Dev Dreams, Volume One Read Online Free Page A

said you called in
sick for the whole week.” James's face looked drawn. His cheeks
were more sunken than the last time she saw him.
    “Oh, James, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry
you.”
    “What’s going on?”
    “I, well, it’s just that, um, my mother,” Em
struggled to say, “set me up with this guy a while ago. I never
told you, but now… now. He asked me to marry him.”
    “You have a boyfriend?” His face was
unreadable—flat—he hadn’t moved.
    “I should have told you,” she whispered
miserably.
    “Yeah. Yeah, you should have. You know, this
meant something to me. What was it for you? Just something to pass
the time?”
    “No, no, it wasn’t like that. I didn’t mean
for this to happen.”
    He didn’t answer.
    “I’m sorry. I never wanted it to turn out
this way. You’re the one I love.”
    “That doesn’t do much good, though, does it?
Love is great and all, but it doesn’t fix anything.”
    “How can you be so cynical?”
    “How can I not be?” His voice was hard and
tight. “I live in a nursing home, Em.”
    “Assisted living facility,” Em corrected.
    “Nursing home,” James insisted, “Like my life
is already over because no one has ever been able to love me
enough. My parents abandoned me here. They figure as long as they
help pay the bill, that counts as love. How dare you make me care
about you? This whole thing doesn’t just affect you. You’ve messed
with my life. You should have thought about that. I have feelings
too.”
    Em stayed quiet. He was right. She had been
terribly selfish. She should never
    have let this happen. Wasn’t love something
you couldn’t control? Wasn’t that her excuse? She realized she was
crying as she felt hot liquid tickling her chin. She reached out
and picked up his hand, holding it against her cheek to catch the
tears.
    “I love you,” she said. “I don't know if it's
enough, but it consumes me. You are the first person who ever saw
me and let me be myself. I want you, I really do, I just don't know
how.”
    The door behind her opened and Em dropped his
hand, where it landed on his thigh and stayed there. Em spun
around, wiping tears off her cheeks with her sleeve. Kyle walked
into the garden.
    “There you are,” he said to Ember, ignoring
James. “Julia said I could probably find you here.”
    “Yes,” Ember said.
    “Come on, Em, today’s the day you’re going to
tell me you want to marry me.”
    Ember looked back at James. He was looking at
her steadily. She turned away, looked at Kyle, and swallowed
hard.
    She said, “I’m sorry, Kyle, but I’ve met
someone else.”
    “What are you talking about? Who?” he
demanded. It never occurred to him that the man was sitting
directly in front of him.
    Em's voice was caught. She tried to say
something, but no sound came out. James saw her floundering. “That
would be me, you asshole,” he said, rolling forward.
    “This is a joke,” Kyle said.
    “You wish,” James said. “Now get out of here
and leave Ember alone.”
    “You’re making a big mistake, Em,” Kyle said,
never looking at James.
    “Just go,” she said.
    “You would pick some limp dick cripple over
me? Am I in bizzaro world?”
    “Kyle!” Em knew he had a temper, but she'd
never heard him say anything like this. “It's not true,” she
added.
    “Oh my God,” Kyle ranted, “You fucked him?
That is too disgusting to believe. You make me sick, Em.”
    Something snapped in Ember. Later James would
say it was her spark finally catching fire. “I make you sick?” she said. “You with your pompous, arrogant talk and your
dismissal of everything that makes me, me? You are pathetic and I'm
sorry I ever met you.”
    Two security guards appeared in the doorway,
Em didn't know who had called for them. Kyle turned and saw them,
looked back at Em, but didn't say anything. He walked away,
shrugging off the guards.
    Em was amazed by how light her heart felt as
Kyle finally walked out of her life. Like she had