Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
RONIN
FIFTEEN YEARS OLD
“If you had to choose between only playing video games that you own for the rest of your life, or playing new releases but you’re only allowed to play them one time, what would you pick?”
Mellie’s light hair is strewn around her head where she lays on the blanket next to me, glowing like a halo in the late afternoon sun.
She sets down the book she’s reading and peers up at me.
I’m laying on my side, propped up by my elbow as I idly twist a strand of grass between my fingers.
Her gaze catches on my hand before snapping back to my face.
“First of all, you’re a dork for even asking me that. Secondly, what kind of question is this? Obviously, I’d rather play games I already own.” She picks up her book to resume reading.
“Really? I’d rather play new releases once, I think.
” I trade out the blade of grass to pick a blue flower, then flatten onto my back and spin the flower above me.
“If we went by your choice, you wouldn’t be able to play Dragon Age 2, and that just came out.
No more coming to my house to borrow my games. ”
I turn my head to gawk at her. “Imagine that travesty! No Hawke? No Isabela? No Fenris?” I tease, naming off characters from her favorite game franchise.
Mellie laughs, rolling her eyes. “I think I’d be okay. I’d have Alistair to keep me company for life,” she replies, referring to one of the characters from the first Dragon Age game.
I scoff. “You and your obsession with that guy.” Is it possible to be jealous of a video game character? Annoyance colors my voice anytime she brings him up these days.
Something to reflect on, you weirdo.
We lay together in the quiet field of flowers.
It’s a surprisingly nice day for spring, the rain kept at bay for once and the sprawling blue fields finally blooming after a long, cold winter.
Mellie and I jumped at the chance to get outside after being cooped up indoors for so long, and this is one of our favorite spots to lay around and read or talk.
I steal another glance at Mellie, who’s seemingly immersed herself back into her book. She looks so pretty today, her bronze sweater bringing out the bright amber of her eyes. Eyes I have been drawn into, falling into their golden depths often. “So, what’s this book about?”
Mellie answers without looking away from the pages, “Fallen angels and fated mates. You know, the usual.”
“Ah,” I reply, rolling back onto my side to face her. “With buckets full of angst, I’m sure.”
“Of course,” she says, a tiny smirk making her dimple pop. “Anything to escape this small town hell-scape for a while, right?”
A few moments go by before I break the silence again. “Do you believe in fate, Mel?” I pick up the discarded blue flower just to keep my hands busy.
Mellie sighs, putting down her book and rolling onto her side to face me as well. “Do I believe in fate? How philosophical of you, Ronin. Not your usual vibe.”
I pull a very mature face at her, causing her to giggle. The sound has become my favorite thing to hear, and I find myself doing more and more these days to elicit any laughs from her that I can. “I can be serious sometimes. So, do you?”
“I can’t say that I’ve ever thought about it, really. It’s one of those things that seems magical when it’s written about, but in reality? A bit far-fetched for me.”
“Hmm.”
“Do you? Believe in all that stuff, I mean?”
“I think so.” I spin the flower between my fingers before reaching out, tucking it through Mellie’s hair behind her ear. “I like to believe it was more than just luck that brought you to me.”
Mellie’s cheeks pink and she lets loose a small laugh. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that something made your dad take this job here. What if he’d said no? You never would have moved here, met me, learned how awesome D&D is…” Mellie giggles again and I continue, “I can’t imagine what my life would look like right now if you weren’t in it. That’s all, I guess.”
“You’re turning into a sap, you know that?”
“Nah, I’ve always been a sap. I’m just really good at hiding it from you, Mel.”
Mellie’s gaze bores into mine. “You’re the only person who ever calls me that. Mel.”
“Am I? I didn’t know that.” I definitely knew that. Something in me liked having ownership over that nickname.
“Yeah. I like it.” Mellie’s voice softens. “Something that’s like, just yours. You know?”
Oh, I know.
“Well then in that case, we need something that’s just yours. Only fair, right?” I let a playful smirk cross my lips and Mellie’s face flushes once again.
“Hmm. Everyone already calls you Ro, so I guess not that.” She lays flat on her back and I mimic her, both of us staring up into the sky dotted with white, fluffy clouds.
“It doesn’t have to be a nickname. It can be anything, really. As long as it’s something that you only share with me, and I only share with you.”
“That’s basically everything,” Mellie laughs. “How am I supposed to narrow that down?”
“Well, I guess you don’t have to decide right now,” I concede. We lay next to each other in silence for a few more quiet moments, each of us lost in our own thoughts.
“What do you think you’d be doing right now if you never came to Blue Fields?” I finally ask.
“Probably a lot of the same stuff, like reading and gaming. Just with more people, I guess,” Mel replies with a bitter laugh.
“City life’s a lot busier than Blue Fields life.
It was always noisy, and you’re never truly alone.
I still miss it all the time.” She closes her eyes, her arms laying straight at her sides.
“That was one of the weirdest parts about moving here. It was so quiet. I had trouble sleeping for months.”
“I bet.” I turn my head to watch her as she lays in the fading sun, drinking in the day’s last warm rays.
Our arms are touching, her hands just inches away from mine.
My fingers twitch as I restrain myself from reaching for her.
She’s so fucking beautiful in this moment that I find it hard to breathe.
“I probably wouldn’t be getting my driver’s license this year, either.
You can grab a cab anywhere, so no need to throw a bunch of sixteen year-olds behind the wheel for no reason.
” Mellie groans. “I’m dreading taking my driver’s test this summer.
Up until a few years ago, I didn’t think I’d need one for a long time. ”
“Really? I can’t wait. Not like we need to drive to a lot of places here, but still.
It’ll be nice to have the option, I think.
” I’m still gazing at her, watching as the flaxen light turns her pale skin a rosy gold.
“I can take you anywhere once I have mine. We could go to Callahan for dinner, or the movies, or something.”
Mellie’s lips curve up into a smile. “You asking me out on a date, Ronin Kane?”
My heart drops down through my chest. “What?” I sputter, thrown off by her casual question. “Of course not. Don’t be weird.”
Why am I saying that? That’s exactly what I meant.
“I mean. I don’t know. Would that be weird?” My pulse thunders in my veins.
What am I doing?
Mellie cracks open an eye and peeks at me, catching me staring at her. “Um.” She pauses. “Yeah, that would be weird, right?”
“Totally. Super weird. I don’t know why you even said that.
” I try to force out a laugh, but it comes out sounding choked.
“Pshh. You and me, on a date. Weeeeird.” I drag out the last word and immediately regret it.
I sound like a fucking idiot. I wish I could suck the words back into my mouth, but they hang in the awkward silence settling between us.
“Yeah, super weird,” Mellie replies quietly. She resumes her position with her eyes closed, but she pulls her arms up, her hands resting on her stomach. I look away, but not before I see her reach up and remove the flower from her hair, dropping it on the grass at her side.
The gesture reverberates through me and I know that the moment has passed, and along with it, the first chance I’ve ever had to tell Mellie that I’ve gone and caught feelings for my closest friend.