Funnel cake did give a huge incentive to go. But then I thought about the crowds of people and noise and promptly changed my mind. Besides, I had a hot date that night with a sword-wielding ex-soldier turned assassin named Ayden. Canceling on him was out of the question.
“Is Ayden a book character?” Jonah asked later that afternoon after I told him about my Saturday night plans. He was wiping down tables while I restocked the desserts.
“Maybe.”
He laughed. “I think it’s cute how you’re such a book-obsessed shut-in, but don’t you want to get out sometimes and live a little?”
“Readingisliving,” I said. “Ayden and I are about to enter the demon lord’s kingdom together. And the other day, we sailed with pirates before overthrowing the captain and commandeering the ship. Tell me where you can find an adventure like that in the real world.”
“You got me there. But your precious Ayden can’t touch you like a real man can. He’s just ink on a page.”
“I already bought all my snacks for a whole night on the couch with my Kindle.”
He picked up a straw wrapper and a few napkins customers had left on a table and tossed it in the trash. “You can eat them after finding a guy to suck your dick.”
“You say that like I have men lined up around the block.”
“Well, maybe youwouldhave a bunch of dudes if you got out of the house long enough to meet them.”
“Why would I leave my house? Everything I love is there.”
“Well, if your plans fall through with your precious Ayden”—Jonah rolled his eyes—“let me know. I can give you my buddy’s number. He’s not a demon-fighting assassin with sexy rippling abs, but you may have some fun with him anyway.” The last was added with a wink.
“Yeah. I’ll think about it,” I said, knowing damn well I wouldn’t.
Jonah smiled, but his eyes told me he knew I was full of shit. It never stopped him from trying though.
Truth was, I wanted a connection with someone real. Fear held me back. I had very little dating experience, and the few guys Ihaddated turned out to be total dicks. I was afraid to put myself out there again. I preferred to stay in my own bubble with nothing but books to keep me company, escaping into other worlds instead of living in the one I was in.
It was easier that way.
As five o’clock rolled around and the baristas working the evening shift clocked in, I wished Jonah luck on his two-dick special for later that night and left. I only lived five minutes from the café, so when the weather was nice, I walked to and from work.
As I walked past a dogwood tree in full bloom, covered in pink flowers, I breathed in a lungful of air… and immediately had a sneezing fit.
I liked spring. But spring didn’t like me.
Once home, I opened the windows in my cramped little apartment to let in fresh air while I debated on dinner. Heaviness pressed down on my chest as I grabbed my phone and saw an email from my favorite pizza place.
“Happy Birthday! Thank you for being a valued customer. Have a one-topping pizza on us.”
How sad that they were the only ones to wish me a happy birthday. Not that I’d told anyone else, not even Jonah. Birthdays had never really been a big thing for me growing up and still weren’t. It was just another day.
After gorging myself on pepperoni pizza—the food of champions—I showered, changed into boxers and a baggy tee, and settled in for a night of uninterrupted reading.
My e-reader had a different plan.
Ayden and I had just reached the demon lord’s kingdom and were fighting our way through a demon horde when my Kindle froze. I tapped the screen, and nothing happened. Cursing—because I had very little patience when it came to technology—I turned the device off, gave it a few seconds, then turned it back on. But tragedy struck. The screen did a little fizzle and went dark.
“No, no, no,” I said after doing everything I could think of to turn it back on. Admitting defeat, I set it on the cushion beside me. “Thanks for all the good times, little buddy.”
After hanging on to dear life for the past four years, my Kindle finally joined its fallen brethren in Bookhalla—like Valhalla but for beloved e-readers that had met their fateful ends.
I ate a handful of gummy bears as I debated what to do. I still had my computer games and my hoard—er, collection of physical books I still hadn’t read, but nothing called to me. I felt too restless. After an hour of moping around aimlessly, unable to decide what I wanted to do, I dragged my feet to the bathroom.
Studying my reflection in the mirror, I crinkled my nose and turned my head from side to side. A mop of dirty-blond hair, green eyes, and a dusting of light freckles on my nose. Average build that leaned more toward thin. I stood at a whopping five foot seven.
“Happy birthday, Evan.” I lightly bumped the glass with my fist. “Here’s to another year of being… me.”
