Page 60 of Fake Dating The Dragon

As she made her way toward the helipad, where there always seemed to be a limo ready and waiting to take off, Beau appeared from a room off the main hallway with an excited grin on his handsome young face.

“Hey Min!”

“Oh Beau, hi.” She smiled at the eager look on his face.

“Have you got a moment?” he asked. He looked a lot less grungy today. He was bright-eyed and excited, and he was wearing jeans and a white tee instead of his usual black leather.

“Sure.” She guessed she had all day, in fact.

“C’min here. I want to show you the program prototype.” When they entered, Min was presented with a row of screens. Beau sat down in front of one and started tapping at the keyboard. “I’ve just got it back from Tom who’s putting it all together. And I’ve gotta show someone or I’ll self-combust. I’m so fucking excited. Here. Sit down.”

He pulled up a webpage. A huge, fire-breathing, red-eyed ancient dragon coiled across the screen, with the title emblazoned across it:

Dragon’s Lair.

Enter if you dare.

“Just let me take you through the intro.” A screenful of characters came up on the screen.

“Oh Beau, these are incredible, I recognize them from your sketchbook, but they’re more detailed now.”

“I know, I’ve been working like fucking crazy to get them finished.”

“Dare I ask if you’ve been to college this week?”

“Nope. But don’t tell Ethan, he’ll go apeshit at me.”

She didn’t even know if she was talking to Ethan after last night, so there was no risk that she’d tell him anything.

“Once the game is live, I’ll tell him, I just need to prove this is going to work first. When he sees I can make a success of what I love, what I’m good at, then—yeah, I’m hoping he’ll get off my back.”

“When does it go live?”

“In two weeks. Fuck, Min!” His eyes goggled at her. “It’s freakin’ scary that this is actually happening. Can you at least keep Ethan busy? If he gets suspicious now it could hold up our plans.”

“Okay—I… I’ll try.”

“You’re amazing.” He gave her a big hug. “It’s so good having you here Min. I finally feel like there’s someone in this house who’s got my back.”

“Your mom always has.”

Beau guffawed. “Mom just spoils me rotten. Buys me tasteless gear to wear, tacky sneakers with bling all over them. I’m still a dragonling in her eyes. I think she thinks I hatched out of the fucking egg yesterday.”

“Oh Beau.” Min smothered a smile; that had kind of been her observation too.

“You’ve barely been living here and it’s like you just get us, you know? Mom loves you, Ethan loves you…” He smirked. “And I don’t think you’re so bad either.”

“Stop flattering me.” Min turned to leave.

“It’s true, you should be an honorary dragon, Min.” He looked at her out of suddenly worried wide eyes as she stood in the doorway. “Just don’t split with my brother, will you? Don’t leave us. We need you, Min, you make everything better.”

She froze with her hand on the doorknob, squeezed it until her knuckles hurt.

“I won’t leave, Beau.”

How on earth was she going to keep that promise?

She’d just got to the helipad when she heard a familiar voice calling out behind her.

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