Page 118 of Trip Me Up

She smiled at me crookedly. “I’ve still got my programming skills. Connections. I’m starting work at Jackson’s company Monday. We had an idea for a…a piece of software.” She faltered and stopped.

I glanced back at the police officers, who continued to advance. I slung an arm around her shoulders and propelled her toward the rental car.

“It’s book-related software.” She spoke quickly, excitedly. “We’d like to partner with some authors and build roleplaying games based on their books. Using artificial intelligence to make the character interactions in the game more realistic. It’s not the same as CASE. We’ll be starting from scratch. That is, if any authors are interested in working with us. With me.”

Gabi had been walking a few steps ahead of us, but she stopped and turned. “I know some writers who’d be interested. If the money’s good.” She cocked her hip and crossed her arms in a power stance.

“Um, you’ll have to talk to Jackson about the money. I’m just the programmer. But I’m sure it’d be fair.”

Gabi raised an eyebrow the way she did when she thought she could increase the size of the pie or whatever negotiating bullshit. “Maybe you need a consultant to help you develop the profit-sharing model.”

One corner of Sam’s mouth lifted into an almost-smile. She unlocked her phone and handed it to Gabi. “Put your details in there, and we’ll call you next week.”

Gabi grinned. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” She typed in her details and handed the phone back. “If it’s okay with you, Niall,” she said, “I’ll call a car. Do a little sightseeing. You’ll take Sam home, right?” She tossed me the keys to the rental.

“Is that okay with you, Sam?” I still had my arm around her, but I almost staggered back when she hit me with the full force of those violet eyes.

“Yeah.”

“Be good, kids. Have a nice night, officers.” Gabi walked to the corner just outside the parking lot, eyes on her phone and fingers flying.

I clicked the locks on the car and opened the passenger door for Sam. The cops watched from twenty feet away as I rounded the hood and got into the driver’s seat. I pushed it all the way back and clipped my seatbelt.

I started the car. “You live around here, right?”

“Not anymore. I moved in with Jackson. Until I can save up enough for my own place.” She looked out the window and rubbed her nose on her sleeve.

“Is Bilbo okay?” My heart froze. If she’d put him in a shelter, we were driving there right then. I’d be the diva dragging a purse pooch around on a book tour if I had to.

“He’s fine. Jackson and Alicia have a cat who’s not too much bigger than him, and they get along okay. I didn’t bring him tonight. I didn’t want him to—in case I got detained again.”

“Sam.” I reached for her hand and held it. She’d risked jail to come see me, to apologize. That had to mean something. Redemption.

A tap came at my window. The cop again. He tilted his head toward the parking lot’s exit. I nodded. As soon as he backed away, I used my left hand awkwardly to put the car in reverse. I wasn’t about to let go of Sam. Not after what she’d sacrificed for me.

Carefully, I steered the car to the exit and made a right turn, not caring if it was the correct direction.

A few blocks away, I pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall. “We’re off campus now, right?”

“Yeah. Real police patrol this area.”

“You aren’t in trouble with the real police, are you?”

“Technically, I just violated a restraining order. So maybe?”

I leaned back in my seat and raised my eyes to the roof. “Why’d you destroy it, Sam?”

“Why?” She frowned. “For lots of reasons. For Qiana and the other people at Happy Troll. For Tamarah Starr and Kate Salazar and every other writer in that room at the prize ceremony. For the readers. For human creativity and art. But mostly for you, Niall. I want to read the end of the story.”

“I want to read it, too.” I didn’t mean only the story of the wood elves. I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles.

“Can you forgive me? You can think about it. You don’t have to tell me today.”

Warmth like molten gold rushed through my veins. “I already did. Thank you for making it right. Not many of those people you did it for will understand everything you gave up. But I do.”

Her lips wobbled. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“I’d like to start over if we can. No lies. Just truth from here on out.”

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