Chapter Thirty-Six
The aftermath of what had happened had died down over the past few weeks.
It was odd to go into my streams now, not having to do my normal setup.
I no longer needed my cover-up, or required to enable my voice changer or set up my blur.
When I logged in now, I simply turned on my lights, grabbed my headphones, and started the live.
I’d felt nervous at first, but as the days continued, I fell into a new groove and gained confidence showing my face on camera, looking more into the lens, and speaking with my own voice.
The first few days, I was a little too quiet, and the moderators had to tell me to talk to people because I kept forgetting or was too worried.
My viewers had been great with my adjustments; many still needed a few days after the announcement to catch up and watch the video I posted.
I was still receiving messages from viewers about the reveal, and there were still a few stragglers in each stream who hadn’t seen anything yet and were a little confused.
Other viewers were quick to let them know what was going on, even before my moderators could get to them.
The biggest change I’d seen from the reveal was the partnerships I was offered and the events I was now being invited to. Since I was out in the open, everyone wanted to work with me. Beckett and I were going through the emails and vetting those that we wanted associated with my brand.
It had become a little overwhelming since I was practically booked out for the next year.
Odette’s calendar looked quite similar. With her posting on social media saying we were together, people reached out to her to do pop-ups for her new book, wanting to schedule time for both of us, and her publisher even wanted me to come on her next book tour.
Our worlds were fully intertwined now.
I’d felt so proud to have pulled her into my video, showing her off to my viewers. But something overcame me when she claimed me back. She wanted to show her followers she was mine, and I was hers.
“Ah, shit.” The clock stared back at me, telling me I was ten minutes over when I should have ended my stream. “I’m going to need to finish this quest quickly and get out of here, everyone.”
The chat was blowing up next to me with viewers sad that I had to go.
“I know, I know.” I looked into the camera. “But it’s for Odette’s birthday party.”
I winked and quickly worked through the last bit of the quest I was currently on. I could see comments backing up their initial sadness with yclls to get out of here and forget the quest. I laughed and happily obliged, saving my current location.
“I get it, I get it!” I held up my hands. “I’ll see you all next time.”
I made sure to sign off and check that the video was rendering. I would worry about anything else for the footage I needed to upload later, but right now, I wanted to change and get over to Odette’s place as soon as possible.
I left my office, quickly changing into dark jeans, a dark green button-up, and a pair of black Vans.
I was putting on my belt when I realized I hadn’t heard from anyone in a while.
My phone was in my office; normally, it was used for streaming on other platforms to give a different angle, but when I grabbed it from my desk, it wouldn’t turn on.
“Shit.” How long had it been off? I hadn’t been paying attention and wasn’t looking at the chat to see if anyone was commenting about another stream going down. My phone was always plugged in when I streamed, and today was no exception.
I followed the attached cable and saw that it was half-hanging out of the port it had been plugged into.
“Double shit.” I ran a hand through my hair and pulled it into a messy bun.
I didn’t have time to worry about it looking good.
I was already late, and I needed to get over to Odette’s.
I had no way of knowing if Beckett knew I had ended my stream late today, since he wasn’t going to be on. He was helping set up the party.
I pocketed my phone. I’d charge it in the car and call on my way over.
My jacket was by the front door. I grabbed it along with my keys and wallet. Anything else I needed was already over at Jemma’s place. I sent Odette’s present over there yesterday in preparation for today. I wanted everything to be perfect and ready, and not forget anything.
“Fuck,” I huffed and made my way out to my car. I wasted no time putting it in reverse and speeding down the road. Left turn, stoplight, stop sign, second light, right turn, open road. I’d been driving for almost ten minutes before I realized I needed to charge my phone.
I was flustered, so I waited until I had a natural stopping point to plug it in.
I mindlessly grabbed the charging cable as I slowed to a stop at a stoplight.
My head snapped down to where the cable should have been, but it wasn’t there.
I looked around quickly, not seeing it on the floor or in the passenger seat.
“What the f—” that was right. I had taken it out a few weeks ago at Odette’s place, since I needed a second charger, and must have forgotten to put it back. “Shit.”
That was becoming my new favorite word.
My fist slammed into the steering wheel as the light turned green. My foot hit the pedal, and I took off again. A race now to get to Odette’s place before people noticed how late I was.
I had no one to call, no way to let them know. And from taking this exact route to Odette’s a million times now, I knew there was no place for me to stop to buy a charger before I got there. It would only take me another fifteen minutes to get there, but there was pressure building in my chest.
I would not let the woman I loved down, and I hated the fact that there was a possibility that she might think I wasn’t going to show up. The clock on my dashboard told me that she should have arrived at the house not even five minutes ago. How had I gotten so behind?
I hit the steering wheel again as I took a sharp right.
That’s right, I’d put my streaming first. I wasn’t paying attention.
“Stop that.” I had to tell myself. I gripped the steering wheel hard.
I was beating myself up for something that I knew Odette would wave her hand and dismiss, but it didn’t negate the fact that I felt like I was failing her.
This was something special to her, something that not just her, but Jemma was trusting me with.
Her birthday was already fragile in its own current state; I didn’t want to bring more negativity to it.
The only silver lining I had was that I wasn’t going to fail her altogether.
I was going to get there.
I was going to show up for her, be at her birthday party that I had planned.
I wasn’t going to let her down.
I couldn’t let her down.