Chapter Fourteen
“Oh my God, you’re English! Can you, like, sign my boobs?”
I blink down at the girl in a Gods League cosplay.
Honestly, I’m surprised she wants to ruin the outfit with my signature. It’s a really good one. She looks just like the character Lee mains when she plays.
Which is probably why Lee is currently shoving a permanent marker at me while announcing, “He’ll totally sign them.”
“All right, all right,” I laugh back.
I uncap the marker and make some light small talk as I sign her chest. The girl’s friend films us, and I’m careful to keep my eyes on my hand and not the giant pair of tits in my face. Fan service is one of my favorite parts of the tournaments. I love meeting people who watch my videos and my streams. There’s this addictive rush of dopamine when someone recognizes you, and it makes you feel on top of the world. Although sometimes it gets a little weird.
Like now.
At least this isn’t like that time some chick threw her knickers at Aleks.
“Can I get a picture as well?” The girl asks as I finish my signature.
“Sure.”
She glues herself to my side, and I smile despite the mask I’m wearing. After the girl and her friend leave, I pull off my mask for some air. I need to blink a few times to clear the blue hue from my vision.
The Seattle tournament is easily double the size of the Denver one. Lee and I have been stopped no less than a hundred times in the last two hours since our FrozeLine match. Syd’s been keeping an eye on us, but Jackson and Aleks are participating in a charity Gods League match, so she’s been flitting back and forth around the arena.
“Aren’t you going to get in trouble for taking that off?” Lee uses her lollipop to point at my mask.
This girl has an addiction to lollies like no other.
That being said, I would kill for an energy drink right about now. The tournament has been going on for hours, and I had to be here first thing to play my speedrun match. For some reason, they decided to schedule it right at the beginning of the day.
Eleven might not be early for most people, but in our world, it was basically dawn.
“Nah, I’ve worn it for long enough.” I loop my arm with Lee’s and give a nod to her security detail. “Can we head back to our greenroom?” I ask the James Bond-esque man who is the head of her team.
He gives me a nod and helps guide us through the crowd so we don’t get stopped by any more fans. Without Lee’s security team, I doubt she would ever be able to move an inch. For every person who comes up to me, there’s another three fawning over her. It’s part of the reason I recommended them to her in the first place. Nothing is more secure than a Covington-approved security detail.
We get back to our greenroom without incident, and I immediately beeline for the mini fridge, grabbing a cold, blue energy drink and cracking it open.
“How’s it out there?” Deer calls from the couch. She’s lying on her stomach, feet kicking in the air, as she plays a game on her Switch. Her bright pink hair cocoons her face as her matching nails move over the joystick. She’s been holed up in here since her panel this morning.
“It’s really not that bad. The crowd has calmed a lot since everything is winding down for the night.” Lee flops down next to her best friend.
“Mmm,” she hums. “No more creeps?”
“No more creeps. Parker here did a lovely job scaring any of them away.”
I give them a snort as I sink into the chair across from them. “Oh, yes. Haven’t you heard? I am positively terrifying, my dear Deer.”
She looks up at me and smirks. “Do you scare them away by throwing wads of cash at them?”
“Nope. I have no doubt it is my devilish good looks that stuns them into submission. It’s certainly not the five-person security team.”
“One hundred percent.” Lee nods with a serious expression before cracking into a fit of laughter. Deer joins in, and the thread of worry I carry loosens. We might be joking, but there is a kernel of truth to it all. Whenever we come to events with Lee, we try to make sure one of us always has an eye on her. And now that Deer has joined the fray, she’s under our watch, too.
Gamer girls.
It’s all fun until some creep tries to follow them into the bathroom or gets handsy during a meet and greet.
I treat the two of them like my sisters, and I know Aleks and Jackson do the same.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I fish it out, smirking at the caller ID while taking a large sip of my energy drink.
Speaking of sisters.
“Paigey, you all right?”
“Sparky! Just finished up a case and thought I’d give you a buzz. Haven’t heard your voice in a while. You all right?” My second eldest sister greets back, the familiarity of her accent and my childhood nickname warming me. Paige works as a real estate lawyer for the family and is based out of our main London office, but she’s been coming out to the States recently to help with the US expansion.
“I’m at another tournament right now in Seattle. And before you ask, yes, I crushed it. I had the fastest run in my match this morning.”
“Two for two, then?”
“Two for two,” I confirm.
“That’s brilliant!” I hear the smile in her voice. “You know, I had no doubt when Dad told me about the new deal you made with Grandfather.”
“‘Deal’ sounds a lot better than ‘ultimatum.’”
“Oh, come off it. You’re the one who thought you could just be the heir in name only forever,” she tsks.
She would never let that go. And, in hindsight, she is right to do so.
I’d well come to the realization that I’d been skating by and holding on to my inheritance as armor. But it was one thing to decide on my own, rather than being forced to decide, and I really don’t like being told what to do.
“I know, I know. There’s just a lot riding on all of this now.” I lower my voice, eyes flicking to the girls, but they’re cooing over some video on Deer’s phone.
Honestly, I’ve been trying to forget the deal with my grandfather as much as possible. Shoving it into the deep, dark recesses of my brain. I know I’m a great gamer, and I would like to think I’m one of the best when it comes to speedruns. But that was when it was all for fun. Now that there is pressure, it’s beginning to stress me the fuck out.
Coming face-to-face with Philip Covington is like facing the final boss in a video game: you can’t really back down, you just have to full send. There’s no time to pause or back out.
“You’ll be fine, Parker. It’ll work itself out. Trust me. This is what you’re meant to be doing.”
They’re just words, but they comfort me all the same.
Paige and I are only a few years apart, and she was the first one who knew about EnglishCoffee. My sisters have always been my number one advocates though they show it differently. Our mum and dad are supportive, but they were a little hesitant when I moved halfway around the world for a career they didn’t really understand. Five years later, and they now send me screenshots whenever they see my face pop up online and take photos with my billboards.
“Thanks, Paigey.”
The greenroom door busts open with a bang. Aleks comes catapulting into the room, Jackson hot on his heels. They’re hooting and hollering.
“Sounds like I should let you go,” Paige muses. “Say hi to the lads for me, and we’ll talk soon, okay?”
“Okay, love you.”
“Love you.”
“Aw, I love you, too.” Aleks throws his body on top of me just as I hang up, and I let out a groan.
“What about me?” Jackson grins above us. “Don’t you love me?”
“No, mate. Don’t you dare,” I warn him.
He gives me a shrug before falling like a domino. The crushing weight of my two asshole best friends knocks the air out of me.
“Fuckers,” I wheeze. “Get off me.” I’m pinned to the beanbag with no way out. I can barely wiggle my fingers.
“Smile,” Lee croons, pointing her phone at us.
“Adorable, aren’t they?” Deer snickers, joining her.
“Traitors,” I grumble.
The door clicks open, more softly this time, and Sydney power walks in a beat later. She’s out of breath, her cheeks flushed. Just seeing her makes my dick twitch, even more so in her disheveled state. Which is not a good thing with Aleksander literally on top of me.
“You boys,” she huffs, “are so dead.”
“Ooooh, you’re in trouble,” the girls sing.
“What? I didn’t do anything!” I struggle to shout.
“Guilty by association, bro.” Aleks grins.
“Bullshit.”
“Technically, I didn’t do anything either,” Jackson supplies, slipping off us.
“Again, guilty by association.” Aleks waves his hand nonchalantly.
Now that Jackson’s weight is gone, I have enough strength to shove Aleks off me. I make sure to put my elbows into it, and he lets out a groan as he lands on the ground.
“What did they do?” Deer asks.
“This one,” she points a finger at Aleks, “just flipped off all the reporters and went on his merry way.”
That tracked.
“I don’t like interviews,” Aleks growled.
“I hope you like tech isolation then.” Her foot taps against the ground rhythmically, and I grin, noticing that she is wearing the shoes I got her. It makes me want to buy her more stuff. I like seeing her in my things.
“Seriously, Syd?”
“Seriously. Three strikes this month. Effective once we’re back in Cali.”
Aleks groans. “Come on.”
“You dug your own grave, Aleksander.” Sydney shrugs.
Aleks walks over to Syd and throws his arms around her. “Come on, Syd. Just this once, please. Think how sad you’ll make Stevie if you put me in iso.”
My possessiveness rears even though, logically, I know there is no reason for it. I just don’t like the look of any guy too close to Syd.
“Enough.” Sydney pinches the bridge of her nose and shrugs him off; the action is basically a reflex when it comes to us. “Let’s just pack up and head out of here.”
Sydney pads to the corner of the room and begins organizing her stuff. The rest of us follow suit, gathering our assortment of backpacks and duffle bags.
Lee shuffles over and gives Syd’s free hand a squeeze. “You sure you’re feeling okay? You seemed off earlier.”
“Yeah, just a little tired.” She smiles, but I see the exhaustion weighing on her.
I know for a fact she didn’t get any sleep last night because she ran into some issues with one of our sponsorship contracts and had to work with Mathias to get it sorted. I want to go over there and give her a hug, but I know she’ll push me off and get all worried that the others will read into it.
It sucks, but there’s really not much I can do, yet. She’s still warming up to the whole idea of something more between us. I don’t want to push her away before I’ve held her close. I just need to find some way to get a little more time with just us.
“What’s the plan?” Jackson asks. “I’m starving, so I vote food.”
“Fuck yes,” Aleks agrees.
“I’m down!” Deer chimes in. “There was a great pho place I came across.”
“Pho is solid.” I shove my mask into my bag and zip it up before hauling it over my shoulder.
I walk over to Syd and take her bag from her, slinging it onto my other shoulder. She opens her mouth to protest, but I don’t give her a chance, walking away with a wink through the door Jackson is holding open.
“I heard there’s an exclusive after party, too,” Deer adds as we all begin to file out of the greenroom.
“Exclusive?” Lee grins, spinning around and causing her slick black pigtails to whip around her head.
“How fun can a party in Seattle be?” I wrinkle my nose. This city isn’t exactly the first destination I think of when it comes to fun. With all the rain, it’s like a much shittier version of London.
“Maybe.” Aleks stretches his arms over his head, yawning. “I promised Stevie I’d video call her.”
“Don’t want to upset the missus.” Jackson gives Aleks a sympathetic pat on the back before strolling up to Deer and plucking one of her duffels from her hand. The five-foot-nothing Polly Pocket was carrying two bags the size of herself and waddling on her heels.
“Hey. I can carry my own bag,” she protests with a frown.
Jackson ignores her, hiking the pink bag under his arm without a hitch in his stride.
“What? Is no one going to help me?” Lee dramatically pouts up at Aleks.
Aleks gives her a pointed side-eye. “Nope.”
We make our way through the back corridors to where our transport is parked, the security detail following us the entire time. Even though everyone should be heading home, it doesn’t mean some fans aren’t hanging around for an extra glimpse.
Our two Escalades are ready and running when we get outside. The gray sky already has the smell of rain to it, and it further reminds me why I don’t like this city. If I wanted rain, I’d go home.
Deer and Lee—plus her security detail—pile into their car while the boys and I get into ours. I keep the door open for Syd, but she waves us off.
“I’m heading back to the hotel for the night. You guys figure out whatever it is you’re doing, just don’t get into any more trouble, okay? I really don’t want to have to bail anyone out of jail.”
I frown at her. “You can’t go back alone. Just get in the car. We’ll drop the guys off, and I’ll go with you back to the hotel.”
“Dude, you can’t bail.” Aleks leans forward from the backseat to throw his unwanted two cents into the conversation.
“See.” Sydney gestures to Aleks, and it makes me want to strangle him. “I’ll be fine, really. I’m exhausted, and I might be coming down with something. I just want to get back and sleep.”
My frown deepens as I continue to scrutinize her. I hate that she’s brushing me off, but I’m not going to throw a tantrum over it in a Seattle back alley.
Plus, the more I look at her, the more I see the signs of exhaustion stamped onto her body. Sure, the guys and I work a full schedule and don’t really have any set vacation days, but that doesn’t mean we don’t take days off here and there, depending on how we feel. Sydney, however…something tells me that she hadn’t had a real day off in a very long time. Something I was going to have to fix.
“Fine, we’ll catch you back at the hotel.”
I give her hand a secret squeeze as I step into the car.
“I’ll see you guys in the morning. We’re meeting in the lobby at eight for breakfast before the flight.”
“Seriously, Syd? The flight isn’t until midday,” Aleks complains.
“And you boys are a nightmare to corral, so we’re meeting at eight.”
“Okay, okay. We’ll meet you at eight.” I wave off.
She gives me a smile, and I see the hidden message in her eyes, the one meant just for me.
Thank you.
“Bye, boys.” She shuts the Escalade door and takes a step back. My heart already aches at the distance between us, and I watch her out the window as we begin to drive off.
I don’t know what I’m going to have to do, but someday soon, I’m going to convince her to never leave my side.
In the meantime, I have an idea.