Chapter Thirty-Four
Irving
Leaning on the edge of the bar, I almost felt relaxed. Maybe it was having Ezra by my side that made the difference, or the way Lilith kept shooting me these nice smiles. But as I took a sip from my soda, I realized I was feeling a lot more comfortable in the Steel Rose than when I had come in to see Nuclear Rot.
“I bet he’s going to flip his lid,” Ezra said, running his fingers along the lip of his bottle. “Brick is going to realize what we did, and he’s totally going to go berserk.”
I shrugged. “It’s my savings account. How mad can he get?”
Ezra raised his eyebrows. “You really think that’s going to make a difference? I still can’t believe that you were willing to part with all that cash, but I’m pretty sure Brick is going to care more about the fact that we contacted Frisk’s people.”
“Like I keep saying,” I objected, “it wasn’t really my money in the first place. At least, it never felt like it was. That cash was just sitting in the bank, same as it had been since my parents gave it to me. I only got depressed when I thought about it. What better way to use their guilt money than to help out a friend in a tight spot?”
Ezra giggled. “From what I understand about your parents, they would really hate Brick.”
“See? It’s the perfect way to get that cash out of my life, as well as a little revenge on the way. Anyway, I’m lucky. I’ll have to hustle a little bit the next few months, but I make enough to cover my apartment and my living expenses. I’m not the best coder in Seattle, like you keep claiming I am, but I’m pretty damn good.”
Ezra chuckled, taking a drink from his beer. The light directly above us kept flickering, casting weird shadows across the bar. “My moms always said they wished they could give me more money to start my life off. I can’t imagine what they would say if they had actually been able to, only to see me give it all away.”
“Knowing your moms, they would have a hell of a lot to say about it,” I joked. “I doubt that they would be mad, though. They seem to support you no matter what it is you get up to. They’d probably just be proud that you were trying to do the right thing.”
Ezra nodded, tapping his fingers along the bar. “I just hope you don’t regret it later or end up with a grudge against me for not stopping you.”
I smiled. “Honestly, I feel pretty relieved. It’s like I finally cut the last tie from them. They might not know it, but I’m out here making my own way in the world and living my life on my own terms. After years of hiding from myself and nearly everyone else, that’s worth a lot more than what I paid Frisk’s goons.”
I turned to Ezra and saw that he was staring at me with that goofy look on his face. It was almost like he was admiring me.
“What?” I said nervously, laughing and turning away. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Ezra made a purring noise. When his had landed on my leg, I turned back.
“Because I love you,” he said.
My eyes shot wide open, and I sucked in my lips. “What?” I managed to say, the word coming out high and strained. There was no way he could have said what I thought he said. There was no way Ezra, the cute guy from the comic book store, could be sitting there telling me that he loved me.
Ezra grinned. “I love you, Irving.”
Before I could say anything else, the door to the bar flew open, and Brick stepped inside. In silhouette against the afternoon light, he looked as tall and imposing as ever. I felt a familiar twitch of desire as he stalked toward us, but it got lost in the dazed confusion that was clouding my brain.
Did Ezra just say that he loved me?
Lilith had gone in the back, and without a bartender, Brick leaned over the counter, rummaging around until he pulled out a beer. He popped off the top and took a swig before slamming it on the bar, then turned in our direction, his face as stern and inscrutable as ever.
“I can’t fucking believe you two. Did you seriously do what I think you did?”
The thunder of his voice cut through the confusion swirling in my brain. “I did,” I managed to say.
“Why the fuck would you do a thing like that?” Brick asked, squinting at me.
“Hey,” Ezra objected, “it was a favor. You should be thanking him.”
Brick’s nostrils flared. He looked like he was about to yell, but after a moment, he tapped his fist against the bar instead. “Thank you,” he finally said. “But don’t think for a second I’m going to let it end here. I’m paying off what I owe you. It’s going to take me a while, but I’ll get you back every penny those assholes took.”
I breathed a sigh of relief to see him relax. “Thanks, Brick. And I’m not worried. Consider it a gift or pay me back if you’d like. That money was from my parents, and I never felt good about having it. They were the kind of people who thought money mattered more than love. I’m glad to have the opportunity to put it to a better use, honestly.”
Brick nodded, thinking carefully about what I said. “My mother didn’t have money to give me, but if she had, I would have the felt the same way you do.”
I reached out, resting my hand on his bicep. His muscles were warm to the touch. “I’m glad you’re not fighting tonight,” I said.
