BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (48)
  1. Foreword
  2. Preface
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. About the Author
  45. About the Author
  46. Also by S.L Gray
  47. Off the Record
  48. Book 2 in Co-op Corrupted Duet

Hunter grins, throwing me a look. “So, what’s next? You hopping on Haven’s next stream? Making your grand debut?”

I snort, shaking my head. “I’m not exactly a ‘grand debut’ kind of guy.”

Hunter tilts his head. “Nah, but she is.” I feel Haven’s eyes shift to me, but I keep mine locked on the monitor. Because yeah, she is. She’s been doing this for years, comfortable in front of a camera, comfortable in a space that’s public, where people can watch her every move. Me? Not so much.

Hunter must sense the shift in the air because he steps back from my desk, claps a hand against my shoulder, and smirks. “Well, that’s my cue to head out. You two have fun with your little—” he gestures vaguely “—whatever this is.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s a PC setup, dude.”

“Mmmhmm.” He throws Haven a smirk before heading for the door, pausing just long enough to throw me one last knowing look over his shoulder. “Don’t be a dumbass, Carter.”

The door clicks shut behind him, leaving just me and Haven in the quiet. I run a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly, the weight of everything pressing in again.

Haven leans back on her elbows, stretching slightly, her voice light when she speaks. “Well, that was fun.”

I huff a breath, shaking my head. “If you say so.”

And because this night clearly refuses to be normal, Tate’s voice rings out from down the hall, loud enough to shake the fucking walls.

“I SWEAR TO FUCK, CHAT, IF YOU KEEP PAIRING ME WITH HER, I’M ENDING STREAM.”

Haven freezes. I blink. And then, we both break. Haven snorts first, then covers her mouth, her whole body shaking with laughter. I rub a hand over my face, groaning before completely losing it too. What the fuck else is there to do? This is just life now, I just hope nothing changes.

29

Haven

Carter’s nervous. Not just a little nervous, not the kind that comes with waiting in a Discord lobby before a match or sending a risky text, but the kind that has his fingers gripping the edge of his desk like it’s the only thing keeping him from bolting.

I can feel it in the way his shoulders are locked, in the slight tension in his jaw as he stares at his monitor, waiting for the countdown to finish before his first-ever live stream officially starts. He’s been on a hundred streams before. Mine, mostly. Dropping in on my chat, playing games with me, talking just enough to make people wonder who he was before he slipped back into the background.