Page 338 of As the Rain Falls
“It was a good nap.” I bury my nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent for a quick second before pulling away. “Can I sleep here tonight?”
“Baby.” Beckett hugs me back, pressing eager kisses to my forehead and cheeks while the other two idiots argue back and forth. “You know you can.”
Clans of Fire: The Reckoningcame out only a few days ago, but both Beckett and Mateo are already obsessed with it. My understanding of the game is a bit laughable; I can’t seem to grasp the greatness of it at all. Whatever works for them, I guess.
Beckett puts the headphones back on and grabs the controller. I stretch my legs over his as I turn around, settling between his thighs to watch him play. This is something we’ve been doing quite often, just spending time in each other’s presence.
His laughter echoes every so often, making my back vibrate.
“Okay, you can’t do that.”Beckett snorts, watching Antony’s character spinning around, shooting healing potions at the wall.“Stop wasting your powers!”
“But I like it when my character sparkles!”
After half an hour of explanations, Tony seems to start getting the hang of it, though. Their team is now looking for the first clues to complete… whatever task they need to complete. Beckett’s character keeps getting hit with curses, which is starting to piss him off.
I yawn, feeling only a little bored. “Are you guys going to play this game all day? I’d like to go to the beach instead.”
Beckett groans, ignoring me completely,“Antony, for fuck’s sake! Watch where you’re going!”
“Hey!” I pout pathetically, feeling a little embarrassed at being so damn clingy when it comes to him. “Becky!”
“Sorry.” His arms tighten around my waist before he presses a quick kiss to my mouth. “Do you want to play with us?”
I think about it for a second, considering that it wouldn’t be too bad of an idea. At least then, I’d be included. “But I’ll just mess with your game. I really don’t know how to play.”
“I can teach you. Hold it.” He hands me the controller, grabs my hand, and starts placing my fingers over the right buttons. “Press here if you want to move forward, here if you want to jump.”
“Throwing curses is here, right?” I ask, attempting to throw one at the wall by pressing my thumb over the A bumper. It hits Mateo’s character instead, the ugliest elf I have ever seen, and I flinch. “Sorry.”
“Evans!”
“Relax, Pereira. I’m teaching Cass how to play.”Beckett presses the mic closer to his mouth, leading my character away from the team. “Don’t hit the team, baby.”
I snap, getting a bit worked up about it. “I didn’t do it on purpose!”
“I know.” He says quickly. “Don’t worry about what Mateo’s saying; just keep moving until you get to the next location… Okay. Good. Keep going.”
Beckett shows me the other options, taking the time to lead me through the mission. I listen, mostly because I have no idea of what’s actually going on, and by the end of the hour our team has found the first clue.
I smile, feeling too proud as Antony starts to sing an off-key rendition ofWe Are The Championson the line.
“Well, that wasn’t all that bad, was it?” Beckett asks, eyeing me with suspicion. I can tell he thinks I’m enjoying this.
My smile drops, and I shrug, pouting a little still and feigning indifference.
“It was okay.”
He scoffs, unbelieving, before throwing me off his lap.
“Okay, my ass! Baby, you loved the game!”
***
Two hours and one mission led by me later, our call with Mateo and Antony has ended, but the television is still on.
The controller is left forgotten at a corner above my head, while I press Beckett against the couch.I blink hard, trying to see something through the darkness of the room now that the sun is gone. It wouldn’t kill me to find a way to press mute.
The soundtrack switches to another, and I start to frown. Beckett’s hand moves up, tapping against the surface of the couch to search for the remote. He finally lowers the volume, his gaze still not leaving mine.
