“Consider that payback for the ill-timed lightning strike you just laid on me, asshole,” Ronin retorts from his spot on the couch next to me.
The race finishes with Ronin barely taking first place, my driver crossing the finish line right behind him. “And theMario Kartking stays king,” Ronin proclaims, pumping a fist in the air.
“Whatever,” I grumble. “You got lucky with that blue shell. That race was mine.”
“And yet, you lost!”
Ronin ducks when I throw a pillow at his head. “Ouch… So violent when you lose, Mel. You should really work on that temper.”
“You’re thewooorst,” I sing at him as I jump from the couch, heading into the kitchen. “Drink?”
“Sure,” he replies, setting his controller down on the coffee table.
After grabbing a couple bottles of water from the fridge, I return to his side, passing one to him. Twisting my own open, I take a huge gulp. Racing always makes me thirsty. I’m way too competitive for my own good.
Settling back against the couch, Ronin leans toward the end table next to him where my notepad sits. He picks it up, scanning the front page. “What’s this?”
“I’ve been working on some new things,” I say, feeling my cheeks heat as I answer. I haven’t told anyone the idea that’s been brewing in my head yet.
“Such as?” Ronin presses. He flips the page, his brow furrowing as he reads. He absently pushes his glasses up where they’ve slipped down his nose. “Wait, is this what I think it is?”
“Well, if you’re thinking it’s possibly a pitch for a television script, then…maybe?” I watch his face for his reaction.
“Like, a TV show?” Ronin’s gaze flicks up to meet mine.
“That’s the idea, at least.” I set my water bottle down on the coffee table and grab the throw blanket next to me, pulling it over my bare legs. “Just something I’ve been thinking about lately. I’m not really doing anything in regards to writing anymore. My degree is just sitting there in a frame, not helping me much from the spot on my wall.”
“So, what—are you thinking about leaving Blue Fields?” Ronin sets the notepad back on the end table and turns to face me.
“I don’t know. Not yet at least. It’s just an idea. Nothing serious.”
That’s not entirely true, but I’m not ready to admit that to Ronin. It’s more than just an idea. It’s becoming my dream the longer it ruminates.
Mellie Baker, screenwriter. It’s better than Mellie Baker, aimlessly wandering through life with no real job prospects.
“I don’t know what to say,” Ronin says quietly. “I thought you’d decided to stay here, Mel.”
“I did! I mean, at least after college. I don’t know, I’m just feeling like…” My hands flutter uselessly in front of me as I try to gather my thoughts. “I’ve got nothing going for me here. Like maybe I’ve finally outgrown the town. I might be ready to see what else is out there for me.”
Ronin is quiet for a moment. His face is blank, unreadable, but I know him well enough to recognize he’s deep in thought. My stomach twists with nerves. I’ve been dreading this moment, not sure how Ronin will react to the idea of me moving away.
“What if you did have something going for you here?” Ronin finally replies, meeting my gaze with a look I can’t decipher.
“I mean, like what?” A bitter chuckle escapes me. “The paper has already told me they can’t afford to take me on. I’ve got nothing, and I’m tired of bouncing from job to job here.”
“You’ve got me.”
The words hang in the space between us. I’m not sure what to do with them. I want to brush them away, pretend they don’t exist. I also want to grab them, hold them inside of my heart for the rest of my life.
“Of course, I know that.” I opt for casual, even though my heart is beating furiously at the way Ronin is looking at me. “But it’s not like I won’t still talk to you or see you if I move somewhere else.”
“No, Mel.” Ronin runs his hands through his hair, frustration painted across his features. “I mean, you’vegot me. You know what I mean. I know you do.”
I laugh nervously, fingers twisting into the fabric of the blanket draped across my lap. “Ronin, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying the same thing I told you years ago, Mel.” He takes a deep, shuddering breath. “There’s no one else for me, and there never will be. You say you don’t have anything going for you here, but that’s because you refuse to see what’s right in front of you.Me.”
Ronin slips off of the couch, kneeling before me. He reaches out, taking my hands in his. “You know how I feelabout you. But if you need a reminder, I’m happy to give you one.” His thumbs stroke my palms. “I love you, Mel.”
