convert it into a nursery.”
I sat on the couch and took out my laptop. Balancing it on my knees, I navigated over to William’s account,@wheretheresawilliam, and clicked through. I’d been watching William’s streams since he started doing them, before we’d even met. Rose transferred couches and settled beside me, leaning in and smiling at the face of her fiancé on my screen as if she hadn’t seen him play games online five thousand times. As if she didn’t live with him now.
“Oh, and Neema’s asleep because of the energy-zapping fetus,” she said.
“Don’t talk about my child that way,” Shaun said from the kitchen.
“Those were her words!” Rose cackled.
I stifled a laugh and kept my focus on the chat. There was one name I was looking for.
And there she was.
@pancakesareelite:
Popping in to say hi, and this game is too expensive. Back to lurking & working.
I didn’t like the way my heart skipped whenever this stranger’s username appeared on my screen, and yet it did—against my will and better judgment. I resisted the urge to click on her name and open a private chat.
What would I even say?
It had been three days since we’d chatted or properly played agame together. It was the longest we’d gone without contact. Maybe she’d found other people to play with.
A private message appeared, chasing away my insecurities.
I bit down on my lip as a smile tugged on the corners of my mouth.
@pancakesareelite:
Hey! Fancy finding you here (watching a streamer you never miss). Shall we play a game when he’s done?
Rose shot upright.
“No,” I said to her, but it was too late.
Her face was already lit with mischief.
“It’s nothing.” I minimized the chat but hovered over it, itching to reply.
“It’s not nothing. Claire mentioned something aboutthegaming girl being called ‘Pancakes’… Lily, is it?” She tapped the minimized chat as though my laptop were a touchscreen.
