Gamed (A Standalone Romance Novel) (Bad Boy Romance) by Claire Adams Read Free Book Online Page B

I
would have gone crazy if I could not have told her somehow.
    "Compared to
you, I'm just stumbling around Dark Flag ,"
Quinn said.
    "On great
legs," I said. It took a moment before I could tear my eyes off them.
    "Oh, shut up,
Owen. Tell me where that secret passage is. I'm heading back to the glen."
    I slumped back on
the couch and started the second controller. Within seconds, my avatar was with
her in the glen. "I'll fend off the ogre, you look for the secret passage.
I'm not just giving away secrets for free."
    "Oh my God,
where are all these people coming from?" Quinn asked. Multiple players
appeared on the screen.
    "My clan. I
rallied some of the best players I ran across and we've made a good team,"
I said.
    "Yeah, I read
about you. Nice cover shot," Quinn said. "No pimples, extra weight,
or worm-like pallor. You're changing the face of gaming."
    "Hey, I'm not
taking a compliment if you can't," I said.
    "It sounded
like the journalist was smitten," Quinn nudged me with her elbow. "She
described you as having the shoulders and muscle tone of Captain America and the
skills of an extreme gamer."
    "At least
someone noticed."
    "Looks like a
lot of people have noticed. I've never played with a clan before. So, are you a
professional gamer now?" Quinn asked.
    "I entered a
few tournaments last year and did really well, got a couple of sponsors. Now
that the article came out, I got bigger sponsors. It’s enough to live on,"
I said.
    "That's
amazing, Owen. Congratulations," she said. She paused her player and
kissed my cheek.
    I let the warmth
melt some of the tension in my stomach. It was the first time I had actually
said it out loud. My parents knew I was doing just fine. My roommate knew I
paid all the bills. Still, I had not admitted to anyone but Quinn that I was
now a professional gamer.
    "Did Sienna
know?" Quinn asked.
    "Watch this. When
three or more players join together, you can actually take over the ogre and
control its actions," I said.
    We disappeared
into the game for a while. All the sadness and confusion from upstairs could
not penetrate the world of Dark Flag .
For a moment, Quinn and I felt light, free, and happy.
    Her eyes sparkled
as she soaked up the new moves. In her excitement, Quinn bumped her knee
against my leg. Her little black dress was drifting up her thigh. It was a good
thing the controller needed two hands.
    "Quinn? Are
you down there again?" Mrs. Thomas called.
    "Yes. Sorry,
Mother."
    "Is that Owen
bum with you?"
    Quinn looked at
me. Empathy made her eyes darker. Then her lips quirked up, my conspirator from
our high school days. "No. I haven't seen him. Maybe he's up in Sienna's
room."
    We heard Mrs.
Thomas' footsteps on the stairs. "Well, if he hasn't left and comes
skulking down here, tell him I'm looking for him. I'm going to give him a piece
of my mind. Everyone knows he was never right for our Sienna."
    "Sienna
loves, I mean, loved him," Quinn said. Her voice faded.
    Mrs. Thomas
ignored her daughter and stomped back upstairs. "Sienna loved a challenge.
What a waste. Speaking of waste, stop messing around with that stupid game. You
have a chance to visit with Sienna's friends."
    It was as if Mrs.
Thomas sucked all the air out of the room. Quinn was deflated, and I could tell
her mind was on her sister. I felt the weight settling back on my shoulders. It
took too much strength to lift my arms and restart the game. The other players
disappeared as we stayed offline.
    "I'm so
sorry, Quinn," I said.
    She did not say a
word, just leaned against my shoulder. I slipped my arm around her and pulled
her close. I tried to sweep her hair back to see her face, but she buried it
against my suit. I pressed my cheek against the top of her head and held her.
    Quinn's breath was
ragged, but she did not cry. "She couldn't have meant it. It had to be an
accident."
    "Your mom was
right. Sienna was a shooting star."
    "Sometimes, I
hated her for it," Quinn said. "She was always trying to change me,
make me