31. PRESENT DAY – March #2
But I don’t love the idea of someone following me all day.
Even if they say nothing and just stand there.
It’s creepy.
Having two bodyguards in the airport would definitely help, so I nod to Lily.
“Have you told Willow?” she asks.
“ No ,” I force out, hoping she doesn’t tell her either. “If she knew, she’d start flying to Philly to see me instead of the other way around.” I lick my dry lips. “Willow gets anxiety when she’s stuck in the middle of crowds. I know she’d brave it out for me, but…”
“You want to brave this out for her,” she realizes.
I nod more firmly. “Yeah.”
Moffy shouts, “I think you’re brave, Uncle Garrison!”
I smile weakly and tell Lily, “Your kid is funny.”
“Or maybe he’s right.”
I exhale the heaviness that’d been on my chest. Yeah, I feel better. “So I can take Garth when I fly to London?”
“Without a doubt, no take-backs. Cross my heart.” She makes an “x” over her heart and adds, “He’s pretty much the family bodyguard, and you’re our family.”
That feels good.
I smile more. “Thanks. I appreciate everything, you know?” Again, she’s helping me. Again, she’s not even hesitating.
I owe so much to Lily Calloway. For her kindness. For seeing something inside me worth a damn. Because the day I walked in this store, asking for a job—it changed my life.
Lily nods again, a nostalgic smile rising.
We return to the comics, hunting through the boxes for Sorin-X, and she asks me why I need all of them.
Here we go. “I guess I have to ask about it anyway, but you have to promise not to tell the tall one. He’s literally throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars at my face. I’m scared shitless he’ll shut the entire thing down and fire me if he finds out.”
My secret project has been on-going for three years. I think he’s out of his fucking mind for even letting me code without evidence of what the hell I’m programming.
For all he knows, I could be pissing time away constructing a unicorn farm on Minecraft.
I’m literally a heartbeat away from purging the big secret when the storage door swings open.
Oh shit.
Loren Hale pockets his keys as he enters. He must’ve just left work at Hale Co. or Halway Comics, and I’m not ready to blow up this project in front of him.
Lily, yeah.
Lo, fucking no.
It’s complicated.
I chug the rest of my energy drink, watching Moffy and Luna hide in the cardboard box to scare their dad. “Shh,” Moffy whispers to Luna and yanks down a flap.
All the while, Lily and Lo embrace.
I do not watch their lip-lock. I’ve seen enough at their house, thank you. When they pull apart, Lo sweeps the storage room and nods to me.
I nod back.
But he’s looking for Moffy and Luna. “Where are our kids?” Panic catches in his edged voice but quickly extinguishes as the box giggles and laughs.
I smile.
Lo is an asshole, though, so he layers on fear and panic and yells, “Moffy?! Luna?! Lily, go call 9-1-1 right n—”
“No!” Moffy shrieks, tearing up. He pops out of the box and bolts to his dad. “I’m right here! I’m right here!” He hugs onto Lo’s legs, and Lo crouches, hugging his son tight. Acting so relieved to find him.
Savage.
Lily whispers to Lo, but I can’t hear, and then Lo assesses Moffy’s well-being. “Are you in one piece? Are you okay? Did the aliens get you?”
“What aliens?”
Lo lets out a choked laugh. “You didn’t hear about the alien invasion last night? What were you— sleeping ?”
“Yeah, I like sleep.”
“No way, me too.”
My smile fades into something else. It’s been nice babysitting Moffy and Luna, but seeing Lo interact with his kids just makes me want to be a father.
I want a baby with Willow.
Can’t believe I’m at a place where that sounds like walking into a bright horizon. Like the end credits to a movie I want to play all over again.
I tune out a bit—in a baby daze—but I’m back at the perfect time. Lily is about to blow up my secret project. I shake my head, trying to get her to shut up.
“We’re trying to separate all the ones with Sorin-X. He said…” she trails off, seeing me finally. “What?”
I stifle a groan.
Moffy runs off to play with Tilly Stayzor action figures from The Fourth Degree universe.
As Lo drills confusion into me, I decide to go with the moment. “I did have something to ask you.”
This isn’t about work. I am worried he might say no, but I’m not that nervous to actually ask him what I’m about to ask. I figure it seems obvious anyway.
And so I say, “Will you be my best man at my wedding?”
His mouth slowly drops, stunned.
“You’ve been more of a brother to me than my brothers,” I say strongly because this is the fucking truth. “I probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you…and you.” I look to Lily.
I’m not sure I tell them enough how much they mean to me.
How grateful I am and will always be.
Lily wipes her gathering tears.
Lo’s amber eyes glass. “Of course I’d be your best man.”
“Thanks,” I say. “Do you think the tall one and the angry one will want to be groomsmen?”
“Connor, without a doubt, and Ryke goes with the flow.” Lo laughs. “Christ, if you put him in the back row, he wouldn’t even care or take it to heart.”
“Okay good.” I expel another long breath, until Loren grabs a comic from the growing stack.
He asks, “What’s all this for?”
“I don’t know,” Lily says. “Garrison was just about to tell…”
I’m shaking my head with widened eyes.
She’s gaping, brows bunched. “Uhhh…”
I bet she sucks at charades.
Lo glances at me. “Is this about your video game?”
My face falls. “What?” What the fuck?
He flashes a half-smile.
I choke out, “How’d you know?” Are there hidden cameras in his house? In my cubicle? What. The. Fuck.
“You’re working for Connor Cobalt, man. The guy probably has fifteen brains and seven pairs of eyes. You might not know what he’s thinking, but he knows what you are.” Lo touches his chest. “And he’s my best friend. He told me you’re working on a game based on a comic book character.”
I sway backwards, disbelieving. Connor Cobalt already knows I’m creating a video game on Sorin-X… “And he didn’t give a shit? I thought he’d pull the plug on the project.”
“He actually likes the idea. So do I.”
I’m in another dimension. “What?”
“ I own the video game rights to The Fourth Degree series.” Halway Comics is the publisher, duh. “And Belinda and Jackson told me they’d rather eat their left arms than see a thousand people turning the game into a money-making soulless franchise.”
Of course I recognize those names. Belinda and Jackson Howell are the young brother-sister duo and artists and writer of The Fourth Degree universe.
My head is spinning, but I gather my thoughts fast. “I have most of the technical shit coded, but I’m at the point where storyline is important.
That’s why I was looking through the comics, but eventually I’d need Belinda and Jackson for the art.
I can only code, and what I’m making is classic, indie.
I think the game style fits what the comic intended to be. ”
“I’ve been mentioning the video game to Belinda and Jackson for a full year,” Lo says, “and they’re interested. I know they’d work with you. I’ll give you their numbers.”
My jaw is on the floor.
Speechless.
In shock.
Lo has known for a full year about the video game because of Connor. He’s already mentioned the project to the most important people. And they’re interested.
My eyes burn, and I think for so long, I didn’t believe I should try to chase after what I loved. When other people are faster and smarter, it felt pointless.
It took work to get here, but I know the first step was always belief.
Belief that I could.
Belief that I should.
And yeah…I’m happy I did.