Something shifts in her before she glances past me toward the screens on stage I don’t have to turn to know what she’s looking for. Tate’s still in. I bring my attention back to her, brushing my thumb once along her side, grounding both of us back into the same space.
“Top three,” I remind her, my voice quieter now but just as certain.
Her eyes snap back to mine.
“Top three,” she repeats.
Tate sidles up next to us within a few moments. “You made him your bitch pretty girl, I’m proud.”
“Language,” I say.
“Grow up,” he shoots back. Haven laughs into my shoulder, and I feel her body start to relax just a little.
“Top three now,” she murmurs. “I’m so close.”
“You’re unstoppable,” I say, kissing her temple. “And we’re right here.”
32
Tate
They give us twenty minutes, which isn’t enough time to come down from the last match.
The player lounge is crowded, I hate it.
I grab two bottles from the cooler and toss one toward Haven the second she walks in. She twists the cap off and takes a long drink.
I lean back against the counter, watching her over the rim of my bottle.
A few players pass behind us, their attention lingering longer than it should. Some of them nod at her, some at me, some whisper just quietly enough to pretend they aren’t. Neither of us reacts. There’s no reason to.
“You nervous?” I ask, keeping my tone even, like the answer doesn’t matter.
She lets out a soft breath that almost turns into a laugh, shaking her head as she glances down at the bottle in her hands before looking back at me. “No. Not about the game.”
I push off the counter and step closer, not enough to crowd her, just enough that the noise around us dulls slightly at the edges. “Good,” I say quietly. “Because I’m not going easy on you.”
Her mouth curves just a little at that, something quick and real. “I’d be pissed if you did.”
A few players pass behind us. One of them, a kid from a lower bracket I beat earlier, pauses, glancing at Haven like he’s trying to process the fact that she’s standing right there. Another older, more seasoned player gives me a polite nod, his lips twitching like he wants to say more but doesn’t.
A kid from another team sidles closer, trying to sound casual. “Hey… good match out there,” he says, nodding at both of us. “Really… uh… impressive.”
I shrug, taking a slow sip. “Thanks.” My eyes stay glued to Haven. She gives him a polite, almost bored smile before turning back to me.
Another player, a girl with neon-green hair and a tattoo sleeve, laughs as she passes by, shaking her head at the energy in the room. “You two always like this before a break? Or is this… tension?”
Haven chuckles softly. “Something like that,” she says, and it’s enough to shut down curiosity without being rude.
I lean closer to her, lowering my voice. “You know, they don’t need to know what we’re thinking. Or how we’re feeling.”
She tilts her head, that small smirk tugging at her lips. “Good thing, too. Otherwise, you’d never hear the end of it.” She twists the cap back on her bottle and sets it down. “Let’s get something small to eat, we’re gonna need it.”
I toss her a half-grin. “Lead the way.”
As we move toward the snack table, a few other players glance at us. Haven stays at my side, and for the first time in the day, it feels like we can just exist here for twenty minutes, in control, unbothered, untouchable.
Carter’s voice comes through a second later, calm and grounding. “You two okay?”
