“Ryker,” I placed a hand on his arm, making him look at me.
“Reveal myself.” He answered me finally. My eyes went wide. I wasn’t expecting him to do it so soon and quickly. He’d just met with Parker’s lawyers this morning, everything having gone smoothly, but I hadn’t thought he’d come over to tell me this. “It’s quick, but Beckett and I went back to the house today and set up a game plan. We made an announcement online, and we already have a preview set up with people in the waiting room.”
“This is going to be big.”
“It will.” Ryker leaned down and placed a kiss on my lips. “But we’re going to do it together. That’s what I really wanted to talk to you about. You being beside me while I did it.”
“I’d love to.”
Ryker wanted to do this together. A moment that I never thought would happen, but he wanted us to share it.
“Now,” he pointed to the cluster in front of him. “What is that?”
I gave him the basic rundown of a few of the crystals he kept pointing to. We moved on from crystals to magical items, and I gave him the properties of the items I used the most, explaining what they meant and why I would use them.
I’d lost track of time with how long we’d been in the room, but it all felt so right. Us being open and honest in this room, together. Like this was the last piece we needed to seal our fate. He was taking it all in, asking questions, picking items up, and examining them.
He was meant to be here.
A piece of kunzite caught my eye, a crystal that encompassed healing, love, and self-acceptance. I picked it up and placed it on my altar.
It felt complete, and so did I.
Speech written,check.
Announcement for tonight’s stream posted,check.
Breathing through the anxiety,nonexistent.
“You’re ready,” Beckett reassured me for a third time.
I pulled open a game of FreeCell on my computer, trying to clear my mind.
Beckett had been over at the house all morning prepping for today’s stream. We had posted to social media all day yesterday, creating a stir of something major coming today. The short notice had seemed to have everyone pumped, giving their theories. I stopped looking at people’s comments after a few guessed I was doing a face reveal. I didn’t want to know what people thought of that idea, because no matter what, it was happening. There was no changing my mind when it came to today’s live stream.
“I know I am, but it doesn’t mean I’m not nervous. This could all go sideways in a matter of seconds.”
“And it could all go right, too.”
“Look at you.” I waved my hand at Beckett. I came to an impasse in my game and started over. I had limited moves left and not enough to get me to win. “Mister optimistic, finally.”
“You know,” I watched him take a seat on the couch in my office out of the corner of my eye. “As much as it was a shit night, watching Odette break down because of how worried she was about you made me realize just how much she would do to protect you. I think I was worried about that for a while, that you were too invested and that she wouldn’t be.”
I whipped my head to him, forgoing my current game, not caring about the timer.
“You were worried she didn’t care about me? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“We’ve never been through something like this together, Ryker. I didn’t really know how to bring it up without looking like an asshole. It’s why I wanted you to slow down and really think about it when you wanted to tell her who you were.” Beckett leaned back on the couch. “Looking back, you were making all the right decisions, and I’m so glad that it is all working out for you, which is why I know that today is going to go great. Your fans are already excited.”
“They are.” I moved my attention back to my game. Shit, I needed to start a new one. I moved card after card, stacks around, and played through two rounds before Beckett came over and snatched the mouse from me. “Hey!”
“Ryker.”
“What?” I snapped at him. He was looking down at me with the mouse held high over his head.
“You are going to tell people who you are today. Tell them your name, show them your face. You’re going to be you. Just you.”
My shoulders sank. The one thing I’d thought about for so long was well within my grasp. Merely an hour left before it was real.
