chance meeting,
love lasting.
on a seemingly normal night, a famous creator raids a smaller streamer and sets off a chain of events that lead him to his dream girl.
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"Alright, you two know the rules. Check in—"
"At eleven, yep! Bye!" Brook's nails dug into my arm as she dragged me away from the employee door, leaving Rye slightly concerned.
"Brooklin!" a short redhead squeaked, shoving me to the side. "It's been too long, gorgeous!"
"Right? I have to see you more," Brook gushed, cradling the girl in her arms.
I rolled my eyes, folding my arms around myself. "She was at the house last week . . ."
"Did you say something, Nini?" Brook's sweet smile contrasted her friend's fiery glare.
"Nope. Nothing at all," I mumbled, pulling out my phone. While Brook and Lucy chatted at frequencies only dogs could hear, I scrolled through my messages. My chest tightened when none of them were from him.
I wanted to check if he was streaming, but I barely opened Twitch when my phone disappeared from my hands.
"Brook!" I protested, lunging at her while she held it above her head.
"This is a girls' night, not pedos from Orlando night." She slipped my phone in her purse, wrinkling her nose innocently before trudging over to the bar.
Rye had exactly three seconds to hand a man his drink before Brook's purse flew into his arms.
"The hell, Brooklin?" he shouted, brushing off his crumpled button down.
She blew him a kiss, then skipped off with Lucy. Judging by the confidence in their steps, I assumed the other two airheads were close by.
I slipped past a couple to take the last seat at the bar, earning a dirty look from the girl.
But it was nowhere near the look Brook ignored from the guy she almost clubbed with her purse.
"Hey, Lani Bug," Rye sighed when he returned from the back room. "Where did they go?"
I shrugged. "Hopefully far away."
He chuckled. "Not feeling it tonight?"
"Nope." I tugged on the skirt of yet another one of Brook's dresses.
"Will this make you feel better?"
I expected him to be holding a few bottles of alcohol. Instead, my phone, wedged between his fingers, blinked with more notifications.
I swiped it from him with record speed, holding it against my chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"I figured there was a reason she wanted it put away now, not when we got here." He flashed me a smile, eyes glinting in the low light.
I smiled in return, though noticeably less enthusiastic than his. "I still want to go home."
Rye leaned against the bar, arms resting on the smooth wood. "You know what'll happen if you do."
