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2024-12-28 15:20:52
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THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING RICK
After I empty half the contents onto the floor, I settle on a comfy outfit of a pink pleated tennis skirt with built-in shorts and a white athletic tank top before plucking my phone from the nearby charging station.I’m not too shocked to see that it is almost two in the afternoon.My heart drops when I see the litany of texts from Rick, worry weaving its way through my veins that something else with the Panther Hunters has cropped up.RICK:Are u okay?RICK:Seriously??RICK:The police said the swatting issue was dealt with but ur location shows u on the move at almost two?RICK:R u safe? Do u need help??RICK:I see ur at The System’s place – pls text me when u see this so I know ur fineMy heart calms when I see that it’s just him being concerned and has nothing to do with anything shitty.ME:hey! sorry!!!!ME:I’m crashing with the guys >.
THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING THE NICKNAME AS MY HANDS TIGHTEN ON MY MUG
I grit my teeth together before taking a sip of my unfortunately plain coffee.Gods, why did he have to make it so difficult sometimes?“Whatcha been up to?”His right brow quirks up and his eyes flick to me briefly, giving me a once over. Then he just shrugs. “Worked out. Ate. Gamed.”“Riveting,” I deadpan.“It’s more than you can say, Sparkles.”My lips pucker on the nickname as my hands tighten on my mug.What a frustrating man.“Well, I’ll be out of your hair soon enough.”This time he turns to face me, and it’s everything I can do to keep my focus on the skyline.“You can’t seriously be thinking of going back to your apartment?”“Maybe.”Honestly, now that I’ve left, I have no desire to go back. Sure, most—well, all—of my stuff is still there, but the thought of stepping back into the place where I’ve had my privacy completely violated sends a tsunami of unease through my gut.My rose-tinted glasses have cracked, and there is no way for me to think of my apartment without seeing
THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING FINE
“Okay, fine. I had another swat scare last night. Nothing happened, but it freaked me out a little.” I turn my head and stare at the trophies lining the wall, outlining their shapes with my eyes. The System really are an impressive bunch of gamers.“That’s it. You’re moving out. I’ll pay to break the contract at your apartment if I have to.”I smile. Lee really is my ride-or-die. There is no doubt in my mind that if I murdered someone, she would be the one rocking up to the crime scene with a bucket of bleach and latex gloves. She also has some of the best knowledge to get away with murder; we don’t watch all those crime shows without absorbing some tips and tricks.“Thanks, but apparently English has it handled.”“Oh?”“Mmm, he says he’s setting me up with a place.”“Stop. At his apartment complex?”“Yup”“I’m so jelly! Are you getting a discount?”I bolt upright. “That’s what I asked, and Shield laughed at me!”Lee begins to giggle, and I find myself joining in. The laughter bubbles
THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING SHE WASN’T HOT?
“She was fine.”“She wasn’t hot?” Aleks reaches for his beer.“Aleksander,” Stevie chastises, sinking back down on the couch next to him and pouring a healthy glass of wine. “Be nice.”Herson holds his hand out to me, and I stare at it in confusion. He nods, angling his chin down at the controller in my lap. “The date was fine, she’s just not my type. None of them are.” The tips of his fingers brush against my thumb as he tugs the controller from my hands.The boys start a new match, but I struggle to keep my attention on the screen, my gaze slipping to Herson over and over again.“What?” His eyes clash with mine.“That was, like, your fifth date, wasn’t it?”“Didn’t realize you were keeping track.”“It’s just morbid curiosity, like watching a plane crash.”“Sure.”I take a sip of the cherry seltzer, eyeing him over the can. “It’s a pity. All those good looks and you can’t even land a girlfriend.”His brows pull together and he starts to open his mouth but Aleks’ voice cuts in. “Sucks
THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING FRUSTRATION BUBBLES UNDER MY SKIN
He doesn’t deign to give me a response, just goes back to ignoring me and playing with Aleks. Frustration bubbles under my skin, uncontained energy coursing through me.A light tap on my hand pulls me from the death glare I’m trying to laser into Herson’s brain.“You good?”Stevie mouths to me. Her eyes dip to where my nails are digging into my biceps.I release my grip, little red crescents marring my pale skin. With a deep breath, I plaster a smile on my face and roll my eyes. “Yeah. Boys,”I mouth back.She gives a light chuckle before holding her wine glass out to me. I carefully pluck it from her grip and take a healthy gulp, pushing my emotions to the side.But now that the idea is in my head, it starts swimming around, and some strange kernel in my chest lights up. Herson’s hot. Dating him wouldn’t be a chore in the looks department. Plus, I might even feel comfortable enough to leave the apartment with someone like him by my side. He would be like my own personal bodyguard.Exce
THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING FANTASTIC
“Perfect, just wait. I make the best drinks.”There’s an excitement pouring off her that I’ve rarely seen before. The bubbly sweetness of her personality doesn’t seem artificial but natural. It’s refreshing, cute.A sparkle enters her eyes as she mixes random liquids together, the drink going from purple to pink with a squeeze of a lemon. She crouches to eye level as she begins to pour in the vodka. More vodka than I expect her to pour in.Fantastic…The smell of popcorn slowly starts to permeate the air as the pops get louder and louder. Panther frowns as she turns around and eyes a bowl that’s just out of reach. The tips of her long, pointy nails tap against the glass rim.I push off the island and move in behind her, reaching to help her grab the bowl. But just as I position myself around her, she lifts a knee up on the counter and hoists herself up. Her ass presses right against my crotch, almost grinding on it. She gives a surprised yelp, and I hold back a groan. A warmth spreads
THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING YOU’RE WELCOME
“You’re welcome.” She gives my thigh a pat and then,finally, she removes them, clasping her hands in her lap. She looks at me expectantly and silence stretches between us. Her brows dip. “Are you going to put the movie on?”“Right,” I mutter. “Right.” I lean forward and grab the controller, switching out from the Pendrive to one of the streaming channels. As I mindlessly search for the movie, I attempt to gather my wits.What the fuck is going on?I hit play on the movie and relax back into the couch at the familiar opening scene. Panther curls her knees to her chest and places her chin on them.Her attention stays hooked the entire time, and, once again, I find myself stealing glances at her. I could stare at her all day and probably never get bored; I’d merely get lost in the curves and dips of her changing expressions, committing each one to memory.I hate to admit it, but I like having her around. It’s almost as if I’ve left the city for the country and looked up at the sky to rea
THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING SURE?
“Because you’re touching me, you weirdo.”With what little energy I have, I shrug out of his grip and begin to crawl my way to his bathroom. My hazy mind has one clear mission: deny everything.He lets out a loud sigh. “I’ll deal with this; you head back to bed.”“You sure?” I can hear Aleks flicking his switchblade back and forth.“Yeah, no need for two babysitters.”“Rude,” I mutter.It’s only once I cross the threshold of the door and my knees hit the tiles that I force myself to stand, using the counter to support my weight. My eyes squeeze tight as I turn on the lights. When I open them, I catch Herson’s reflection in the mirror as he leans in the doorway.“Want to tell me the truth?”“Iwantto take a shower.”“Okay.”I grit my teeth together and let out a groan before summoning all my strength to shove the bathroom door closed. With him comfortably out of sight, I let out a sigh.It takes longer than necessary for me to remove my stale contacts and my oxidized makeup. I barely re
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- THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING
IT’S A VIDEO GAME THING
Panther’s hand tenses on my arm, the tips of her nails pressing into my skin ever so slightly, though her face stays a practiced, placid mask.“Technically. It’s also my gamertag.”“What does that mean?”Po powhispers to me, but her voice carries across the table.“It’s a video game thing,” I whisper back.“You play games as well?” She leans across to make eye contact with Panther.“I do,” she smiles. “I’m not as famous as Herson, though. He is part of an epic legacy, and everyone really respects him.”She is laying it on thick, but I don’t really mind it. It’s nice to have someone in my corner who actually understands me, who believes in me.That being said, she is selling herself short. I don’t think Panther realizes how many people adore her content, how she has quickly become a star in the community.“It’s still just playing games,” Auntie An chimes in.Panther tilts her head. “I know a lot of people have trouble understanding the video game industry, let alone streaming, but it is
- THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING
NICKNAME
“Nei neoi peng yau hai been?”Where is your girlfriend?Shit.I look down to see my grandmother has snuck her way over to me during the shuffle. She is peering around, not in an accusatory way, but there is definitely a suspicious glint in the way she is taking in the situation. Considering it seems like my supposed girlfriend sprang out of nowhere, I don’t blame her. Getting this ruse past her is going to be harder than convincing Auntie An—at least she’s seen Panther. My grandmother, on the other hand, is one of the sharpest women I know. The onlyperson who can beat her at mahjong is my grandfather, and that’s because she secretly lets him win.“Youryi masaid she was coming.”God damn Auntie An.“She—”“Hey, Angela. Congratulations, your performance was totally magical.”Every bone in my body turns to stone at the words.I would recognize her voice in a room filled with a thousand people.I turn around, and sure enough, Panther stands in front of my little sister. If not for her pin
- THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING
SHE ROLLS HER EYES
—shealwaysrolls her eyes—and begins ripping open the takeout bags Lee brought. The smell of melted cheese and ketchup wafts around us as we settle in.“By the way, are you guys busy Sat?” Lee reaches forward and grabs her burger, taking a large bite.“Why?” I steal a fry from her lap.“There’s this content creator party downtown.”I wrinkle my nose. “Pass.”“Aw, come on. You’re not going to make me go alone.”Dammit. See, nowthisis why I always ended up going out. It wasn’t becauseIever wanted to but because I would never let Lee go alone. My sense of Girl Code is too strong, even if my social anxiety pulses like a beacon during a storm at the idea.“You could always get one of the boys to go with you,” Syd offers. “I ended up having to move their streaming schedule around that day so they could have it free.”“Why?”“Herson’s sister has another piano thing.”My ears perk up, and I try to sound casual as I ask, “Where is that again?”“The recital? Her high school, I think.”“Back down
- THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING
I’M GOING TO TAKE THAT AS A YES
I look at the mountain of boxes just in the living room. I have absolutely zero motivation to open them. Maybe I should’ve just thrown everything out and started new. Minimalism is pretty in right now.“I’m going to take that as a yes.”I give her a half-assed smile, and she rolls her eyes playfully before going to speak with the movers.Thank the Gods she came to help me out. I’d be seriously lost without her.Literally. I can’t even see over some of these boxes.I look around my new place, which is a lot larger than I expected. Even with all the boxes piled up, I can tell I lucked out with the stunning open floor plan and two massive bedrooms. When Parker said he was getting the apartment repainted, I thought he meant because the previous tenants ruined the walls. Nope. He’d gotten the entire apartment painted an extremely sheer pastel pink color. He even went so far as to get a doorbell system installed to give me peace of mind. It seems a little much for an apartment on the fortie
- THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING
I DON’T SAY ANYTHING
I don’t say anything and neither does she.She’s been here for a little over a week and this is the second night I’ve caught her having some sort of a nightmare. My throat thickens as I think about the weeks she spent before coming here when she was holed up in her apartment all alone. How many times did this happen after the incident? How many nights did she cry alone?No wonder she looked a mess when I picked her up. She’d probably given up on sleeping altogether.Panther releases another hiccup, but her body begins to relax under my hand. I feel some of the tension ease from the tight curl she’s been holding as her muscles start to melt.Without giving it too much thought, I lower my body to the mattress. I curve into something like a C shape, molding myselfinto a fence of safety around her. My hand doesn’t leave her once in the process, anchoring her to me.She begins to wriggle, and I spot the tips of her fingers as they emerge from beneath her cocoon. Those pointy nails curve ar
- THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING
BLOODY HELL
“Bloody hell. I forgot how awful you lot are,” he huffs. “No, she just wanted a night back at her own place.”“I can take the couch.” Panther’s soft voice slips through the barrage of noise.“You’re not taking the couch,” I cut back.“But—”“It’s not up for discussion.”“Don’t worry, Panther. Big guy here can survive on the couch; it’s custom made from Norway.” Parker slings an arm around my shoulders, a shit-eating grin slapped on his face.“You better sleep with one eye open.”He rolls his eyes. “Besides, it’s just one night. We can get you set up in your place tomorrow, and he can go back to his cave.”“Tomorrow? It’s ready?”Wait. What?“Yeah, technically. I mean, the paint job was finished up this weekend. Might still smell a little chemically tomorrow but shouldn’t be bad enough that you can’t move in a few days early.”No.No, I was supposed to have another few days with her.She wasn’t…This wasn’t supposed to be her last night.“Ohmigods. Yes! I can’t wait to see it.”“Great.
- THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING
CAUSES
I peel my hand away even though it’s hard and shuffle back to my side of the car. Herson doesn’t say anything else, so I just stare out the window, watching cars and palm trees pass us by in a gray tint.The air in the vehicle is still marked with uncertainty, and I begin to spiral, worried that I totally put my foot in my mouth.It’s only when we pull into the garage under the apartment complex that he speaks again. It’s one word spoken so low that it causes my skin to prickle as it rolls over me.“Thanks.”“Guess who’s back, losers.”I ignore the noise, centering my concentration as I speed up my car using a rainbow pad. Stevie throws a green turtle shell from her car, but it’s easy to dodge. I shoot out a banana peel, but she narrowly avoids it. I’d never admit it, but she’s getting a little too good at this game.“Nice try, but I’m winning this round,” she croons.“We’ll see.”I still have a trick up my sleeve.“Hello? Any of you wankers listening to me?”“No. Stop distracting me,
- THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING
FRANCIS OPENING THE BACK DOOR
I blink up to see Francis opening the back door of the BMW.“I texted him,” Herson explains as he holds my hand and helps me into the car.The door closes before I’m able to get another word out, leaving me staring out the tinted window in confusion. The car dips when he gets in on the other side, and it jiggles me out of my stupor.“What the hell was that?”“Seriously? You’re asking me that?” He crosses his arms.“You’re the one who—wait, oh my Gods, I totally forgot to pay!” I scramble around to grab my phone from my handbag, just to realize I never grabbed it from the salon. My brain feels like someone smashed a dozen eggs and is trying to fry them all at once. “Shit. I left my—”“Purse?”Herson holds the fuzzy white purse out to me, the handle dangling off the end of his pointer finger.“Thanks.” I pluck it from him, uncertainty clouding over me as I look for my phone.“And I already handled the payment. Did you not hear a word I said in there?”I pause in my rummaging, my mind ta
- THE KING OF THE GOLD SYSTEM GAMING
ICE WASHES OVER MY ENTIRE BODY
“Yes, I am.” Panther places a hand on my knee.“No, she’s not.” I try to shake her off.The entire nail salon goes quiet.“Babe,” Panther playfully whines, her brows furrowed in a tease.Her smile wavers when she looks me directly in my eyes. I’m not sure what she sees written there, but it’s enough to bring a spark of concern to her baby blues. Her eyes dart between me and my aunt a few times as her smile slowly deflates. Panther removes her hand from my knee and spins back, returning her attention to Amy.It just makes everything look more weird, which Auntie An quickly picks up on.“I was wondering why none of your dates had been successful when your mother totes what a catch you are,” she crows. “Who’d have guessed you had a little girlfriend you were keeping secret?”“She’s not—”“Actually, that would add up with all your other secrets and lies.”My jaw clenches, grinding from side to side.I am so sick of everyone blaming me.And I am really sick of everyone trying to control my
