My Virtual Prince Charming: Geeks Gone Wild #2

by Dallen, Maggie

  I stared at him and he winced. “That was not a passive aggressive way of pleading my own case, I swear. It’s just that…from the sounds of it, Luke only wanted to get to know you.”

  “But he should have told me,” I said.

  “Yeah, he should have,” Matt agreed. “But maybe he didn’t know how.” He gave me a rueful grin. “Trust me when I say that finding the words is not always easy, especially when you know that by telling the truth you’d risk losing someone you love.”

  The word love hovered between us and made the oxygen thinner. Love. Was that what this was that I felt for Luke?

  I shook my head to rid myself of the thought. It was way too soon for epic words like that. I wasn’t even sure I liked the guy at this particular moment. “That doesn’t change the fact that for weeks I was pouring my heart out to him, not knowing it was him.”

  Matt looked more serious than I could ever remember seeing him. “Did he take advantage of that? I mean, has Luke spilled any of the secrets you told DataG? Did he use any of the information to manipulate you or hurt you in any way?”

  I’d spent the whole week thinking about my exchanges with DataG, replaying each and every one in my mind to see what I’d missed. Had he tried to tell me in some way? No.

  But had he tried to use it in any way?

  No.

  The worst abuse of power I could come up with was that he’d sided with himself about the ski slope idea for the competition. But since his idea was really good, I couldn’t blame him too harshly for that.

  Oh no, I could feel myself relenting. I didn’t want to relent because if I did, if I let go of this anger…

  I held my breath to ride out the wave of hurt. I might just crumple under the weight of a broken heart. “I don’t know if I can forgive him.”

  Matt seemed to ponder this. “What if not forgiving him means you hurt even more?”

  I stared at my friend for a while as his words hit home. I knew exactly what he meant. Wasn’t that why I’d chosen to forgive Matt? Holding on to my anger would have robbed me of a friend. And I knew that despite his stupid actions he never meant to hurt me.

  I never meant to hurt you.

  Sweet mercy, I’d never get Luke’s voice out of my head. Maybe he’d been right. Maybe he’d meant it. Maybe he really hadn’t meant to hurt me.

  But he had.

  And somehow forgiving him didn’t seem nearly as easy as forgiving my best friend who’d had my back my whole life.

  “You know,” Matt said slowly. “Letting people in has never been your strong suit.”

  I frowned at him and he held his hands up. “I’m not being critical, just honest.”

  I gave a grudging nod. It was no secret that I tended to hide behind silence at school, and I’d never had a great desire to expand my circle of friends beyond Matt, Margo, and some of the kids in my computer science club, who were really more acquaintances than friends.

  “Fine,” I said. “So what’s your point?”

  “My point is that it’s scary to let someone new into your life, and even scarier if they’ve hurt you.”

  I pursed my lips. That seemed pretty obvious.

  “But just because you got hurt doesn’t mean letting new people in isn’t worth the risk.”

  I nodded because what he said made sense. I knew it logically but… “What if he hurts me again?”

  I met Matt’s gaze and the look there was so sympathetic it hurt.

  “I mean, the closer he gets the harder it would be to…to lose him.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Yeah, but if you never let him in at all then you’ll still get hurt. Right?”

  I sighed. “Matt, are you seriously giving me the ’tis better to have loved and lost speech?”

  He grinned. “Maybe I am.”

  I let out a little laugh. “Spoken like a guy who’s never been in love.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe not, but never say never.”

  “Oh man,” I sighed. “You’re just full of the clichés today, aren’t you?”

  He laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

  Matt left a little while later with promises to check in on me over the weekend. He also promised that he’d tell Margo his secret and soon. Just not this weekend because she had plans with Jason and wouldn’t be around.

  I informed him he was a wuss and he agreed, so—we were basically back to normal. Our friendship might not have been perfect but he looked relieved that I’d forgiven him and I knew he meant it when he said he’d do everything in his power to earn back my trust.

  After he left and I was alone in my bedroom, I was no closer to knowing what I was supposed to do about Luke. I thought about what Matt had said, and the things he hadn’t.

  He didn’t have to point out that by not taking advantage of my ignorance, Luke had proved what I’d already known. He wasn’t a bad guy. He wasn’t like Joel or any of the other bullies in our school. Maybe he was even a good guy. Or maybe it wasn’t that black and white. Maybe there was no good or bad, no us versus them.

  I lay down on my bed, my laptop close but out of reach. Staring up at my ceiling I tried to figure out what I would have done if it had been the reverse. What if I’d been the one to discover that DataG was actually Luke Warner?

  What would I have done?

  Minutes passed as I ran through scenario after scenario, discarding each in turn.

  Finally, I had to admit the truth. I had no idea what I would have done. I probably wouldn’t have ended my friendship with my online bestie because that connection was one of my favorite things in the world. But how could I have told Luke when there was every chance he would have laughed in my face, or worse…accused me of knowing that it was him all along.

  Every hypothetical scenario ended with me losing one of my closest friends—either because Luke shut me out or because I cut DataG out of my life to avoid Luke finding out.

  Either way, I was left alone. Without my good friend or my first kiss. My first boyfriend? No, we’d never made it that far. But could we have? If I hadn’t found out that night…would we have?

  My heart raced even though I was lying still. The house was empty with my parents out on a date night and Dale out with his friends, and all I could hear was the loud thud of my heart as something like hope spread throughout my chest.

  I sat up and reached for my computer. Before I could think it through I flipped it open and logged into the game. Sure enough, his moniker was lit up. He was there on the other end. The friend I’d come to count on.

  The boy I’d developed a crush on.

  The guy who’d given me my first kiss.

  I didn’t know what to say. Matt had been right—letting people in had never been easy for me. But this wasn’t just any person, this was my friend.

  First and foremost he was my friend.

  And with my friend I could be honest, right?

  I was confused and I was scared, but there was one thing I knew. I missed my friend.

  I clicked on his name in my message box and started typing.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Luke

  I sat up straight when my computer dinged. My heart leapt into my throat and even though I told myself I was getting excited over nothing—probably an alert that I’d been tagged in a picture or something—I still scrambled off the bed and ran over to the laptop that was open on my desk.

  Prince Z: I miss my friend.

  I stood there staring for so long my palms grew sweaty and my breathing labored. You’d think I’d just run a mile because my heart was pounding like crazy and I had no idea what to say in return.

  She’d reached out.

  She missed me.

  Ah hell. I snatched up the car keys I’d dropped on my nightstand and ran out the door. “Are you going out?” my mom called.

  “Yeah.”

  “Don’t stay out too late.”

  But her voice was already fading in the distance as I ran to the driveway and hopped
in the car. I didn’t know what to say to make this right, but I had to see her.

  I miss my friend might not have been an invitation but it was something. I knocked twice before she opened the door, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of me. “How did you…” She glanced back toward her room. “I just messaged you.”

  “I was fast.” I was still breathing a little heavy thanks to the run to my car and then up to her front door. I rested a hand on her doorframe. “Can I come in?”

  She hesitated but only briefly. With a nod she opened the door wider. Some of the tension inside me eased with that little gesture. I followed her into the living room where we both remained standing, facing one another. I broke the silence. “I miss you too.”

  Her stoic expression faltered a bit. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  I felt a stab of pain at the hurt in her voice, and I took a step closer, aching to reach out to her but not knowing if she’d let me comfort her. “I wanted to—” I stopped and cleared my throat. “Actually, that’s a lie. I just had no idea how to tell you.”

  She didn’t say anything and I took her lack of fury as a good sign.

  I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from fidgeting or reaching out. There were things we had to talk about. Things that had to be said.

  “How did you find out?” she asked.

  Like that, for example. I winced a bit as I braced for her reaction. “Well, you see, here’s the thing…”

  She arched her brows meaningfully at my hedging. “Just spit it out, Luke. How did you find out that I was Prince Z?”

  “I was worried about you on the night of that party,” I started.

  She frowned at the mention of it. “You were there?”

  I cleared my throat. “I saw you chug all that beer, and well…I was worried you’d be sick.”

  “I was.”

  “I know.”

  Her gaze snapped up to meet mine and I saw her brain working. “You came into our house?”

  “Yes.” Man, I totally sounded like a creeper. “But only with the best of intentions, I promise.”

  Was I imagining things or were her lips twitching with amusement. It was there and gone before I could tell for sure. “So…what? You saw me puking?”

  “No. Well, I heard you.”

  Her cheeks flushed and she looked up to the ceiling. “Sexy.”

  A short laugh escaped at her rueful tone. “Yeah, well, I went into your bedroom and heard you being sick, but then I also heard your friend’s voice so I figured you were in good hands…”

  “And?” she prompted.

  “And I should have left. I should have walked straight out the door, but your computer was on and I saw MageLand on the screen and…” Oh crap, just get this over with. “I was curious.”

  She pressed her lips together. “So you spied on me.”

  I let out a long exhale. “Tell me you wouldn’t have taken a closer look if you’d seen MageLand on my computer?”

  After a second she gave me a tiny smile. “I would have,” she admitted. “I totally would have looked.”

  I found myself returning her smile with an idiotic grin. “It kind of feels good to get that out there. I hated keeping things from you.”

  “Then why did you?” she asked. But her voice had lost the sharp edge that it had the last time we’d talked about this, and I saw genuine curiosity in her eyes. Not judgement, just the need to understand.

  I inched closer to her, hoping to see the emotions in her eyes. Needing to be closer in every way.

  “Because I wanted to get to know you,” I said. “As Luke, and in real life.”

  Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink but she didn’t look away. “You never wanted to get to know me before.”

  She said it simply, stating a fact, but I could hear the pain that lay underneath and I hated it. I hated that I’d never seen that there was so much more to her than baggy boy clothes and untamable red curls. I hated that I’d missed out on years of friendship with this girl, and a lifetime of her competitive streak and her offbeat sense of humor. But there was no going back, only forward.

  “I wish I’d seen you sooner,” I said, reaching out and tugging on one of her curls because I needed to touch her in some way. “But I fell for it,” I added with a little smile.

  “Fell for what?”

  “That whole quiet, unassuming act you put on at school.”

  For a second I thought maybe she’d pull away, maybe she’d be offended or something. But after a heartbeat she grinned. “I guess I fell for your act too.” She narrowed her eyes teasingly. “You’re not nearly as stupid as you look, you know.”

  I laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  Her smile widened and the laughter in her eyes made my breath rush out in a whoosh.

  “You’re also not as shallow or obnoxious as you’d led us all to believe,” she added.

  “Okay, okay,” I said with a laugh. “I get your point.”

  She surprised me by closing the distance between us and I wrapped my arms around her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

  “I don’t think you do,” she said, her tone turning serious. “What I’m trying to say is…” She licked her lips and lifted her gaze to meet mine. “While I hate that you kept secrets from me, I guess I’m glad I didn’t know right away. I mean…” She sighed in obvious irritation as she tried to find the words. “I’m not sure I would have given DataG a chance if I’d known he was you. Or, you were him.” She shook her head. “You know what I mean.”

  “I do.” I leaned down and rested my forehead against hers. “And I’m glad I got to know Prince Z and became her friend first. That friendship means everything to me.”

  I pulled back slightly when I saw her eyes fill with tears. “Did I say the wrong thing?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. That’s pretty much perfect.”

  I grinned down at her. “Do you think we can go back to being friends? Online and offline?”

  She returned my smile. “Yeah. We can definitely do that.” She let out a little breathy laugh. “I definitely need my friend back. This week has been a doozy.”

  I tightened my arms around her waist as she twined her arms around my neck. “Oh yeah? You’ll have to tell me all about it.”

  “Okay,” she said, her eyes growing slightly dazed in a way that made my whole body ache with longing.

  “Hey, Suzie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you think we could be friends who kiss?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I think we could manage that.”

  I didn’t wait another second. I leaned down and claimed her lips in a heated kiss that left us both panting for air.

  “You know,” I managed between labored breaths. “If we keep doing that, we might have to level up.”

  She smiled at the use of the gaming term. “How so?”

  I kissed the tip of her nose. “I might just have to start calling you my girlfriend.”

  Her brows shot up but she was still smiling. “I thought Luke Warner was a player. Everyone knows players don’t have girlfriends.”

  “Pssh.” I made scoffing sound. “I thought you knew me better than that.” I leaned down for another kiss. “I’ve just been waiting for the right girl.”

  I snuck another kiss and she smiled against my lips. “Good answer.”

  I lost track of time after that as we kissed and talked, our hushed voices filling the silence of the quiet living room as we shared secrets and filled in the blanks. What we were doing, I supposed, was reconciling DataG and Luke, Suzie and Prince Z.

  And through it all we kissed, we touched, we reassured each other that this was real. At one point she leaned back and smiled up at me, the happiness in her eyes dazzling in its beauty. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she said with a laugh.

  I gave her a cocky grin. “You can’t believe you’re dating the Luke Warner?”

  She laughed as she punched my arm
. “No, you dope, I can’t believe my virtual Prince Charming is actually real. And standing here in my living room.”

  My head fell back as I laughed at the description. “Prince Charming, huh? That’s a first. I think that’s more Jason’s role.”

  “Eh,” she said with a little shrug. “To each her own.”

  “Should I take that to mean that you’re ready to make this thing between us official?” I asked. It was ridiculous how eager I was to hear her answer. I already knew she liked me—a lot—but I couldn’t wait until we could make it real. I was ready for the world to know that I was crazy about Suzie Bryers.

  She nodded. “Let’s do this.”

  “So we’re a couple then,” I said, grinning like an idiot.

  “We’re a couple.” Her smile was just as goofy and I adored it.

  “You know what else we are,” I teased.

  She arched her brows in question.

  “We’re partners,” I said. “Mr. Marsico confirmed it right after you left. We’re heading to the next round.”

  She gasped so loudly it made me laugh, but my laugh was cut short by a groan as she punched my arm again.

  Hard.

  “I can’t believe you waited this long to tell me that,” she said, but she was glowing with happiness so I knew she was already over it. “You should have told me that as soon as you walked in the door,” she said. “That should have been the first words out of your mouth. Suzie, we won the first-round competition.”

  Her terrible impersonation of me made me laugh. “Sorry, sorry. I had more pressing things on my mind. Like you.” I kissed her. “And me.” I kissed her again and this time she sighed, softening against me as she let the kiss linger.

  “Still,” she said with far less heat as the kiss ended. “You should have told me. This is our future we’re talking about, Luke.”

  I gazed down at her. “And here I thought you were my future.”

  She smiled as she went up on tiptoe to kiss me again. “Good answer.”