Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“What are you smiling so much about?” I asked, bumping him with my shoulder.
“It’s from being around you all night.”
“Oh, really?”
“Mhmm,” he said and reached for my hand. We weren’t at Passions anymore. We didn’t have the veil of distance and fog from a janky smoke machine shielding us. I could have slid my hand in my pocket. Ryan might have understood, but I knew that would still hurt him.
And it would hurt me too. So instead of pulling away, I twined my fingers through his and squeezed. We continued our walk with our hands gently swinging between us.
“Have you made any games yet?” I asked him, wanting to learn more about this side of the hunky jock. I knew he loved to play video games, but I hadn’t known how passionate he was about creating them. That was new to me, and it was also really hot. I loved how his face lit up when he talked about it.
“Not really,” he said, shaking his head but still beaming. “I’ve toyed around with some concepts and worked on coding a few simple ones for the phone. But I’m aiming for a big AAA game on one of the main consoles. I want the most reach. I want to make a video game that isn’t just fun but taps into something beyond that.”
“Sounds like a huge goal to hit.”
“It is. And you know, if you’d asked me before tonight if I’d ever hit it, I’d probably have said, ‘Yeah fucking right.’ But now? I believe it. I believe I can even win Game of the Year someday.”
“Well… I believe it too. I believe in you.”
My words floated in the air, like butterflies on silent wings. Ryan looked at me and his smile softened. But not in a bad way. There was a deep well of emotion inside him.
“And if it’s not Game of the Year, it’s an Oscar when you’re cast in some harrowing movie about a row star who rows his boat up the wrong stream.”
Ryan laughed at that. “Sounds like you’ve thought of this.”
“Thought about this? I have an entire script drawn up and ready to go.” I scoffed. “You think you’re getting famous without me? Nah, especially since I made me your co-star.”
“Isn’t that like nepotism or something?”
“No, that’s playing favorites with myself, which I think is allowed.”
“Do we get to kiss?”
“I wrote it. Of course we get to kiss. Also I hope you’re ok with full frontal nudity.”
More laughter rose to the night sky.
“Oh and they’re called shells. Our boats.”
Jay pursed his lips and nodded. “Hmm, ya learn something new every day. I’m gonna have to go back in and make a few edits.”
“Let me help.”
“No,” he said with a wink. “I want the scene with the honey and tapioca in a shell to be a surprise.”
“Honey and… You’re wild.” Ryan leaned in with a laugh and kissed me.
I squeezed his hand, shifting things back to him. “So what changed, huh? About you believing in yourself? What’s broken down your inner-saboteur?” I asked as we stood at a crosswalk. The streets were mostly empty, with a few late-night study sessions going on, judging by the few cars that headed toward the library.
“Talking with you is what changed. I’ve been holding myself back from even considering a future in game design. But being with you, talking with you, it’s opened up my eyes.”
“Really?”
“Really. You have a way with words that somehow makes everything click into place for me.” He smiled at me and squeezed my hand. “No wonder you’re so good at making people listen to your causes.”
I huffed out a breath and shook my head. Ryan had me blushing, even though I didn’t fully believe him. “If I were so great with words, maybe I’d have made a bigger change by now.”
“Are you kidding me? You’ve already made an impact, and you haven’t even graduated college yet.” Ryan stopped on the sidewalk. He grabbed my other hand in his. “I’m so proud of you, and I legit look up to you. My grandma used to say that change always happens most through ripple effects from the first initial splash. You’ve already thrown the pebble into the water; you made the splash. Who knows what kind of changes you put into effect.”
A warmth bloomed in my chest. “And I’m the one that’s good with words?” I asked, moving a little closer to him. “You just fully gave me a philosophical statement. And it made sense, too. Your grandma must have been a really smart woman.”
“One of the smartest. But I will say I’m not all that far behind. I’ve read a book or two.” He shrugged and dusted off some invisible dirt from his shoulder.
I crossed my arms and smirked at him. “How many pictures did they have?”
“None!” He narrowed his eyes, his handsome face cracked into a big smile. “Alright, a few.”