Page 29 of The Spirit Key
“And you became wealthy in the last five years?”
He opened his eyes wide. “Oh, so now who’s a disbeliever?” He sat down and pulled me with him. “Remember when I said I wanted to create worlds instead of playing in someone else’s?”
“Yes.” Of course I did. From the time he got his first computer, that had been all he ever—holy shit. “You wrote a game?”
His grin was enormous. “Ever heard ofKaliope?”
Who hadn’t? It was one of the biggest games out there, second only toWarcraftin number of active subscribers. Reviews of the game called it a masterpiece, building civilizations that would rival any of ancient times. I saw it and had wanted to buy it but couldn’t afford to.
“Sure.”
“After you left, I rarely went out of the house. I threw myself into a world where I was in control. I designed it, then sold the rights to Kreator, Inc, the people who are running the online version. I was smart, though. Instead of selling it outright, I took a smaller amount of money and said I wanted to get royalties from the game. If it bombed, I was screwed, but I had faith in it. And now, for everything they sell in the game, I get money. For lack of a better phrase, I retired when I turned twenty-one.”
“And I’m still a poor, broke schlub who can barely pay for his apartment.”
“Well, if we move to Chicago, we’ll get a nice place. I mean, it won’t be a palace or anything, but we could find one where we’d be able to live comfortably.”
It was all too much. The thought that he’d give up his mother’s house to follow me to Chicago was stunning. But in Chicago, I didn’t see ghosts. I could live a normal life with Tim.
“What’s the look on your face?”
“Hm?”
“You have that faraway look, and I was wondering why.”
“In all the time I was in Chicago, I never saw a ghost. If we lived there, I could be… normal.”
Tim chuckled and gave me a saucy wink. “You’ve never been normal, and you need to accept that. You’ve always been extraordinary. My mom saw it—I saw it. As much as I hate to admit it, maybe leaving helped you to reach a potential you couldn’t have here.”
He believed in me, even when I never believed in myself. He’d always gone the distance to show it, and I accepted it but had to wonder if I’d ever really given him anything back. When I looked at him, the warmth he’d always had was still there, but now, through adult eyes, I could also see the love he had for me. It made my next question easy to ask.
“What if I’m ready to come home?”
He leaned in close and captured my earlobe in his teeth. When I hissed, he drew back and smirked at me. “I happen to have a king-size bed and wouldn’t mind sharing it with someone.” His expression turned serious. “Are you ready to come home?”
I so was, and I told him as much.
REMEMBER WHENI said my boss was a good sort? Yeah, forget that. He was pissed when I said I was leaving with no notice. Even after he heard it was for true love, he didn’t care.
Obviously not aPrincess Bridefan, because they would understand.
After he hung up on me, Tim came over, sat behind me, and wrapped his arms around my chest, comforting me. “Bosses are like diapers. Always on your ass, and generally full of shit. Companies expect that you’re all in for them, but rarely do they return the favor. Don’t let it stress you.” He kissed my cheek. “This weekend we’ll go to Chicago and get your stuff and bring it home with us.”
I pulled away and turned to face him. “What if this doesn’t work out?”
He shook his head, then pulled me down into his lap and frowned at me. “Do you doubt my ability to make you happy? Because even after everything, I know that I will never be satisfied until we’re together.”
Melt.
“No, I don’t doubt you, but what if—”
He slid his big, blunt fingers through my hair and massaged my head. It felt amazing. “There’s always going to be a what-if. What if one of us gets sick like my mom? What if I lose you in an accident like I did with my father? The world offers no promises, no guarantees that we’ll be happy forever. We can only do our best to ensure we’ll love each other for as long as we can.” He bent and kissed my forehead. “Do I make you happy, Scotty?”
“Yes.” I reached up, grabbed him by the hair, and pulled him down to me. “Yes, you do.” A flash of heat zipped through me, and I wanted to preserve the moment forever. I reached for my phone, flipped it to the camera, and held it up. “Selfie!”
The click of the camera came a second before the image appeared on the screen.
“Wow, you look hot.”
