Chapter 644 Somehow We Just Clicked
Preston lied, though a twinge of guilt gnawed at him. He couldn’t admit that Kyla’s disfigurement had cost her the Jensons‘ favor and left him uncertain. Worse still… his feelings for Tilda had grown even stronger than what he’d once felt for Kyla.
I’m such a selfish, fickle guy. I don’t think there’s anyone else who ends up falling for two women at once like this.
“Preston, you–”
“Enough, Blair. Don’t say another word.”
Blair opened her mouth to argue, but Russell cut her off with a shake of his head. The two exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other. All she could do was sigh heavily. They had missed their chance.
“I understand, Preston. I won’t bring this up again.”
“I’m sorry. Thank you for understanding me.”
“No… it’s you who should forgive us.”
As Russell and Blair walked away, Preston felt his racing heart finally ease. In the end, he’d said it out loud. No matter what Russell and the others might think of him later, Preston knew he could never take Kyla back. It had to be said. Better to rip off the band-aid than drag it out.
Night fell. At the Nightingale Bar, Tilda and Una had returned after a long absence.
Tilda sipped the bar’s newest cocktail, the “Mona Lisa.” She looped her arm through Una’s and grumbled, “Una, look at you–you’re super famous now. I’ve been chasing you forever, and you finally show up? What a good friend you are.”
“Oh, Tilda, don’t get me wrong–I finally figured out the tweaks you gave me and designed my own game. Once I put it online, it caused quite a stir! I’ve been pulling all-nighters, patching 2.0, then 3.0, hehe! Once I get enough followers, I’ll start a game studio, maybe even an esports team. Getting closer to that dream feels incredible!”
Una babbled on, buzzing with excitement, and quickly pulled up the 4.0 version of her mobile game for Tilda. “Try it out, and tell me what needs work. Alfie gave me some really helpful notes. This single-player game is finally shaping up!”
Tilda pretended to glare. “Ha! Una, I was wondering why you suddenly agreed to come out tonight. It’s just so you could get a free tester, isn’t it?”
Una grinned. “Don’t be mean. When I launch the studio, you’ll be an investor–we’ll be founding partners, sisters in business. When the money comes, I won’t forget you.”
Tilda scoffed. “So you want to freeload on my work and my money? Look at you, already acting like a full-blown capitalist.”
“Sob… Tilda, you jerk! How can you say that? I’m gonna cry!”
They laughed as Tilda loaded Una’s 4.0 build and played for a while, then raised an impressed eyebrow. “Not bad–small budget, but the impact and level design are solid. There are gameplay ideas I haven’t seen elsewhere, and they blend well with the Lovecraft-style theme, which makes it more fun. On a five-star scale, I’d give it four right now. That fifth star depends on longer playtesting. But it’s already a polished, entertaining product. Una, when did you get this sharp?”
Una pouted. “I might not be as brainy as you, but I’m not dumb; I was one of the top SAT scorers in Slosa!”
“Mmhmm, sure, you’re the best…. Here’s a round of applause for you!”
“Tilda, who’ve you been hanging out with? Since when do you start roasting me? Hmph … Though credit where it’s due–Alfie helped with a lot of the design ideas.”
Mentioning Alfie made Una flush slightly. Tilda noticed immediately.
“You and Mr. Alfie have been hanging out a lot lately, huh? When did you two get so close?”
“Ah… now that you mention it, I don’t really know. Somehow we just clicked.”
Una’s confusion was genuine. When had her relationship with Alfie gotten so tight? She had wondered before and could never find an answer.