Page 63 of Griffin

“Oh no,” I muttered, hitting the mute button on my mic. I twisted in my chair and shoved him playfully. “Hey! They can see you! Later, all right?”

Griffin grinned, holding his hands up in mock surrender as he stepped back. “My bad,” he said, his voice warm with amusement.

He crossed the room and set the pizza box down on the coffee table, just like he always did after my streams.

I unmuted, shaking my head with a smile. “Sorry about that, everyone. Uh, where was I?”

A quick glance at my notes brought me back. “Oh, right. The next big stream we’ll have together is theShadowfall: Requiempublic beta launch. If you’re excited to try it out, make sure to catch it—we’ll all finally get to play it together!”

The chat lit up with excitement, messages scrolling too fast to read.

I felt some of the lingering tension melt away, replaced by relief. The buzz of game hype was familiar, comforting even.

“That’s it from me for tonight,” I said, waving to the camera. “Thanks again for hanging out, and I’ll see you all next time. Take care, everyone!”

I ended the stream and leaned back in my chair with a heavy sigh. The screen was blank now, butmforever018’s messages lingered in my head like an unwanted echo.

Ice cream shop. Dinner. They were watching me everywhere.

But then I turned and saw Griffin on the couch, casually setting out plates like it was just any other night.

He glanced up, caught my eye, and patted the cushion next to him with an easy grin.

For tonight, I decided, the stalker wasn’t going to rent any space in my head. Not when Griffin was here.

I dropped onto the couch beside him and flipped open the pizza box. The smell hit me like a hug—cheesy, greasy comfort, exactly what I needed.

I grabbed a slice and took a big bite, deliberately focusing on the food instead of the weight of Griffin’s gaze.

He wasn’t saying anything, but I could feel it.

Fine. Two could play that game.

I leaned back against the couch, feigning a nonchalance I definitely didn’t feel, and shoved another bite of pizza into my mouth.

As expected, Griffin broke first.

“So, what was that about taking personal time?”

“Hmm?” I mumbled through a mouthful, biting back a grin as I chewed like I had all the time in the world.

He frowned, unamused, though his patience hadn’t completely cracked yet. Almost.

I shrugged. “It’s exactly what it sounds like. I’m taking a break.”

“Are you... going somewhere?” His voice was careful, like he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer.

I laughed, finally swallowing the bite I’d been milking for all it was worth.

“What do you think?” I smirked, and before he could argue, I swung my legs over his lap, settling comfortably against him.

His arms slid instinctively around my waist, pulling me close, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And just like that, the world felt steady again.

“Well, I just had to be sure, you know?” Griffin said softly, his fingers tracing slow, aimless patterns along my bare thighs.

“And why do you think I asked Todd to help pack a bag of my things?” I teased, leaning back just enough to study his face.

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