Chapter 14 #2
“All of our games are from the nineties,” I say. “It was how David and I spent our childhood because neither of our parents could afford video games, so David’s mom gave us all the games from her youth.”
“No video games?” Finn asks, looking like I said David’s mom made us kill puppies for entertainment when we were kids.
“We’ve contemplated upgrading them to newer ones or making up our own categories and answers on scrap pieces of paper, but …” Why bother? “Vintage is fun.”
“Except when it comes to Mono—”
Again, Dolcie covers her husband’s mouth with her hand.
“Agreed though,” I say. “It’s all fun and games, except when it comes to the one that shall not be named.”
“Man, I lived on video games growing up,” Finn says.
“That’s because you had no friends,” Melanie teases.
Finn holds his heart. “Ouch. You don’t have to be so hurtful, throwing around the truth like that.”
“What was that game you were obsessed with? With the keys and all the different worlds and saving that girl? Something about hearts and crowns or—”
“Have no idea what game you’re talking about,” Finn says, his tone slightly panicked.
“Oh, Kingdom Hearts?” Josiah asks. “I loved that game as a kid.”
Kingdom … Hearts?
My gaze flies toward Finn, but he’s looking at Melanie, so I can only see him in profile. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”
That sounds like a lie, but I’m probably reading into it.
Right?
I have to be.
Finn can’t be … him. It would be too much of a coincidence. Even if there are way too many similarities between my online guy and Finn. But … if my suspicions are correct, and he’s known I’m Gunner this whole time, why didn’t he say anything? Why message me and get close to me and—
I shake my thoughts free. I have to. Because the chances of them being the same person …
It’s math I can’t do—which isn’t difficult because I suck at math.
But for him to be a subscriber for over a year, move to my hometown, his sister marrying my best friend …
considering I’ve never been recognized in person by anyone, there’s no way.
I’m reading into this because I want it to be true.
Finn can’t be both my dream man in person and the nice guy distracting me from said dream man … can he?
For the rest of the game of Pictionary, I’m too distracted glancing over at Finn to get my head in the game, and it costs my team.
Finn hasn’t looked back at me once, and he’s shrunken in on himself. Is it because he’s embarrassed over Melanie telling everyone he was obsessed with that video game as a child, or is it because of something more? Like he’s been lying to me for weeks.
“I think that’s the first time in the history of Pictionary that I beat you,” David says to me.
“That’s because you’re usually on my team, dipshit. Then you had to go and get engaged.”
“Hey,” Melanie whines.
“Wait, does this mean … that I’m the talented one here?” David asks. “Am I the king of Pictionary?”
“Sure, buddy. Keep telling yourself that.” I stand. “I’m going to take a piss and get a new drink before the next game starts.”
“There’s more?” Josiah asks.
“The night ain’t over until one of us falls asleep or one of the couples threaten to break up. Our game nights are legendary for drama.”
Josiah stands too. “Guess I better hit the head as well, then.” He smiles toward me. “If you can show me where it is?”
“I’ll show you.” Finn gets up, and they head down the hall together.
“I guess I’ll wait until they’re done,” I say and sit back down next to Dolcie while her husband goes into the kitchen for a refill.
She leans in close to me and says under her breath, “What’s with you and Josiah?”
“Huh? Josiah? Nothing. Melanie was trying to set me up with Finn, but she’s moved on to Josiah now.”
“He keeps … staring at you like you have a history. Or he knows you.”
He does? “What are you talking about?”
Has he been staring at me the whole time I’ve been staring at Finn?
“So you don’t know him …” she states, not asks.
“I’ve never seen him before in my life.”
She taps her chin. “I could’ve sworn he— Ooh, do you think he subscribes to your private porn channel you pretend no one knows about?”
My gut plummets so hard I almost vomit. “My what I pretend no one what?” My voice comes out as a high squeak.
Dolcie touches my arm in a calming manner, soft and supportive. “It’s okay, none of these straighties know, but pretty much everyone else does.”
“What do you mean, everyone else?”
“Throw a dart at any of our other queer friends, chances are they know. You’re really popular. We all figured you knew we knew but were playing it casual because it’s not a big deal.”
She’s right. It’s not a big deal for my queer friends to know. Because I don’t see any of them being judgmental about it.
But at the same time … “Are you saying that our queer friend group have known this whole time and never said anything?”
“Not only that. One time, when we went out to that gay bar in the city, someone asked if you were Gunner. We pretended we didn’t know who they meant.
That was actually a fun game. Plus, we wanted to protect you from creepy stalkers.
Isn’t it rude for people to out their favorite porn stars in their real-life form? ”
I cock my head at her. “You say that like when I’m on camera, I’m in an alien skin.”
“You are. I only ever watched a couple of minutes of one of your videos, and whoever that is on-screen, it’s definitely not Curtis.
You were all needy and whiny and sounded so in love with whoever you were talking to through the camera.
If it weren’t for you using your high school nickname, Gunner, as your stage name, I would’ve sworn you had a long-lost twin out there somewhere. ”
My heart beats erratically because this changes everything.
Like, everything.
Particularly, my thought process behind the coincidences between Finn and KingdomHearts.
Having never been recognized before, I thought the chances of him being one of my few thousand subscribers were exponentially low.
But if what Dolcie is saying is true, and that means not only have I been recognized by my friends but also by strangers in a bar, plus Josiah …
my hunch about Finn makes perfect sense.
Except for one thing.
Why wouldn’t he tell me he knows who I am—in person or online?