Page 81 of Level Up

But it wasn’t. We were all still here. “Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes, yes I am.”

“Thank you, Dad.” I went for another hug. This was the man I knew my dad to be. A compassionate and caring soul, with a few clear faults, but none that he denied or hid.

He was back to being my hero.

Jay nodded enthusiastically. “Then let’s get you a seat. Just go let our stage manager know. Her name’s Maddy. She’s the one over there in the blue shirt.”

“It was great to meet you, Jay. I’d like to invite you over tonight for a dinner. No drama, no police. Just family.”

“I’d love that,” Jay said, my hand back in his. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” he said.

“And, Ry, I’m sorry for the words I said in my office. It’s impossible for you to be a failure. You’re my proudest accomplishment. And I believe you can conquer anything you set your mind to. I’m excited to see you follow your dreams. Excited to see the magic you bring to your video games.”

“Dad, I’m… thank you.”

My dad gave us both another appreciative and loving look before he went to speak with Maddy, who momentarily seemed shocked as all hell that Chris Redpine currently strode toward her. Heads in the gathered crowd start to turn. They were all going to be just as shocked when he took a seat amongst them.

“Well, that shit was wild,” Jay said, letting out a whooshing breath and a laugh.

I shook my head, trying to believe it was all real. “You’re telling me.” I turned to him, still holding his hand. I put my other on his hip. “I’m so glad my dorm flooded and I had to room with you, even if you were a little grumpy at first. Because now I get to do this.” I pulled him close to me and kissed him, dipping him backward. He sighed into the kiss, his arms loosely wrapping around my shoulders.

“I love you so, so, soo much,” Jay said, looking up into my eyes. I could see entire galaxies reflected back. I wanted to visit each and every one of them.

“Come,” I said. “Let’s go get our seats.”

“Let’s,” Jay replied. “And let’s celebrate later.”

“Oh, you already know I’m going to celebrate so fucking hard with you. Until the sun comes up.”

He winked. “That the only thing coming?”

“Not if I have my way, it’s not.”

Jay bit his lip, and I kissed him again, and again, and again.

This was it. A new beginning. As we took our seats in the crowd next to my dad and the queen began her number, the energy in the crowd began to sizzle and spark.

As I looked over to a beaming Jay, I realized that every day forward with him in my life would be the same. It was as if I had leveled up and I could now take on whatever the world threw at me.

So long as I had Jay at my side, I knew it’d all be alright.

Epilogue

JAY

The stage lit up as if the sun had been caged and contained directly above it. The huge LED screens played an impressive reel of various different games that were all up for Game of the Year award. I sat at a round table close to the stage, an empty plate in front of me which had been home to one of the best damn steaks I’d ever eaten. Maddy sat next to me. She leaned into Colt on her other side, his arm thrown around his wife’s shoulders as he took a sip of the champagne.

“Jay, you inhaled that meal,” Ryan’s dad said from across the table.

“And honestly I think I still have room for another.”

Ryan’s mom, Mary, shook her head. “If I had an ounce of your metabolism I think all would be right in this world.”

I laughed and shook my head. “It’s a curse, trust me.”

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