Ididn’t like waking up alone. As I lay in bed Sunday morning, that was the only thought in my head. It had grabbed hold of my mind and my heart and wasn’t going to release either without leaving a mark or two.
Correction—I didn’t like waking up without Elliot or Fallyn.
I’d lived alone for decades and never minded before. Or maybe I’d always minded and I just never let myself think about it. Either way, going back to a different house than Elliot early this morning left me with a gnawing inside that I couldn’t shake.
I wanted to wake up next to Elliot every day. From here until whenever.
The thought hit me hard. What was I supposed to make of that? That kind of commitment and permanence…
I wasn’t dim. People could want to spend the rest of their lives around each other and be good friends, nothing else. But I had that with Elliot and it wasn’t enough. Did I lo—
No. That wasn’t right. Because then where did that leave Fallyn?
Same place as now. In that perfect, let’s-see-where-this-goes space that could lead to so much more.
I needed to tell them both. The moment I thought the words, the impulse nearly overwhelmed me. Whynow? Or maybe a far better question waswhy not before? I didn’t have the answer, but I needed Elliot in my life more than he was now. I wantedmorethan just occasional sex and sleepovers.
And I wasn’t ready to push Fallyn out either. What lay unexplored between us couldn’t stay that way. I was drawn to her, connected by a thread that was stronger than should be possible.
I’d talk to them both today. Probably separately, because as much as it hurt to see, I wasn’t sure if the two of them fit with each other. I wanted them to. I knew it was possible.
But Elliot…
Seeing my resolve through meant getting out of bed and getting ready for the day. Nervous excitement thrummed inside. This was going to be amazing.
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand as I got up and checked for texts or calls from work. Anything else would wait. There was nothing new, so I showered and dressed. The longer the idea rolled in my mind, of telling Elliot I wanted more from our relationship, of asking Fallyn if she was willing to see where things went long term, the more I liked it.
I dialed Elliot, to see if he wanted to grab breakfast or just hang at his place. No answer.
I’d head over anyway, in just a few minutes. As I finished getting ready to leave, I checked my email.
That wasn’t right. There were a handful of alerts based on my name. The notifications were a habit I got into at Rinslet—it was company policy to set them up, but I’d never personally needed to worry about them.
I usually only remembered they existed because Elliot got them when Fallyn posted videos mentioning him, and someone shared them.
These had all three of our names attached to them, but they weren’t about one of her videos. It was pictures of the three of us leaving the hotel two nights ago. Fallyn still had her mask on, and her bulky Cloud costume kept her shape hidden, so it wasn’t clear it was her. But it was obvious that Elliot and I were in the picture.
The suggestion with the few gossip posts was that two AcesPlayed developers were hanging with one of their biggest critics. That there was more going on. That would be a little bit of a conflict of interest, but the photos were tame.
Dustin and Elliot could do damage control in about half an hour. The images were awkward but not damning. The more concerning question was—why did the photos exist and why did someone go out of their way to share them?
Maybe that was why Elliot wasn’t answering and hadn’t called me back. He was already working on this.
My gut didn’t think so. I was worried about my friends. Did I dare think of them as my boyfriend and girlfriend? It didn’t matter, because I already was.
I’d head to Elliot’s, I’d check on him in person, and things would be fine. Things would be better than fine.
When I got to his place, his car was out front, probably exactly where Fallyn parked it yesterday. There was no answer when I knocked, but that wasn’t a big surprise. If he was in his home office working, he may not hear me.
I let myself in—I’d had a key and known the alarm code for years—and was surprised to hear King’s whine nearby. I followed the sound to the living room, and what? There was a tree in the corner. Fully decorated. Lights sparkling off the ornaments.
But that wasn’t what caught and held my attention. Fallyn and Elliot were asleep together on the couch. Fully clothed.She was still in her cosplay and he was in the clothes he wore yesterday, a blanket covering them.
Curiosity and jealousy surged inside me. That must be one hell of a story.
I took King outside, and once we were in again, I got him water and food. When he was situated, it was time to wake up Elliot and Fallyn.
They both looked more surprised to see me than to wake up with each other. Even as consciousness filled them, Elliot didn’t make any moves to get away from Fallyn. He sat up, careful not to jar her. “Time is it?” he asked.