Page 113 of Next Level Up
Like actuallyhitsme. I don’t want to do any of this without her. It’s twisted and messy and complicated, but it’s real.
And I think—I think I’d rather deal with all the chaos of this trio than spend one more second without it.
I stretch out my legs, trying to force some blood back into them. The VIP room’s full now, people trickling in after their own matches or nervously waiting on someone they love to play next.
A girl flops down into the chair next to me. Tall, with sharp eyeliner and a bright pink crop top withCLUTCH QUEENacross the chest.
“God, I swear if my girlfriend doesn’t stop tunnel visioning and actually uses a flash, I’m gonna lose my mind,” she groans.
I blink. “Oof. What game?”
“Valorant.” She grins. “She’s cracked but forgets utility exists. What about you? Who’re you here for?”
I glance at the screen, where Haven is locked into her next round. Then to the side monitor, where Tate is slicing through his bracket like the demon he is.
“Uh… both,” I say, a little sheepish. “My girlfriend and—uh, her other boyfriend.”
She freezes and I brace myself.
But instead, she lights up. “Oh myGod, are youthatCarter?”
I blink again. “That Carter?”
“You’re on TikTok! Well, not you-you. But like, she is andNoOneGhost. And there was this whole thing where people were speculating and then she posted that one clip with the voice andeveryone lost their minds—” she starts scrolling on her phone like she’s about to pull out visual evidence.
“There’s this whole thread, right? About how Haven’s mouse pad in the background of her streams matched Ghost’s. And someone spotted your voice in the background of a clip and made a four-minute YouTube video about it.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, and the ‘What if Ghost and Carter arebothin love with her’ theory? That one’s got fanart now.”
I blink. “Fanart?”
“Yeah! It’s kinda spicy.”
I have absolutely no idea what to say to that.
Another person slides up to us, a guy in aStreamerHubhoodie. “Wait, sorry, are you talking about Haven? And Ghost?And—” he points at me “—you?”
I scratch the back of my neck, trying to smile without cringing. “Uh. Yeah. I guess.”
“Dude. That’s insane. You’re like… the golden retriever. The sweet one.”
I laugh under my breath. “That’s a first.”
“Bro, your girl’s a legend. AndGhost?” He whistles. “Guy gives me nightmares. But in a hot way.”
I blink slowly. “Can’t wait to tell him that.”
More people drift over like I’m the eye of some weird fandom storm and before I know it, I’m fielding casual questions about how this whole thing works, how we met, what it’s like sharing someone like Haven. Someone asks if I get jealous and someone else asks if I’ve ever played against my brother. Hah.
I take a deep breath and do my best to keep up, smiling, shrugging, laughing where it fits.
It’s a lot, but it’s also kind of cool. They’re proud of her, they’re cheering for her and that means more to me than I can put into words.
I look back at the screen again. She’s laughing into her mic, eyes bright, completely locked in.
God, I love her.
