Chapter 173: The Boy Who Walked Away
Evaline:
Who would have thought?
Of all the things in the world, it wasn’t a grand apology or an emotional heart-to-heart that thawed the lingering frost between us.
It was our game.
Our ridiculous, pixelated town-building game with bunch of fields to grow crops, veggies, and fruits, a bunch of quirky villagers, and an endless list of quests - daily tasks, side missions, and reward chests that popped up every now and then with shiny loot.
That’s what broke the ice.
At first, we were barely speaking, just the occasional word or instruction from Draven while I tapped on my screen and tried not to lose focus.
He stayed on the other couch for the first few quests, helping from a distance. His voice was calm, his tone matter-of-fact, but there was an ease slowly seeping into the air between us, softening everything like a gentle tide rolling over the sand.
Eventually, we decided to take on a group quest, one that required both players to work together in real-time. That’s when he got up and came over, settling beside me on the same couch.
"I can’t guide you from across the room," he said with a small shrug.
I just nodded, pretending like my heart wasn’t starting to beat faster at the thought of him being right there. Close enough for me to feel the heat from his body. Close enough that our knees kept brushing now and then.