Page 41 of Now Streaming

Hayden's deep voice echoed in the arena right before the shot rang out. His opponent, a lesser-known streamer, screamed as the head of his avatar exploded with the shot, the body falling to the floor. From his secret streaming bay, tucked away into the back hallways of the convention center, away from anyone who would bother him or recognize him, Hayden grinned at the sound of the cheers echoing loudly even all the way back here. People loved to see DeathsHead win.

He watched his ranking move up his screen, declaring him the victor of his latest bracket. A voice came over his headset, the player he had just killed in cold blood.

“DeathsHead, I’m going to be paying you back for that.”

Hayden smiled. “Good game.”

“Good game.”

Hayden clicked out of his screen, disconnecting his mic and turning his attention over to the other brackets, searching until he found her.

FlameThrower. Dressed in the outfit she bought today, her pink wig without a hair out of place, her fuck-me mouth pinched in concentration as she hunted the last of her prey. Hayden drank in the sight of her, beautiful even when she tried to completely hide herself in the over-the-top outfits. She wasn’t the loudest streamer competing today. But she was definitely one of the best.

As he watched her in her element, Hayden’s thoughts wandered back to the restaurant and their run-in with Min’s ex. The fucking nerve of that guy. Approaching Min in public like that. Talking to her with such disrespect Hayden’s hands flexed, wanting to pummel the guy. But Min didn’t want that, had pulled him away from violence, and Hayden had to respect her choice. But given the chance, he would make sure that asshat never came near Min ever again. Hell, he had texted Theo to make sure the dick wasn’t allowed back in the restaurant. It didn’t take a huge leap of logic to assume this was the guy who had made the video and most likely leaked the photos. Hayden hoped Min’s lawyers were ready to fight dirty. Because he sure was.

He smiled as Min’s avatar tossed an improvised bomb at her opponent, completely obliterating him. He couldn’t help but laugh as she publicly celebrated the win, pumping her small fists and bouncing around her streaming bay. One of the best things about FlameThrower was how deeply she loved the game, and it was always a joy to watch.

Her scores flashed over the screen, and her ranking came up. She’d be participating in the final round. Against him. His blood heated at the thought. She was one of his favorite opponents in the game, her creativity and skill making the challenge worth everything he threw into it. Although this time, they both had more on the line. They both had reasons for wanting the money, for needing the sponsorship. So while he hated the idea of standing between Min and what she wanted, he was still ready to fight her for the win. And he knew she was ready to do the same.

She finally signed off her stream with a wave, probably heading to change out of her FlameThrower gear. Hayden pulled out his phone to text her.

HAYDEN: So… what are you up to tonight?

She didn’t text back right away. Hayden tried not to let it bother him. He had sensed her starting to pull away after lunch. Hayden was willing to give her a little time, but there was no way in hell he was going to let her push him all the way away, especially not over her fucking ex. He didn’t know where this thing with her was going, but he knew he wasn’t ready for it to end. Not yet.

Hayden left the building, making sure the hallways were still empty, so he didn’t run into anyone. So far the company had delivered on its guarantee of his privacy, but Hayden could never relax his guard. Especially not at the convention.

He made it outside, taking a deep breath before heading away from the center, not sure where he was going. Soon, he found himself at the bay, wanting to take in the water and relax. Sometimes people got so caught up in the con that they didn’t notice they were right next to the Pacific Ocean. The convention center had one of the best views, but you had to take your head out of Kickoff long enough to see it.

After a few minutes, Hayden checked his phone again. Min still hadn’t responded to his text. Without thinking about it, Hayden pressed the call button and brought the phone to his ear.

She answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“You avoiding me?”

He heard her hesitation. “No. I just wasn’t sure how to respond.”

“Don’t think that hard about it. What are you doing tonight?”

“A few friends invited me for a drink at the Waterfront.”

“What kind of friends?”

“The kind who know me in both my personas.”

There was a pause, and he let it hang, wondering what was running through her mind, wondering if she was just going to shut him down or if she was going to—

“You could come. If you wanted. Only if you were comfortable.” The words rushed out of her, almost like she wanted to get them out before she thought about it too much.

“Why wouldn’t I be comfortable?”

“Because it’s people you don’t know. The Waterfront will be packed. We’ll probably be out late. It’s a lot of things you don’t like.”

“You’ll be there?”

“Yeah.”

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