chapter twenty-three
CLAY LEANS FORWARD, JAW slackening. His eyes move over the picture he's just received, racing across every curve. He replies almost instantly.
You better not look like that when I get there
why not? i look good
Too good, he thinks, almost groaning. His head snaps up as the car door creaks open. George drops into the passenger seat, holding out the tray of drinks. Clay takes it from him. Nick slides into the back seat, arms full of Wendy's food bags. The car instantly floods with the smell of fast food. Clay hides his phone deep in his pocket, protecting her dignity.
"How much longer?" George asks, already sucking down his drink.
"Like an hour. Unless we hit traffic."
"Can we go to the beach?" Nick asks from the backseat, eyes flickering to the window. They're not close to the shore yet, but it's obvious his friend is anticipating their arrival in the southern city.
"Good idea," George agrees. Clay shrugs.
"You guys can probably go. I'm gonna be helping I for a bit. Plus...I haven't seen her in a few weeks..." He trails off, not fully expressing his thoughts. Yet the implication is there.
"Ok, fine, you dog," Nick smirks. "I'm sure we'll be fine. Good city explorers, right George?"
George's eyes are glued to the flying landscape outside the window. He's fairly quiet, but that's just George. He's loud and wild when he wants to be, but otherwise he's soft spoken. Clay had expected his long-time friend to be more of a wildcard in person. Then again, he knows him. He knows George is always listening. Always watching. Calculating.
The rest of the drive is interspersed with salty fingers from Nick passing fries up to him, sticky lips from Sprite, and finally, the warm breeze of ocean air when they've driven close enough to Miami to roll the windows down. Nick sucks in the air, nearly sticking his head through the gap like an excited hound.
Flashes of the ocean appear as the highway dips alongside the shore. Then they're away again and flying through the city. Clay knows the way to her apartment by heart. Of course he does. He's been back and forth enough times in the months before.
He still has a key to the apartment, though he doesn't need it. He only knocks once before the door falls open. His knuckles are still frozen in the air when she collides with his chest. He grunts at the force before his arms squeeze around her in joy.
Neither Nick nor George are expecting her to do the same to them. Their eyes widen when she pulls them in. Clay laughs, knowing full well just how much Irena is a physical-touch kind of person.
"PC. Here," she points to the boxes on the ground. "Now. I'm going to take these two on the best tour of Miami they'll ever receive."
"So much for your plans, huh?" Nick smirks at him. Clay rubs the back of his head, staring down at the mess scattered across the floor.
It's a good thing he's put this exact PC set together before, though she's ordered hers with custom colors that perfectly match her.
By the time his friends return with her, all three are laughing and just a bit tinged with red from the sun. Sapnap and George fall to the couch almost immediately, checking on his progress with the PC. Irena clasps her hands, smirking.
"Alright, now that we're all here, I'll make my announcement. So, you all know how I've been doing some designing and stuff for Karl. Well, he recommended me to Jimmy."
"Oh wow, that's awesome," Clay starts, grin starting to widen. She holds up a hand to silence him before she continues.
"So I'm gonna start doing some stuff for him, but that means a serious acknowledgment for what I do. And, I've been playing around with some plans, and I've been talking to some people. I think I'm gonna start streaming."
Clay's trepidation is immediate. While George smiles, her boyfriend's lips turn down. He silently rolls her words over in his mind. Irena is more concerned about his reaction than George and Nick's encouraging words.
"Ok," he says slowly. "That's why you got a PC?"
"Yeah," she relents, gaze going to the tools strewn about the floor. The two monitors are already set on her desk, dark wires arching across the pale white wood. "And I got it custom. That's why it took so long to get here."
Clay's face is too passive to read. Irena's agitation increases.
"When?"
"Uh. As soon as I can."
"Well. We better get ready for some Jackbox games then, right?" He claps his hands together. Irena watches him. She'll need to talk to him alone later.
George and Nick are already working on blowing up the extra air mattress to cram next to the couch when she orders dinner. She specifically sets it as pick-up, deciding it's the opportunity she wants to talk to Dream. They leave their friends to bicker over the loud air pump and what movie to play for the night.
Clay is silent as they walk to his car. The sleek black vehicle is as familiar as always. She watches his hands slide across the wheel as they reverse from the parking spot. He follows the GPS directions that flicker from her phone.
"Why?" He finally asks.
"Why not? George and Nick and all your friends have so much fun doing it. It seems like something I'd enjoy." His silence frustrates her. "Aren't you happy? Christ, Clay, it feels like you're a disappointed parent."
"No no," he quickly starts, gripping the wheel. "I just wish...you'd asked me about it more."
"I...probably should have. I mean, there's a lot of stuff I have to work on. Like making myself public. Question is, are you alright with people openly knowing about us? Seeing the posts with you?"
"That's what I want to talk about," he mutters. "We gotta tighten a lot of your socials to keep your family safe."
"And yours."
"Yeah. But I can handle that. I'm more worried about you."
"I'm not the famous one."
"No, but you might be," he tilts his head, smiling ruefully. "Just be safe or you'll worry me even more."
"More? What's that supposed to mean?" She pouts, crossing her arms.
"You know. Just living a few hours away and worrying what you do with all that time you don't text me."
They're at a red light. Clay leans over, smirking. Irena meets his passing kiss, laughing when the car behind them honks.
"Worried I'm off being a delinquent? Seriously, though. Once I figure everything out, it'll be fine. Just gotta find my groove."
"Any idea what that might be?"
"Not sure. Maybe I'll get better at Minecraft than you. Valorant looks fun, though. I've been watching a few people stream it."
"Ew, shooter games."
"Ew, block game," she replies with a laugh. Clay only shakes his head and pushes the car forward.