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Now, I should be screwed, right? I mean, without my pending lawsuit, my game should be in the gutter. No one wants to play a game surrounded by controversy and ever-growing propaganda on internet forums, where allegations of who stole the game from who are being thrown left and right... right?
Wrong.
One-hundred-and-ten-thousand-percent wrong.
Cosmic Kitty Defense has been soaring—and I mean soaring—on the mobile app charts to levels that make me want to happy cry, then anxiously sad cry, then vomit into a nearby toilet, only to circle back again.
Truth be told, imposter syndrome is a bitch who regularly flirts with the devils on my shoulder, especially after DreamScape reached out for an indie feature a few days ago—this time, for next year's convention. Determined not to make the same mistake twice, I've never responded to an email faster with an enthusiastic YES!
Though, I keep waiting for the comedown, a dip in sales, but the surge shows no signs of letting up. I've even seen people walking the streets playing my game, or while they're riding the subway seated two rows ahead of me. With my own two eyes, I've seen all this.
Pinching me isn't the right way to wake me from this dream. Frickin' slap me. Dump a bucket of water over my head, the precise temperature of a glacier, because this cannot be my life.
Would Cosmic Kitty Defense have achieved such popularity without the tragic events at DreamScape? Would PixiePlays testing out my game in front of fans have been enough to jumpstart this type of avalanche effect on its own? Maybe. Maybe not. There's no answering that, for certain, but I do know one thing.
Even though I would never, ever, under any circumstances, thank Warren Kingston for anything, I almost feel like I should—in the most smug, backhanded way possible. Not just for concocting a twisted plan that blew up in his face, and for making such a dramatic scene while being dragged out of his company that videos are now plastered across gossip news, but also preemptively for the hefty check he will write me following the verdict of our civil court case. And that's not just speculation, as Lauren has assured me...
Warren is toast.
His image. His dignity. Everything, thanks to the mountains of evidence we have against him: from those in DreamScape's live audience who recognized his trickery, and testimonies from my fans who have been with me since the beginning, to the digital footprints left behind on my laptop from that malicious flash drive. Hopefully, he'll end up behind bars after the criminal case, though Lauren mentioned those tend to drag on longer than civil cases.
So yes, even if I wasn't destined to become my family's first millionaire by ways of the judicial system, I may just achieve the title solely from a cutesy, most-cherished mobile game.
While these past few months may have been unconventional and chaotic, I couldn't be more grateful for the way things turned out. Foremost, for how close I've gotten with Hayden and the unique struggles we overcame together, but it's everything else, too. Helping my mom find her path toward justice, being pushed out of my comfort zone, quitting my awful job, watching my indie developer career flourish...
And getting the keys to my new apartment.
"Your view is amazing," Hayden sighs, for perhaps the fifth time since our arrival. Meandering along the wall of solid glass, his loafers echo in the empty space, and paired with that long overcoat, he looks like he owns the building.
He's not wrong. The view here is infinitely better than the one my last apartment offered—just staring straight into a brick wall, but... "You do realize you live in a penthouse that has an unobstructed view of Central Park, right?"
Passing the concrete column at the corner where the glass walls meet, he hums, somehow contemplating the obvious fact. He swipes a hand through his wavy locks lazily, then sinks it back into his chino pockets, soaking in the view, as do I—though, I'm not talking about the skyline.
"I do, but there's no comparing our views of the Hudson."
I blink...
While both landmarks are highly coveted in New York City and nearly impossible to view from the same apartment, Hayden's penthouse is an exception, because of its staggering height. Certain rooms offer an amazing view of the Hudson. In fact, his studio is one of them.
"You're just blowing smoke up my bum."
He flashes me a grin, pearly-white, playful, the kind that has my knees wobbling, a feeling I pray time never desensitizes. "Now, why on earth would I do such a thing? Look around, baby. You clearly have impeccable taste when it comes to real estate."
I hold up a finger. "You mean, Mei has great taste."
This apartment comes with a lot of perks, namely that my best friend lives next door—literally my next-door neighbor on this exact floor. We're perfectly situated for movie nights, gossip sessions, and catching up on her new job working at a museum as a gallery assistant. Quite the upgrade over bossy Meghan, I must say.
But there are other upgrades, too, aside from the obvious things like having a dishwasher, a washer and dryer set, and a bathroom that's not in the kitchen. The apartment is high enough to drown out the street-level noises, and with two bedrooms, there's ample space for both a bedroom and an office.
As for the apartment building, not only are there amenities like a gym, co-working spaces, and elevators—yes, elevators, plural—capable of accommodating more than two people, it's also ten blocks from Hayden's complex. Which brings us to the most intentional of all the perks...
The opportunity to take things slow.
We talked about it, days after the commotion following the board meeting died down. Our feelings haven't changed—if anything, they've grown stronger—but that's just it. We love each other. That's something that doesn't come around often in life with another person, if ever. Now tag on the little fact I've never been in a relationship before... that's a lot of pressure.
What if Hayden and I—we're it? He's the only one for me, and I'm the one for him? Forever. Then that would mean this is the only romantic relationship I have to explore in this lifetime. So, I want to do it right. No shortcuts. No skipping milestones, ones I can hardly name from lack of experience, which is why we haven't put a label on anything yet.
I want to wonder when he will ask me to be his girlfriend. Will it be on our third real date? The fourth or the fifth? And as the relationship progresses, how will it feel to cross that line and move in together? Not pressured by a contract, but because we love each other and can't stand the minutes apart.
