Page 30 of Cross Check Daddies
I watch her walk after them, one hand on her hip, shorts barely legal, dog leash tangled, hair wild from the run through the stairwell. Every inch of her radiates chaos, youth, and heat.She doesn’t fit into any of my plans. She’s too loud. Too sharp. Too damn confident.
And yet.
What an infuriating, sexy woman.
Later that night, I can’t shake the thought of her. Brooke. That damn smile. The way she made me feel like I’d just stepped off a battlefield and onto unfamiliar ground.
I need to clear my head. So, I grab my phone, toss it on the couch beside me, and boot up the game. Call of Duty. It’s simple. Familiar. A few rounds, and I’ll forget about the ridiculous interaction from earlier. Forget about the way she looked when she called me “grumpy Gandalf.”
I log in, my username flashing on the screen.
IceVice—no surprise there. It’s a nod to the icy demeanor I’ve had for years. Nothing’s really changed. I settle into my chair, my fingers already warming to the controls. My mind shifts from thoughts of Brooke to the immediate game in front of me.
Focus. That’s what I need right now.
I’m not even five minutes in when my screen goes dark. A sniper’s bullet whizzes by, barely missing me. I freeze for a second, scanning the terrain, searching for the source of the shot. I move forward cautiously, only for another shot to ring out, this one hitting my health bar hard.
I curse under my breath and look around, trying to locate the sniper. It’s a cat-and-mouse game, one I’m used to.
Then, the message pops up on my screen:“PixelVixen killed you.”
I narrow my eyes.
PixelVixen? No way she is back online.
I quickly check the leaderboard, and sure enough, there she is. Right at the top of the list. My stomach tightens.
I move again, slower this time, more methodical, trying to outsmart whoever this is. But the shots come again—fast and precise. Another death. Another“PixelVixen killed you.”
I’m losing it. I roll my eyes and decide to bite. I won’t let her take me down so easily. I adjust my position, changing up my strategy, only to catch sight of a flash of movement on my left. Another sniper shot. But this time, I’m ready. I pivot and dive to the side, managing to land a return shot.
“PixelVixen killed you.”
Fuck.
The death screen flashes for a second, and I can’t help but laugh out loud.
“Son of a bitch,” I mutter.
The namePixelVixenfeels like an inside joke now, something that’s both frustrating and strangely… appealing. Every time I get killed, her name stares me down. I’m getting annoyed, but there’s something else too—a bit of admiration. She’s good. Damn good. And she’s making me look like a rookie.
I take a deep breath and check the leaderboard again.PixelVixenis still ahead, her score climbing higher while mine remains stagnant. I wonder if she knows it’s me on the other side. If she’s evenpaying attentionto the fact that I’m being completely outplayed by a woman who is apparently a sniper goddess.
Then, a message pops up from her:
“I missed you on these streets.”
I reply, tapping the controller harder than I should.
“You’ve got some skills.”
She responds almost immediately:“Guess I’m full of surprises.”
I snort and shake my head. She has no idea how much she’s getting under my skin. She’s playing me, and I’m letting her. I sit back in my chair, staring at the screen for a moment. I type out another response, my fingers moving quickly.
“What’s the deal with your username? PixelVixen? You trying to show me up?”
“Maybe. Just having some fun with you. You should get used to losing.”
