The plan has to be working. Brandon is jealous, right?
I glance at the time at the top of my phone screen, noting the late hour and how Aiden hasn’t come home yet.
“I can’t wait all night for him,” I mumble with a huff. “Fuck it.”
I type out a response to Brandon and tap send.
Maybe I’m down to play for a little while if you’re still awake.
A smile creeps onto my face, and I squeal when the Read receipt pops up. Three dots dance on the bottom of the message box, and then Brandon’s reply pops onto the screen.
Damn, girl lol the devil works hard, but this guy works harder. Looks like you two had some fun today.
Yeah, I’ve got some time to play. Give me a sec
I ditch my phone on the desk and wiggle my mouse to wake up the computer screen. By the time I log into my gaming account and log onto Discord to start a video chat, Brandon sends me an invite to join the party. I pull on my pink cat-ear headphones and wave at the camera the moment our video call connects.
“There she is,” Brandon croons with a grin.
I smile and cover my stomach, as if it’ll stop the butterflies from dancing. “Hey.”
“How did the date go? Also, why the hell didn’t you tell me you were talking to that guy as more than just friends?”
Shrugging, I say, “I didn’t want to jinx it by saying something.”
Brandon’s silence is loud, and not for the first time, I wish I could read him like an open book to know what’s going through his head.
“He’s not using you, is he?”
I tilt my head and give the camera a weird look. “Why would he be using me?”
We’re using each other, but whatever.
Brandon sighs, and his chair squeaks. “Well, guys have ulterior motives with women. You haven’t talked about him and, last I checked, you weren’t interested in the guy. I mean, I’m happy for you and whatever, but it’s weird you’re suddenly seeing a guy. He has to be using you for your Twitch money or your body.”
I snort and wave off his concerns. “Don’t worry, he’s not using me. Like I said, I didn’t want to jinx anything.”
“What does your brother think about this guy?”
My smile freezes, and I force my muscles to remain relaxed, my face nonchalant. Brandon would clock my shift in body language if I stiffened, and then he’d pressure me to spill the beans.
“Well, my brother?—”
He squints his eyes. “Who’s that behind you?”
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand as a hand lands on my shoulder. With my heart in my throat, I yelp and twist in my seat to face the person.
Aiden raises his hands and takes a step back. “Whoa, easy there. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I shove an earmuff to the side so I can hear him over Brandon’s chuckles. My tensed muscles relax, and I let out a shaky breath. “Jeez, you’re silent.”
Aiden rubs the back of his neck with an apologetic smile. “Doesn’t help that you’re wearing the headphones. My bad, pretty girl.”
I shake my head, then stop when I spot dried blood and bruises on his face. My eyebrows pinch together. “Is that blood? What happened?”
Aiden’s smile tightens. He glances past me toward the computer, then shifts his attention back to me. “Don’t worry about it.”
I’m about to argue with him when he circles my chair, lifts me, and settles on the seat before placing me on his lap. He wraps his arm around my middle and holds my stomach. With his free hand, he flips my mic piece to mute the device and prevent Brandon from hearing us.
