I swallowed a lump of frustration and it lodged in my throat. “Not pulling any punches, huh?”
“No. I’m done with that. Tell me what happened between you two.”
Nothing complicated, but everything was wrong about it. “I told her she could stop pretending to like me. That the bet was done, she lost, and no one needed to play anymore games.”
Link dragged his hand down his face and let out a silent exhale. “You’re such a fucking idiot. No wonder she won’t talk about you.”
“You’restill talking to her?” The relief and jealousy were bitter together, like mixing the wrong kinds of liquor.Why didn’t you stop her from doing this? The question wouldn’t do me any good—I already knew he would’ve if he could.
“I talk to her every night, and I’d be talking to you too, if you weren’t being so fucking emo.”
I opened my mouth.
“You’re such a jackass.” Link talked over me. “I don’t spend time with you because one of us saved the other or because the sex is good—it is, but that’s not enough. I’m here, always, because I love you. Even though you’re an idiot, and there are days when you don’t deserve it, I love you anyway and I have for a long time.”
The confession stole my breath and my thoughts, and hurt in an entirely new way. I wasn’t sure I liked it, but I also loved it. What was I supposed to say in return? “I don’t—”
“In case there’s any question, you’re currently in thedon’t deserveit box. Just because I love you doesn’t mean I’ll put up with your shit, but when you pull your head out of your ass and stop trying to fight the world, those are the moments when I know you’re worth it.”
I’d fucked up so badly. With Link. With everything. I didn’t see any path out, even if I said it back, nothing would be fixed. “I love you too, but I don’t know how to make any of this right. I don’t think there’s a way.”
The way Link gripped the back of my neck sent a shock through me, and I wrapped my hand around his forearm in response, digging my fingers in. He crushed his mouth to mine. This was power and strength and the rock I’d let go of, that I needed to grab again.
I kissed back hard, searing this moment and this stability into my mind, and pushing away the doubt.
“You know you don’t have to do this alone, right?” Link’s voice was gravel when we broke apart.
“I do now.”
“Idiot.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Sometimes. But never tell anyone I admitted that.” Nothing was resolved, except I felt better than I had in days. “And I know I have to earn my way back in.”
“Not with me.” Link pressed his forehead to mine. “With Fallyn… I can’t say. If that’s what you did? I wouldn’t forgive you. And by the way, I’m not going to stop talking to her. I’d prefer if the two of you got along, but you can’t take her from me anymore than she can push me from you.”
“I think that’s fair.” I had no idea how I was going to make things right with Fallyn. Not after what I’d done. She was facing the same thing I was—losing everything she’d worked for—but I had no idea if she had a recovery plan.
I needed to think hard about how to approach her. How to…
Beg.
I was willing to do that to get her to hear me out.
That was how far I’d fallen.
Until I had those answers though, “Tell me what happened at work this morning. Tell me how we’re putting a stop to these crashes for good.”
“I have such a story for you,” Link said.
My anger was back, far more potent and with a better direction this time, as Link explained his theory that Chris was sabotaging our game. “Plus”—Link pulled out his phone, made a few jabs, and zoomed in on something—“I got Luther to look up Fallyn, to see if she was showing as nearby.” He showed me a map, zoomed in to the address level, and the image was of Loading Java. “Bryce has been over there most of the morning.”
“Is Chris still working?” This was something I could act on. I’d see those assholes burn for this.
Link shook his head. “No. We escorted him out. Had Violet kick Bryce out.”
Good. Just because I had to wait to be told I could have my job back didn’t mean I was going to let someone burn the place to the ground while I was gone.
I looked up to find Link watching me with an expression I couldn’t define.