Page 61 of No Save Point

I exhale, rubbing a hand over my jaw, throwing him a look. “Yeah, it’s set up.”

Hunter grins, nodding approvingly. “Finally. I was starting to think you just liked watching Haven play instead of actually gaming yourself.”

Before I can fire back, his eyes fall on the small shelf by the window. His grin sharpens instantly. “Oh, man. Haven, you’ve gotta see this.” His fingers close around the frame, plucking it off the shelf

The pit forms in my stomach before I even follow his line of sight. My stomach sinks. “Don’t.”

Too late, he’s already holding it up like evidence. An old photo of me and Tate probably around eighteen, both of us standing next to my rusted-out first car, flipping off the camera with matching scowls. Tate’s hair was longer then, still dark and messy, his lip split from a fight the night before. I look stupid enough to believe I could fix everything if I just tried hard enough.

“This is peak twin energy,” Hunter announces. “Yin and Yang. Emo menace and boy-next-door.”

Haven’s trying not to laugh, but her smile’s already breaking through.

I scrub a hand over my face. “You’re never coming over again.”

Hunter just winks. “Please, you love me.”

Tate, from the armchair, doesn’t even glance up. “That’s debatable.”

I make a mental note to burn that photo. But when Haven tucks it back onto the shelf herself, her fingers linger just a little too long against the glass, her eyes softening in a way that twists something low in my chest.

Hunter claps his hands once, sharp and loud, shattering the silence. “Alright, show me this new rig. I need to see if you’ve finally joined the 21st century.”

Haven catches my eyes, her grin small but real. I realize maybe I don’t hate that photo so much after all.

Tate, meanwhile, lets out a huff of amusement, pushing off the chair with a slow stretch, like he’s already decided this conversation isn’t worth his time.

“Well, this has been fun, but I’ve got better things to do,” he says, already heading for the stairs, one hand rubbing at the back of his neck like the last ten minutes exhausted him. “Try not to get too sappy down here.”

Hunter snorts. “Bye, asshole.”

Tate just lifts a hand in a lazy mock wave before disappearing up the stairs, his heavy footsteps fading as he shuts himself in his room, leaving just the three of us in the living room.

I don’t miss the way Haven’s shoulders relax just slightly, like she wasn’t fully aware she’d been holding any tension at all until now. Balancing the empty plates in her hands as she stands, heading toward the kitchen, muttering something under her breath that I don’t catch. I watch her for a second, something warm curling low in my stomach as she makes her way around my space like she’s meant to be here. Like she’s always been here. Like she’s part of this.

Hunter nudges my arm, voice low. “Dude.”

I roll my eyes, pushing off the couch to follow Haven up the stairs, ignoring the way Hunter chuckles behind me like he already knows exactly how deep I’m in this. I push open the door to my room, stepping aside to let Hunter in first, trying to ignore the fact that Haven is right behind him, her presence threading into the space like she already belongs in it.

Hunter lets out a low whistle, stepping further inside, his sharp eyes scanning every inch of my PC setup, his fingers already reaching for the keyboard like he’s about to run some kind of quality test. “Damn,” he mutters, clicking through a few settings, watching the RGB lights shift colors beneath his touch. “Alright, I’ll admit it. This is sick.”

I cross my arms, leaning back against my desk, watching him try to act like he isn’t impressed. “Yeah, well, had a good teacher.”

Haven lets out a quiet laugh, tucking her legs beneath her as she settles on my bed, watching Hunter mess with my setup like he has any right.

Hunter grins, throwing me a look. “So, what’s next? You hopping on Haven’s next stream? Making your grand debut?”

I snort, shaking my head. “I’m not exactly a ‘grand debut’ kind of guy.”

Hunter tilts his head. “Nah, but she is.” I feel Haven’s eyes shift to me, but I keep mine locked on the monitor. Because yeah, she is. She’s been doing this for years, comfortable in front of a camera, comfortable in a space that’s public, where people can watch her every move. Me? Not so much.

Hunter must sense the shift in the air because he steps back from my desk, claps a hand against my shoulder, and smirks. “Well, that’s my cue to head out. You two have fun with your little—” he gestures vaguely “—whatever this is.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s a PC setup, dude.”

“Mmmhmm.” He throws Haven a smirk before heading for the door, pausing just long enough to throw me one last knowing look over his shoulder. “Don’t be a dumbass, Carter.”

The door clicks shut behind him, leaving just me and Haven in the quiet. I run a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly, the weight of everything pressing in again.

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