For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,111

more the "push people away" type. The problem was that she liked the idea of Psyc liking her.

Was it just because she wasn't used to it? For so long, she'd been convinced that being trans meant she wouldn't really have many dating options. Now, she had two available men - and permission to enjoy it. As she sat down at her computer, Rhaven tried to figure out if she actually wanted to, or just wanted to have the ability to. They weren't really the same thing.

So she decided to just play it by ear. After all, how far would scaring away the incels really go? Not much more than an arm over her shoulder. But if he did it again, she was definitely going to lean in a bit. Maybe hug him back.

"You ok?" Knock asked.

Rhaven blew out a breath. "Yeah, I'm good."

"But?" he asked, because that hadn't been very believable.

She quickly logged into the game, then looked over to find him waiting. "I suck at dating. It's not the same, you know?"

"Yeah, kinda do," he agreed. "Meeting my girlfriend was easy. Boy meets girl, boy makes a fool out of himself, then boy asks girl out. Pretty simple stuff. Meeting my boyfriend, though? Yeah, that was very different."

"Exactly!" she breathed. "And I'm always second-guessing everything. Are they being nice, do they get what I'm saying, and what will happen when they figure it out, you know?"

"You're fine," Knock told her. "Riley's been spreading the word like you asked, and that woman can be blunt. She also told our friends that if they have a problem with you, then they have a problem with her." He leaned in and bumped her arm. "No one had a problem."

"That's not the same as wanting to date me."

"Or kiss, or fuck. No, I get it," he promised. "I mean, none of them care that I'm bi, but they don't want to fuck me. They also don't put their arms around me, lean in, or flirt. I think you're fine, Rhaven, but if you need some backup, lemme know."

"Backup?"

He grinned. "Someone to ask the blunt questions. You know, to see if Psyc's just being nice or if he's looking for a little naked time."

"I'm dating Braden," she hissed.

Which was when Riley leaned over the table. "Murder," she said.

"Huh? What?" the man in question asked.

"Psyc's trying to mimic your move at last year's after party," Riley told him. "You know, a little fun with complete understanding."

At the opposite end of the table, Psyc dropped his head on the desk and thumped it twice. "I hate you guys. All of you."

"Hey, I'm the one with the polycule," Knock pointed out. "Pretty sure you're just normally horny."

"Are you really dating all of them?" Psyc asked.

Knock shook his head. "Nope. I'm with Cade and Jeri. She's with us and two other guys. They're my friends, though. I mean, both are straight, so yeah. Not gonna happen."

"And you're not jealous?" Adam asked.

Knock shook his head. "Nope. I mean, I was at first. I had it in my head that Jeri had to choose, and I thought she was going to pick the guy I was into. But then she wouldn't, and I realized that it's kinda cool. No different than Riley being with Logan. My big sis is hot. She's banging the guy in the next room. Shit, I've walked in on them a few times. Doesn't make me hate them or be jealous. I'm happy that they're happy."

"Yeah, but you don't want to date Riley," Adam pointed out.

Knock shrugged. "Did at first. Never mind that she's almost a decade older than me. I could still dream. And yet I was still happy that she was with him."

"It just works," Murder told the table. "Trust me. It's crazy shit, but that group makes it work, and it's pretty much the only thing that makes sense for them."

Which was when the emcee of the tournament stepped up to announce that they were ready to start the next round. This guy's job was to basically explain what was going on to the viewers of the live stream, but he also let the gamers know when it was time to start. Across the table, everyone turned back to their monitors. It didn't take long before they were loading into the next map.

This time, it was a ship at sea. Not some kind of ancient boat, but a massive battle cruiser type of thing. All of the walls were the same blue-grey color.