Page 2

Chapter two

Maddox

T he keypad chirps beneath my fingers, and the lock clicks open as I step into my favorite place—home. The familiar scent of cashmere woods wafting from the wax cubes grounds me, and I instantly relax into the solitude of my silent townhouse. I’m in the corner unit, so I only have one neighbor. Nice and quiet, just the way I like it. My realtor knew it was a requirement when I decided to buy instead of throwing my money away on rent. As my best friend, Sam refused to let me renew my lease, vowing to find the perfect place.

A warm glow radiates from the lights I left on in the kitchen, greeting me with a familiarity that settles my racing adrenaline. Thursday nights are always a rush. Seeing him in person is fucking thrilling, and tonight was no exception. I’m pretty sure I caught him staring back at me and even if he wasn’t, Callie said I looked smoking hot playing with those cranberries. Considering she’s a literal genius in this line of work, I believe her. Feral Squirrels doesn’t even begin to describe the kind of shenanigans the three of us get into. I don’t know what I was thinking when I suggested a weekly trivia night with my ride-or-die-besties. A nervous laugh rolls off my lips. Who am I trying to kid here? I know exactly what I was thinking when I roped my friends into my mischief.

Despite our lack of social skills outside of discord channels and chats, we at least know enough useless knowledge to maintain our standing in the top five every week. Tonight was a whirl of excitement, and even though I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our time together in the wild, I’m eager to jump into the gaming chat to see who’s on. My digital life is where I prefer to spend most of my time. As a game designer, it’s a perfect balance between work and research.

I glance at the time on my phone. It’s still early, just after ten. My friends on the west coast should be starting to log on for a night of fun. Getting un-layered, I slip off my shoes and hang my jacket in the hall closet before traipsing to the kitchen for a Red Bull and a bag of jalapeno kettle chips. I deposit them on the counter, pausing to look down at my jeans. I’ll get everything powered up and change into something more comfortable. Climbing the stairs to my bedroom in search of comfy sweats and a T-shirt, I shoot off a message in the Discord server:

HexXdolll

Anyone on and want to play?

Level-Up-Dom

Hey there, dollface. I’ll load in.

Holy shit, that was fast.

HexXdoll

Give me 5

Level-Up-Dom

Pick your poison.

HexXdoll

How about a certain dress-up game for baddies?

Level-Up-Dom

Ha Ha Ha

Level-Up-Dom

Cute.

I know I am. I think with a smile before typing out my reply.

HexXdoll

I’m fucking adorable. You just don’t know it.

Wow, I didn’t expect him to be available so fast. I figured I’d be waiting around on him for at least another hour. I shrug. If only he knew there’s no one I’d rather play with than him. It’s definitely because it makes me feel more connected, which is only a little bit creepy.

My friends are torn on the matter. Callie calls it my ‘stalker girl era,’ like it’s some kind of joke, while Sam—the practical one—has warned me more than once that I might be crossing a line. She’s not wrong. I mean, I know I probably shouldn’t be this invested in someone who refuses to share anything about themselves. But how could I not be all in? He’s been holding me at arm’s length for a year now, teasing me with just enough to keep me hooked without ever letting me in.

The longer he kept his secrets, the more they felt like a challenge—one I couldn’t resist. I’m a gamer. Solving puzzles and unraveling mysteries is practically my job. But this? This wasn’t some harmless quest. I violated his privacy by hacking into his profile to find his name. The first time I Googled him, I told myself it was no big deal—just curiosity. Now, I’m spiraling. There’s no way I can explain this to him without sounding completely unhinged. Curse my stalking skills. Why do I have to be so good at researching people?

Obviously, he set a boundary for a reason, but he should have known that would only drive me to levels of insanity that eventually caused me to crave more. This isn’t my fault. What is he hiding? Why doesn’t he want me to know who he is? We’ve been in this ridiculous flirtationship pattern for almost a year.

Frustrated, I run my fingers through my hair, pulling it up into a ponytail using the tangle-free plastic hair tie I keep on me at all times. Maybe I need more fucking therapy. I shimmy out of my jeans, sliding off my one-piece lace silk number next. I roll it down my body, freeing all the cute chubby rolls it was smoothing out, and breathe a deep sigh of relief.

If only he knew how worried he should actually be. I’m adorably intense, and thanks to my excellent computer skills—plus this slight obsession—I dug up all kinds of information about who he is in real life—outside of the gaming world.

At first, I felt guilty, which is what led to my confession to Callie and Sam. The confession, of course, led to a full-blown investigation and the exchange of several photos we scored online of him. The most recent was a ribbon-cutting ceremony with him standing in front of HIS bar. It was all downhill from there. Callie talked us all into doing a drive-by to check him out. She insisted we needed to see him up close and in person. We were only going to get one drink, and now we go every Thursday night to play trivia and talk about Colt.

A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. I have no regrets. The man is a fine specimen, and I’m determined to make him more than just my friend online. Our flirty banter has been driving me wild since the day we started chatting. When I discovered we live in the same city, I knew exactly what I had to do.

I mean, I’m into him hard. Like head over heels, in way too deep. I shouldn’t fall asleep listening to his streams just to hear his voice, but I do. Every time we play, I secretly hope it will be the day he takes one of my innuendos seriously and acts on this little back-and-forth teasing we’ve been doing. I’m going insane waiting for him. It’s not like I wanted to take control of the situation by finding him in real life. He just simply forced my hand by making me wait too long.

Fuck a duck!

I tug on my sweats, realizing I got caught up in my thoughts. I check the time: fifteen minutes. Did I really just stand here for fifteen minutes contemplating my life choices? This right here is exactly why I need therapy—and I don’t just mean group chat therapy. I toss on a baggy band tee and grab a pair of fluffy slippers, scooping up all my dirty clothes before depositing them in my laundry basket. Grabbing my phone, I shoot off a quick message.

HexXdoll

Sorry. I definitely got distracted.

Level-Up-Dom

Forgiven. Are you ready to play?

HexXdoll

With you always. Let me guess, you picked a game?

Level-Up-Dom

You snooze, you lose, dollface.

He’s right. I totally ghosted him, even if it was unintentional.

HexXdoll

Fair. Is this a friendly game?

Level-Up-Dom

Hmmm. I think you owe me. If I win, you have to tell me another secret. Something no one else knows.

HexXdoll

This again? What’s your obsession with my secrets?

Level-Up-Dom

Friends tell each other their secrets.

HexXdoll

Friends also tell each other their names. I don’t even know who you are in real life.

Level-Up-Dom

This again. How about if I win you give me a first name?

HexXdoll

And if I win?

Level-Up-Dom

Oh, you’re going to let me win, dollface. You kept me waiting for you.

HexXdoll

What if I lie?

Level-Up-Dom

You’re my good girl. You aren’t going to lie.

He probably hopes I’m a good girl, but I’m not.

HexXdoll

You think you have me all figured out? Maybe I’ve been lying the entire time, and I’m really just stalking you.

Level-Up-Dom

Have you ever even stalked someone before?

HexXdoll

Maybe. Have you?

Level-Up-Dom

I’m not answering that. If I don’t answer, it can’t be used against me.

HexXdoll

Sounds pretty sus to me.

Level-Up-Dom

Says my stalker.

HexXdoll

Fine. You know I’m not just going to let you win, right?

Level-Up-Dom

I guess I have to earn it ;)

I just invited you to the game.

I click the link and wait for the game to spawn. This man is going to ruin me. He’s bad news, and I absolutely have to stop stalking him. Or at least admitting that I’m stalking him. I also can’t risk him finding out who I am. Not when I’m creeping around his bar. If I lose, I’ll never be able to show my face at trivia night next week, and we’re two games away from the end of the series bracket. We have to hang on to third place and win a prize. But if he wins, he might find out how far I’ve already fallen. Did I just self-sabotage Operation Trivia Night?

Fuck!

I bite my lip in frustration, prepared to do everything I can to prevent him from winning this round.