So caught up in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed the last two opponents taken out and the group around them disperse. All that was left were Mike and Adam. Even Luther had gotten up and headed somewhere. Lily sat peacefully, letting him braid her hair. He’d done it several times over the last three weeks, so she was used to it. Adam and Mike were just staring, their faces masks of shock and disbelief. He sighed. Why had none of them ever pushed her? They were supposed to care about her, yet they had let this go on. In two months he’d made more progress than either of them had in years.
“Lils?”
“Hmm?” she answered Mike, leaning her head against Nikoli’s knee, thoroughly relaxed. She loved when he braided her hair. Her mom used to do it when she was little, but it never felt like this. Nikoli made each movement feel like a caress, like a gentle touch she felt everywhere, even though he only held her hair.
“You got gems for sale?”
She perked up at the mention of the form of money used for their online social game. Mikey had been hinting for a week or so he might be doing some big spending. He always bought from her because she always had a lot of gems. She bought and sold gems at a discounted rate. It had made her a small fortune in the game and kept her bank account healthy.
“How many you need?” she asked, sitting up a little straighter.
“Five thousand at least, maybe more later in the week.”
“What the hell do you need five thousand gems for?” she asked, trying to calculate how much it would cost.
“Gems?” Nikoli asked, his voice a little sharp.
Lily ignored him and focused on Mike. “Well?”
“I bought Janet a ring,” he confessed sheepishly as he pulled a tiny black velvet box out of his pocket.
Lily squealed and jumped up, ignoring Nikoli’s grunt when he was forced to let her hair go. “Let me see,” she demanded and held out her hand. Mike laughed and put the box in her outstretched palm. Lily opened it and gasped with delight. Inside lay a simple diamond engagement ring. It wasn’t huge, but it was elegant, and so very Janet. She would adore this.
“It’s beautiful, Mikey,” she told him and handed it back to him. “You did good.”
“I hope Jan likes it.” He shoved the box back into his pocket. He sounded so nervous, and Lily couldn’t help but smile.
“She’ll love it,” Adam assured him. “Don’t worry so much, bro. It’s not about the ring anyway.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Adam’s right,” Lily agreed. “She loves you, so she’ll love the ring.”
“I guess.”
Lily and Adam both laughed at Mike’s nervousness. They knew how anxious he could get over things he really cared about.
“Now, why do you need so many gems?” she asked.
“Well, I thought I’d do a surprise wedding for her,” Mike said. “I want to plan it for the day after I propose to her. I thought it would be special for us to get married in-game to celebrate.”
“That is so sweet.” Lily smiled.
“Wait, hold up a sec,” Nikoli interrupted. “You’re talking about VSL? Virtual Social Life?”
“They are.” Adam laughed at Nikoli’s shocked expression.
“You play a sex game?” Nikoli demanded, and Lily cackled like a crone. He sounded outraged.
“It’s a little more than just a sex game,” Lily told him. “It’s an online world.”
“Essentially, Lily Bells, it’s a game to meet and fuck,” Nikoli disagreed.
“Maybe for you,” she said. “I have fun there going to clubs, exploring new places, and hanging out with my friends.”
“Do I know you there?”
“I don’t know,” she teased. “Do you?” Her grin only widened when his eyes narrowed. She was enjoying watching him struggle with this more than she should.
“What’s your username in-world?”
“Uh-uh.” She shook her head. “Not telling.”
“Dushka…”
“I asked you not to call me that.”
“Tell me your name, and I won’t ever call you dushka again.”
“Nope,” Lily said. She watched his expression harden and felt the first flutter of nerves. It wasn’t apprehension, it was more of anticipation nerves, thinking of how he was going to react. She loved the feeling, loved that it could push her fear away and let her just feel. Nikoli was accomplishing what everyone else hadn’t been able to. He was healing her. The thought brought a smile to her face until she saw his black eyes narrow further. Oh, this couldn’t be at all good.