WICKED GAMES | COMPLETE

THIRTY TWO

Miles

Miles rolled over his sheets, smacking the pillow with his hand. It flew across the bed before sliding lazily onto the floor.

He groaned, ruffling his dishevelled mop. He had no idea what time it was. His blinds had been shut for days, his phone dead for hours. He refused to look at any face or screen, knowing they'd only scream at him with either questions or curses.

When he finally couldn't stand his parched throat, he hauled himself out of the door and shuffled to the kitchen.

He heard a rustle in the living room.

"Liam?" He called, pulling a beer from the fridge. He walked out and saw his friend and Paige, sitting wide apart on the grey couch.

"Hello, Paige. Didn't know you were dropping by."

She gaped at Miles' shagged face before grinning sheepishly. "Hi, Mr Mason. Liam, uh, called me over. He said he had something important to tell us."

"Call me Miles. You're sitting on my couch," he remarked gruffly and settled into the armchair beside them. He looked at Liam. "What important thing?"

Liam cleared his throat and stood up, pacing before them. "Alright. You know how you went in front of all our fans and the press, and told them you were shutting Mad Labs down without even telling us first? Do you remember that?"

Miles stared blankly, waiting for his point.

"And you know how you're telling Carly now that we never came up with any ideas for the sequel so she can't pass any info on to Golden Vault? You remember all that, Miles?"

"Fuck, mate, what's your point?"

"Well," Liam paused and halted his steps. "What if we continue working in secret?"

Miles and Paige snapped their heads up at Liam at the outrageous suggestion.

"Think about it. Carly and Golden Vault think you're off the game. Hell, the whole world thinks we're out. We can keep working without ever telling a damn soul, and just as those jerkfaces let down their guard, we slam dunk with a sick sequel that blows their panties right off!"

Miles leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know, man. They've got eyes on our studio. And how do we explain this to Wayne and the investors?"

"How do you explain shutting down our whole fucking gig?" Liam stepped closer to Miles. "We'll work in secret. The suits don't have to know - not until we complete the game, and by then, they'll be dropping their pennies when they see what we've got."

Miles took a deep exhale. It was a big ask. He'd have to convince the investors and speed up his ploy with Carly – and one of those things was way more challenging than the other. But if they managed to get the game out – and it would actually be quite easy once he got the original codes – this would be a monumental win for Mad Labs.

He looked up at Liam. "Fine."

Liam punched his fist in the air and turned to Paige. "Would you be willing to work for us in secret?"

"We won't pay you until the game is successfully launched," Miles interjected.

"What? You want her to work for free?"

"No, we'll pay her when the game is out. Sorry, Paige, but I need a guarantee that you won't leak anything before it's done."

Paige nodded in understanding. "I get it. Working under the covers away from prying eyes? That's my schtick. I'm in."

╳◯

The moon was bright in the night sky and the coffee table was littered with beer bottles. Excited about the new plan, Liam had brought out their entire stash for a celebratory drink.

Now, Paige was passed out on the couch while Liam and Miles nursed their last bottles at the dining table.

"You know what the problem with you is, Miles?" Liam drawled, his voice laced with booze. "You over-com-compart-compartmentalise."

Miles frowned. "It makes me efficient."

"No no, you do it too much. You decided you didn't want to deal with Cuntly at all, so you packed that whole shitcake up in a box and shut Mad Labs down. Good thing I came up with that brilliant plan to save our asses."

Miles offered him a wry smile.

"And then there's that chick. At GamersUnite. You've been a wreck since you got back, but you refuse to see the real reason why. Instead you locked your feelings up and cast it so far away that you can't even remember where you put the key."

"Alcohol really brings out the sage in you," Miles quipped, but inside, he played with the idea that Liam might be right. Maybe he was so eager to move on from Andie that he totally failed to consider he was still hung up on her.

But even if that was true, so what? It wasn't like Miles could just waltz up to her room like he did before. GamersUnite was over, and they had returned to their own lives.

╳◯

"Hey Lab Rat! What can I do you for?" The sickeningly sweet voice chimed as Carly slid into the seat opposite Miles.

He poked at his food, suddenly losing his appetite. "Carly."

"Why're you looking so down? Need a little perk-me-up?"

Miles felt her foot travel up his leg under the table and he quickly shifted away. He'd hoped that meeting in a public space like this Korean restaurant would discourage her from acting out, but evidently, he had underestimated her.

"So, do you have something for me?" She cooed. "A little sneak preview, perhaps?"

"I told you, we haven't got anything. That's why I shut it down."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Carly leaned closer. "The great Miles Mason – this handsome, charming genius – doesn't have any ideas in his big, sexy brain?"

Oh, he had ideas alright. Mostly involving smashing the face of this blonde bitch onto the table right then and there. But he was trying to avoid a lawsuit, not add another one to the list.

"We tried for months, but nothing stuck," he said.

"Hmm, that's not good enough," she crooned. "There must be something you can give me. After all, I'm trying my best to give you what you want."

Miles sighed. He hoped so hard it wouldn't come down to this, but he was being backed into a corner and saw no better solution.

He gingerly reached over the table and grazed her arm.

"How about you tell me what you want, Carly?"

She squealed in delight, attracting stares from the family sitting beside them.

"Oh, Milesy, I knew you'd come around!" She grabbed his hand and inched closer to him. "So I'm gonna be out of town until the weekend... How about we get busy then?"