I frown. It wasn’t unlike her to disappear for a few days, but never for this much time.
For as long as we played together, she was usually online late at night. Sometimes random afternoons. We didn’t always chat while we played, but we had grown closer over the past year.
I hadn’t realized how much I missed her absence until now.
We didn’t really exchange messages, not since that first night when she cleaned house and pissed off a bunch of the guys I play with. We mostly just chatted over our headsets. It was easier as we played anyway.
I hovered over the message option longer than necessary before I clicked on the window.
You good?didn’t feel right.
I typed and erased, then tried again.
Me: Haven’t seen you online in a bit. You good?
I stared at the screen for a second before hitting send. I waited for it to show as delivered, then waited another minute, like I was waiting for her to magically log on and for it to change to read.
I backed out of her profile and queued up a match, trying to shake off the feeling twisting in my chest. It’s stupid to read into it. People disappear all the time. Life happens, and gaming takes a back seat.
Still, as the loading screen spun, my eyes kept drifting back to my notifications. Waiting for her reply.
And for the first time in a while, gaming didn’t do a damn thing to quiet my thoughts.
***
The guys are already awake by the time I drag myself downstairs the next morning. Their usual chaos hums aroundme like background noise I don’t bother fighting. Kade stands at the coffee maker, slamming his hand against the top like it might take the hint and start working. Owen is planted at his usual spot at the table, protein drink in front of him, phone in hand. Probably checking scores from last night’s games, because of course he is.
The side door from the garage slams shut, and I glance up to see Talon stalk inside. His hair’s a mess, hoodie still caught around his shoulders as he finishes tugging it on.
“Where the hell did you take off to last night?” Kade asks, finally getting coffee and turning to lean his hip against the counter.
I freeze for half a second too long when I realize he’s talking to me and not Talon.
“Good morning to you too,” I say, grabbing a mug from the cabinet.
Kade lifts a brow, coffee steaming in his hand. “I thought you were leaving with us. You weren’t behind us when we got home.”
Owen looks up from his phone. “Yeah. I heard you come in after two. Figured maybe you’d doubled back for something, but that doesn’t really explain the late-night disappearance.”
“I didn’t forget anything,” I say, pouring coffee.
Talon still hasn’t said a word. He’s leaning against the counter, arms crossed, watching me like he’s already connected dots I’m pretending aren’t there. I hesitate, not sure how the hell to explain why I stayed—why leaving before I made sure she was okay hadn’t felt like an option. When he finally pushes off, his voice is calm but pointed.
“You stayed at the bar,” he says. “You don’t bail on the guys. And you don’t go picking fights with random pricks either. Not when you’ve got scouts sniffing around and a season you can’t afford to screw up.”
That lands closer to the truth than I’d like.
Kade tilts his head. “This have anything to do with the girl you kept watching?”
The room goes quiet. “I wasn’twatchingher,” I say.
Kade laughs. “You hovered like you were her personal bouncer. I saw you tense up when that asshole started giving her shit about his tab.”
I hadn’t realized how much they’d clocked.
“She was new,” I say instead.
“And?” Talon presses.
