Page 57 of Balance

The party was in full swing when we walked in, and right away I started looking for Matthew. Not that he was hard to find. I just had to follow the source of the booming laughter and I’d find Jett, and where Jett was, Matthew was never far away.

“There they are.” I motioned to where they stood, surrounded by people dressed like I was, but they wore it better than I did. I dressed like I shopped in a catalog, and they dressed like they stepped off a fashion show runway.

“Who are they with?” Charlie leaned closer so he could whisper to me.

“No idea. I think some reps from the charity were going to show up. So probably them.”

Charlie clapped me on the back. “You have fun with the execs. I’m going to schmooze with the little people.” He motioned to the group of programmers that he’d met through fielding suggestions from my followers and passing them on to the developers.

“Lucky.”

Charlie blew me a kiss and then abandoned me to my fate.

The room was suddenly ten miles across and full of danger. The weight of people’s stares kept me from moving. Rational me knew that I’d only gotten a little attention, likely from people who knew me already and who were probably wondering why I was standing in one spot, staring at Matthew.

Then suddenly Matthew was on the move, striding toward me, his face split into a gorgeous smile that made my bones turn to liquid.

“You’re here.” He swept me close and brushed a chaste kiss against my lips.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“You’re not late. We’re just eager and started the party early.”

“That’s a lie but thank you.”

He slid his arm around me and tucked me against his side. Usually, when we were at the office together, we kept things a little less close. He’d put his hand on my back or gently brush his hand against mine when we walked together. If the elevator was empty, he’d sometimes sneak kisses between floors. Today his touch was more possessive than most times. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t like it.

“I want you to meet everyone.” He ushered me over to the group of people he’d been talking to before. Up close they were somehow less intimidating than they’d seemed when I was across the room. Maybe because now I had Matthew by my side.

Everyone turned out to be the heads of The Foundry, the charity that the game was going to directly benefit. They were all former foster kids who’d struggled in the system and who’d ultimately felt like they’d been forgotten and failed by it.

“I’ve been watching your channel since before you hit ten thousand subs,” one of them confessed. He was on the young side, but his eyes gave away the fact that he’d been through some shit. They were deep and soulful. The kind of eyes that could bring a man to his knees… for all the reasons.

“Thank you,” I managed not to trip over my tongue.

Matthew held me tighter, his fingers digging into my waist. It made me feel like he was possessive of me, like maybe I should flirt a little to drive him crazy, so maybe he’d be even more possessive of me. On any other day, I might have. Just to be a brat. Just to satisfy my inner insecure child who wanted constant validation and was willing to do stupid shit to get it.

But today was not the day. I pressed that urge down and ignored it and instead made polite small talk until I thought my brain might melt and leak out of my ears. Finally, it was time for Matthew and Jett to make the big announcement, and that’s when Charlie appeared at my side. Matthew had been collected by Jett mere moments before.

“How are you holding up?” he asked, concern pinching his brow.

“My social battery is mostly empty, but I’m okay. Hanging in there.” My smile was weak and tired, but still genuine so Charlie didn’t push it. “With any luck, I can leave after this.”

Charlie started to say something but stopped when Jett started banging a spoon against a glass. A hush fell over the room like a wave and when everyone was silent, Jett stopped clanking the spoon.

“Now that I have everyone’s attention, I’m giving the floor to Matthew, who likes talking to people.” Jett delivered the line with a smile, and he got a roar of laughter from the room, but I wondered how much of what he said was the absolute truth.

“Thanks, Jett.” Matthew took center stage. Well, it wasn’t really a stage, but he stood at the head of the room and everyone turned to face him. “As you all know, The Foundry, an organization that helps kids in and aging out of foster care, is near and dear to both Jett and me, but no matter how much it means to us, it means a whole lot more to the kids that it helps. And that’s why Jett and I wanted to pursue something like this. Donations are great, but they’re a one-time thing most of the time. Charities like this one need constant support because there is, unfortunately, constant need.” Matthew paused to take a sip of his water. “With presales and first week numbers, we’ve officially raised $750,000. That’s almost a million for the kids. That money will go a long way to making sure kids have the essentials. Food. Safety. An education.”

A round of applause went up, drowning out whatever Matthew was trying to say. He paused and waited for it to die down before continuing.

“Gemstone Games is proud to support The Foundry and the kids who need it, and we acknowledge that none of this would have happened without the ideas and expertise of Troye, also known as SilentHowl. He’s been an integral part of the game. He’s contributed countless ideas and hours to making this the best product it could be. And he doesn’t know this, but in the final upload, we tweaked a few things and there will be a fully interactive friend with his name that the player will meet on their way. We wanted to make sure everyone knows that his contributions will not go unacknowledged.”

Heat climbed my face, rushing to my skin. I was suddenly lava hot, volcanic eruption unstable. I was used to having people watch me, but not in person. Charlie slid an arm around me and anchored me to his side. His fingers dug into my shoulder, but it was Matthew’s concerned gaze from across the room that grounded me.

I gave him a nod, silently assuring him that I was okay. Though I didn’t pay attention to the rest of his speech, I smiled and clapped in the right places and was relieved as hell when he did the toast and then made a beeline for me.

“Let’s get some air, shall we?” Matthew steered me away from the crowd of people and into the comfortable familiarity of his office. He sat down in his chair and pulled me onto his lap.