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“Not all of it. Not the tattoos or what they hide.”
The ones on my wrists, that covered the scars. And this was the second time she mentioned them. I never should’ve told Kittie anything.
Not that there was much to guess about why I had jagged, pale lines running down the insides of my arms. The traces of when I tried to take my own life, years ago, were exactly what they looked like before I covered them with ink.
“I wouldn’t care if you were the most beautiful creature in existence—which you’re not”—I was being cruel again, and her ghost of a frown said she knew it—“no one gets to hear that story."
Link knew it. He’d been there, and it was never an exaggeration when I said he’d saved my life when we were younger.
But Fallyn would never come close to having the kind of place in my world that he did, and she’d never know the details of my past.
12/
fallyn
Elliot cut the conversation short when he abruptly stood and announced King needed to go out. Link and I both asked if he wanted company, and he insisted he’d be back soon.
“Do I need to move?” I asked Link as Elliot stepped out the back door.
Link loosely interlocked his fingers around my waist. “Not unless you want to.”
I really didn’t.
It was rapidly becoming clear to me that when it came to this stupid bet with Elliot, I could either focus on my winning or his losing, but I couldn’t have both.
And really, why was I focusing so much energy on Elliot anyway? Yes, I wanted to be more like my online persona, the world thought she—I—and he had an eternal feud, and when Bryce had me backed into a corner earlier today, I’d been praying to the gods that I could summon her.Beher.
On the other hand, she wasn’t actually always bitchy, she was just direct. If I looked like Elliot, people would think Online Fallyn was alpha and hot, instead of bitchy and cold.
He also wasn’t the warm, safe, teddy bear of a man who’d come to my rescue earlier, who was at least as kind in person ashe had been online, and who was letting me sit in his lap. Just because.
Basically, why was I wasting any time on Elliot, when I could be trying to figure out who I was, and seeing if Link and I could have something? Or at least, enjoying his company while I was here.
And maybe I should stop pushing Elliot to talk about his haunted past. Speaking of, he’d returned, face flushed and neutral expression in place. King barked a few times, ran around in a circle, and laid down by Elliot’s feet.
Too. Adorable. Not that it convinced me the bastard had a heart. Or maybe just a teensy one.
“What game did you start on?” Link’s question made no sense to me.
“What?”
His chuckle was soft, but shook me in the best way. “You said you started in QA. Who with? What was the first game you tested?”
Oh. That. The topic that brought us down this awkward road of conversation to begin with. “I don’t think I’m legally allowed to say their name. I’m pretty sure their parent company has ears everywhere.”
“Wait. Ears?” Link’s shock was audible. “You mean…no.”
Elliot looks just as surprised. “You worked forthem?”
Thembeing the gaming arm of the company who made some of the best-known sci-fi movies in the world. That franchise that spanned more than three trilogies across three generations. “I worked forthem.”
“You lucky…” Elliot trailed off with a sigh and a shake of his head.
“Dream job right there,” Link said. “I would’ve given my right arm to work for them back in the day.”
While I understood their awe to a point—a very limited point—I also didn’t. “Hello? You’re Cord babies. OG Rinslet Crew? You can’t possibly tell me you would’ve traded what you have now, for a jobthere.”
Elliot clucked. “Not now. Not even close. But back then? Without hesitation.”
