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There wasn’t much to be done at midnight, but sleep held no appeal. Grabbing her laptop from her dresser, Sabrina climbed up onto her bed. The bed that didn’t belong to her, because she didn’t live here, because this wasn’t her real life. Then she opened the computer and logged in to her favorite online forum to hang out with friends who had no idea who she really was.
Chapter 17: Freddy
Freddy watched Sabrina disappear into her bedroom, her phone pressed to her ear. He flopped down onto the couch, running a hand through his hair. The moment they’d shared, so electric, fizzled out like a doused flame.
“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. Of all the times for her mother to call, it had to be now? When they were finally crossing that line?
He scrubbed his face and looked around the house he’d lived in for almost a decade but was just starting to see as a potential home where he could be happy. On the TV, the pause screen ofAssassin’s Creed mocked him, frozen in time just like the first moment Sabrina rubbed against him. But maybe it was for the best. She deserved better than frotting on the living room floor. Freddy wanted to show her how valuable she was.
Glancing at the clock, he was surprised to see it had ticked past midnight. He wasn’t ready to call it a night, especially with his mind still buzzing from the feeling of Sabrina’s skin against his. He picked up the controllers they’d dropped, a small smile tugging at his lips as he imagined spending every night with her, playing games, laughing, and making each other feel good.
As he straightened the cushions on the couch, Freddy wondered if Patrick and Wils were gaming. They usually did on Saturdays now that Holly was managing Patrick’s schedule, and they never quit before two. He exited Sabrina’s character from Assassin’s Creed, expanding his view to full screen.
Freddy hesitated for a moment, his finger hovering over the power button. Part of him wanted to wait for Sabrina, to see if she’d come back out and they could pick up where they left off. But he heard her muffled voice through the bedroom door, still deep in conversation with her mother.
With a sigh, he powered on his headset and connected to the gaming network. Sure enough, Patrick and Wils were logged in to Red Dead Redemption.
“Room for one more?” Freddy asked, joining their party.
“Sure,” Patrick’s voice crackled through the headset. “You okay? You don’t usually join us?”
“I’m fine. Just bored,” Freddy said. “Hey, Wils.”
“Hi. Patrick said he was a jerk to you at family dinner, so it’s good you’re here. Collaborating on a shared passion is effective for rebuilding bonds after someone damages a relationship.”
It was such a Wils thing to say, but Freddy had no idea how to respond.
“Yeah, most people don’t talk about it, though.” Patrick chimed in. “I am sorry, Freddy. Holly, uh, well, she made it clear how bad I fucked up. I won’t be telling that story ever again.”
Freddy chuckled as they all settled into friendly banter and debated which missions to tackle. As they played, he found himself glancing occasionally toward Sabrina’s bedroom door, hoping she might emerge. But as the night wore on and her door remained closed, he lost himself in the game, grateful for the distraction. The familiar twang of country music filled his ears through the headset, punctuated by Patrick’s colorful cursing and Wilson’s dry commentary.
“Damn it, Wils! You were supposed to watch my back!” Patrick’s voice crackled through the headset.
“I was,” Wilson replied calmly. “I watched that guy shoot you right in the back.”
Laughing, Freddy redirected his character to join them and help his brother out.
“Hey guys,” Freddy said, clearing his throat. “Any progress on figuring out who leaked those beta testing results?”
There was a pause, filled only by the sound of gunfire and horse hooves.
“Not much,” Patrick finally answered, his voice tight. “We’re still looking into it, but we haven’t made any real headway.”
Freddy frowned, his fingers moving automatically over the joysticks and buttons. “Really? But isn’t DS demanding answers?”
“Yeah, believe me, I know,” Patrick sighed. “But whoever did this covered their tracks well. We’re working on it, but it’s slow going. It had to be someone in-house, so we can’t just go around questioning and accusing people. We’re talking about our closest friends and family.”
Freddy heard the frustration and hurt in his brother’s voice. None of what he said was new information, but Freddy reallyhadn’t considered what it must be like for Patrick to know that someone he trusted betrayed them all. “That makes sense, and uh, I’m glad you’re in charge. You’re a good CEO.” He felt so stupid saying it, but he got the feeling Patrick needed to hear it.
“Thanks,” Patrick replied. “I appreciate, I mean, it’s nice to hear that. Especially from you.”
Freddy thought about Renner’s behavior on their trip. Now seemed as good a time as any to bring it up. “Hey, there was something odd,” he started, his voice low, “with Renner. On our trip, I mean.”
Patrick’s character came to a sudden stop on the screen. “What about him?”
Freddy took a deep breath. “When we were up in Alaska and with the navy. He was acting weird.”
“Weird is an ambiguous term that can be different things to different people,” Wils’ calm voice came through the headset.
