Chapter 49

49

"I'm almost there," Paige said as Tai poked his head into her room again. "I think I can get this antidote figured out before we head for the airfield."

If Tai stopped interrupting her. This had to be the tenth time he'd checked on her in the last hour.

"You need a break," he insisted, barreling straight toward her. "Check this out."

She frowned at the VR headset Tai thrust into her hands, her suspicion meter rocketing off the charts. "What's this about?"

"Just a little tech demo," Tai said, his grin entirely too wide to be innocent. "Thought you might want to check out our latest gear. Go on. Try it."

She raised an eyebrow but slipped the headset on. The faint scent of Tai's cologne lingered on the straps, a blend of sandalwood and what she could only describe as ‘eau de bro.' Curiosity overrode caution as the safe house dissolved around her, replaced by a starlit beach that looked straight out of a travel brochure.

The sand beneath her feet felt impossibly real, cool and slightly damp. Waves lapped gently at the shore, the rhythmic sound almost hypnotic. A warm breeze caressed her skin, carrying the tangy scent of salt and something that suspiciously resembled sunscreen. A familiar figure stood silhouetted against the moonlight, his broad shoulders unmistakable.

"Cody?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the soft surf.

The virtual Cody turned, a warm smile spreading across his face. The moonlight caught his eyes, making them sparkle in a way that was almost comically perfect. "Paige, I?—"

Suddenly, the image flickered like a TV with bad reception. Cody's voice distorted, sounding like he'd inhaled helium after gargling with gravel. "I waNT tO TelL yOu?—"

The beach scene glitched, sand turning to glitter midstride. Paige found herself surrounded by what looked like the inside of a disco ball on steroids. Virtual Cody was now wearing a sparkling jumpsuit that would make Elvis green with envy and blind half of Las Vegas.

In the real world, she heard panicked whispers and the sound of frantic typing, punctuated by what sounded suspiciously like someone kicking a computer tower.

"What's happening?" That was definitely Bridger's voice, tense with worry and an octave higher than usual.

"I don't know!" Tai hissed back, his typing reaching speeds that would impress a court stenographer on caffeine. "Serious technical meltdown here! I told you we should have gone with the helicopter rappel."

The VR world continued its manic shifts faster than a channel-surfing teenager. One moment, Cody was floating in space, his jumpsuit now a bulky spacesuit with a fishbowl helmet. "Paige," he intoned dramatically, "my love for you is as vast as the cosmos ..." Then he was suddenly riding a neon pink dinosaur through a field of giant daisies that swayed to unheard disco music.

His declarations of love became a garbled mess, ranging from Shakespearean sonnets to what sounded suspiciously like lyrics from boy band songs. At one point, he recited the ingredients from a shampoo bottle with passionate intensity.

Paige couldn't help it. She started laughing, the kind of deep belly laugh that made her sides ache and tears stream down her face. She could hear the team's mix of frustration and poorly suppressed giggles in the background, adding to the absurdity of it all.

Just as she was about to take off the headset, half expecting to see Cody dressed as a human-sized bottle of shampoo, the chaos settled. The virtual world faded to a simple, white space that reminded her of those minimalist Apple ads. Cody stood there, looking sheepish but determined, thankfully back in his normal clothes.

"Timeout," he said, his voice clear and strong, no trace of helium or Shakespeare left. "I had this whole grand gesture planned, but maybe it's better this way. Simple. True." He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous tick she found endearing. "Though I have to give Tai credit. The dinosaur was a nice touch."

Paige's breath caught in her throat, her laughter fading into something softer, warmer. She reached out, forgetting for a moment that this wasn't real, that she couldn't actually touch him. Her hand passed through his chest, and she half expected another glitch, maybe Cody turning into a hologram or a swarm of butterflies.

Instead, warm, calloused hands caught hers, solid and real. The headset was gently lifted away, the white void replaced by the familiar safe house. "Follow me," Bridger ordered softly and headed into the living room.

Cody stood before her, looking like he'd just run a marathon in a sauna. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his shirt was rumpled as if he'd been wrestling with the VR equipment. Behind him, the rest of the team was frozen in various states of panic and amusement.

Tai sprawled dramatically across a desk, surrounded by a tangle of wires and at least three laptops. He had the wild-eyed look of a man who'd just seen his tech betray him in the worst possible way. A stray piece of confetti was stuck in his hair, though Paige couldn't fathom where it had come from.

Mason was mid-facepalm, peeking through his fingers at the scene unfolding before him. He appeared torn between wanting to disappear into the floor and bursting into laughter.

In the corner, Fenn was unsuccessfully trying to hide a video camera behind his back, a guilty grin plastered across his face. "For posterity," he mouthed when he caught her eye.

The room was a disaster zone of romantic clichés gone wrong. Deflated heart-shaped balloons littered the floor, a banner reading "CODY + PAIGE 4EVER" hung crookedly from one wall, and what appeared to be the remains of a chocolate fountain was oozing slowly across a side table.

Paper towels in hand, Jason lunged at it.

The air was a swirl of ozone from overheated electronics, the sickly-sweet scent of melted chocolate, and the unmistakable smell of nervous sweat. It was chaos. It was a mess.

It was absolutely perfect.

"So," Cody said, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat and tried again. "So, what do you say? Want to take a chance on us? I should tell you, I got invited to join the team. I mean, I'm gonna join Redemption Inc. Unless you're not good with that.

I promise real life with me will be ... well, probably just as chaotic as that VR experience, but hopefully with less disco and more ... us?"

The room held its breath. Paige felt a bubble of laughter rising in her chest, but it was overshadowed by a wave of warmth and affection for this man and this ridiculous, wonderful team.

She opened her mouth to respond, acutely aware that her next words would shape not just her future, but Cody's and the team's as well.

The air crackled with anticipation as everyone waited for her answer.

A smile tugged at her lips. "Yes," she said softly, then louder, "yes, I'm willing to give this a try."

The room erupted in cheers. Tai leapt up from his sprawl, sending a laptop clattering to the floor. Fenn whooped, completely forgetting about the camera he was supposed to be hiding. Bridger's facepalm transformed into enthusiastic applause.

Cody's face lit up like Times Square on New Year's Eve. He looked ready to sweep Paige into his arms, but she held up a hand, her expression turning serious.

"But," she added, causing everyone to freeze mid-celebration, "we have to go slow. This is ... it's a big step for both of us. We need to take our time, figure things out as we go."

Cody nodded vigorously, relief and understanding washing over his features. "Absolutely. Completely. We'll take it one day at a time, no pressure."

"And no more jumpsuits," Paige insisted, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Virtual or not. I don't think my retinas could take another glitter explosion like that."

Cody laughed, a deep, rich sound that sent warmth spreading through Paige's chest. "Deal. No more jumpsuits. Though I have to say, I rocked that space suit."

"No jumpsuits ever again," Tai groaned from his corner. "I solemnly swear to never code another sparkly outfit as long as I live."

"Seconded," Bridger chimed in.

"Motion carried," Fenn added, finally setting down the camera. "Though I've got to say, that footage is going to make one hell of a wedding video someday."

"Fenn!" the entire team chorused, but there was more laughter than admonishment in their voices.

Paige looked around at the smiling faces of her team—her family—and then back to Cody. His eyes were soft, filled with promise and a future she was suddenly eager to explore.

"So," Cody said, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Where do we go from here?"

Paige leaned into his touch. "How about we start with dinner? Just the two of us, no VR headsets required."

"Sounds perfect," Cody replied, his smile widening.

As the team started arguing good-naturedly about who would clean up the chocolate fountain mess, Paige and Cody stood in their own little bubble, hands still clasped. It wasn't a fairy tale ending—it was messy, uncertain, and a little bit scary. But as Paige looked into Cody's eyes, she knew it was real.

And that made it better than any virtual reality could ever be.