and we’d play Mario Kart as a family. We were all so proud of everything she made, but sometimes it felt like she never really wanted to have kids.” He stared at the ruins around us. “Like I was the compromise she would not make twice. I think I only exist because of my dad. He always wanted to have kids, and she fell in love with the wrong person.”
“That’s hard.”
He shook his head. “It wasn’t. I had a good education, everything I’d ever wanted. My dad made my childhood a joy. But … when he died when I was twelve”—he swallowed—“my mom and I were both stuck with a life she didn’t want.”
“How’d he die?”
“He had a stroke.” Ryo bit his lip. “We were playing Ashcraft. Level three by the waterfalls. It took me a couple minutes to realize why his character wouldn’t stop running into a rock.”
I put my head on his shoulder. “Oh my gosh.”
“I haven’t really played much since then.”
“I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t either.”
“And then after, it seemed safer to keep separate from her world. She had this game and I had a security guard named Thomas who looked quite a bit like Sir Tomlinson.”
“Let me guess: he didn’t approve of your friends, but he thought you had potential.”
“It’s like you’ve met him.” He smiled. “So I don’t mind the anonymity of wearing a different face. Honestly I’m not used to being a part of my mom’s world.”
I touched his arm. “That sucks.” He shook his head, but I stopped him. “Look, you have the right to whatever you are feeling. You don’t always have to be agreeable.”
He swallowed. “It’s my job to make my mom happy.”
“No,” I said. “It’s her job to keep you safe.”
He wrapped his gloved fingers around mine. We were both quiet.
“I really like you, Dagney,” he said softly.
His heart thundered so hard, I could feel his pulse racing, even through the gloves.
I took a breath. “I really like you too, Ryo.”
“Dagney.” He sounded so surprised, and so happy. He couldn’t fake that kind of happy. His hands cupped my cheek. “If I kiss you, will you hit me?”
“I have no idea. I might.”
He bent closer. “Thank you for the warning.”
I was smiling when our lips met and smiling when he pulled his lips away. He breathed me in, both of us silent and feeling the aftershock, not of our sparks, but of our honesty. He moved first, bending his neck until his lips reached my hand, and he stole the last bite of my food.
I shoved his shoulder with my arm. His nose crinkled as he chewed with his mouth open, blatantly trying to make me smile.
I didn’t like mirrors, but I liked the way I reflected in his eyes. “This is my favorite level.” I cleared my throat. “But we should go.”
“All right. To the Kneult!” He made a soft accent on the k, then offered his palm.
I wished we could stay here longer.
I took his hand and aimed the boots. The step power meter raised and lowered. The words Obtain the Axes of Creation and Destruction ran across my vision, and the arrow in my mind pointed south.
I reached into my bag and pulled out my map. “Okay. Let’s do some math.”
“Here.” He handed me a pencil. His expression seemed eager. I scowled at him. Why did his expression seem eager? “You can hold it against your lip, if you’d like.”
I whacked his arm with the pencil, my cheeks warming. “This was a mistake, I can already tell.” I turned back to my map.
Okay. If I stepped about 15 percent we should be able to see the mountain peaks, and then I could course correct after pinpointing our location on the map.
I glanced at him and he grinned. Dang it. I’d placed the pencil on my lip.
I grabbed his arm and we took a step.
Traveling dried out my eyes, with the wind rushing forward. I could almost see our surroundings, like we’d fast-forwarded through them, but not clearly enough to pick out images. We stopped. There was that peak. Saint Gial’s Tooth. There was a story there, but I didn’t have time to ask.
I found our exact location and then measured the distance again. I’d say 20 percent. Or should I go 25? Hmm. Best to not overshoot, I think. Give us some time to make a plan as we approach the Kneult.
I stepped forward, but halfway there, we snagged to a stop. The momentum shoved me