GRIT (The Silver Nitrate Series Book 2) by Tiana Laveen

push needed, her dreams were materializing right before her eyes. She’d learned of his dirty deed as well. There was an old, beat-up suitcase with some of her work, in resume form. Included in this mish mash collection sat a sheet with her work address scribbled across it in his handwriting, along with her weekly work schedule and Simone’s name scribbled upon it, and spelled incorrectly, in red ink.
    The fucker had been up at her job, unbeknown to her. She confronted Simone, and the woman confessed with a nervous chuckle. Nevertheless, Silver’s anger quickly dissipated and she felt nothing but love for the meddling fool. But in that special moment, her thoughts were often distracted by the fact that her desires were materializing while his dreams were crumbling like bricks on a rundown building…just like the one they’d torn down in Brooklyn that she loved to loiter around as a child…
    Just as she had told Clara, she’d given the true love of her life permission to make a path for himself, and it killed her inside that he wasn’t taking her up on her offer. But one thing she understood, now more than ever, was that love was not selfish. True love, in its purest form, wanted what was best for the object of one’s affection. She couldn’t be happy if her Zenith wasn’t happy; he’d handicap her with his lost dream, whether he intended to or not. Their situation however was far more manageable than Paw’s. A long distance relationship could be established and preserved, and perhaps she could relocate in due time—they’d discussed all of that and then some during their trip to the heart of Michigan, while still living on cloud nine in the midst of snow and elation. But Paw was a different matter…
    “And that’s why we’re giving you the contract,” Simone interrupted her thoughts, bringing her back to the here and now.
    “Thank you. I just…” She smiled and shook her head as she swung her foot back and forth like a pendulum. “I’m grateful for the opportunity, you know? Thank you… thank you so much.”
    “You deserve it. You will create the game, design it, and help out with the software testing and quality control groups. You’ll be involved in each and every step.”
    …Thank you, Zenith.
    She smiled down into her lap, recalling his words to her: ‘You’ll hear a thousand ‘No’s’ but you’ll never hear a ‘Yes’ if you never ask.’ She agreed with that, but when she said she’d asked in more ways than one, he replied, ‘ Then stop asking, Silver, and start taking…’
    When she left Simone’s office, a sense of relief surrounded her, as well as gloom. She looked down at her cell phone and contemplated calling Zenith back. She sat at her cubicle, twirling the phone around in her hand, then finally set it down.
    I’m going to give him a little space, but when I do speak to him, I’m going to remind him that while he is proficient at the grind, works like a damn dog most days, to never reap the rewards is a tremendous loss, a death of sorts. I can’t make him take this chance, but he’s going to know that he is destined for more than working himself to the bone, and it’s time he got to see some of the loot, get the riches, make a better way, a better life… trimmed in silver and gold…

    “You’ve had your say, and I’ve had mine.” Zen exhaled loudly. They were sitting in front of her house. She kept her expression blank.
    “Yes.” She sucked her teeth and looked flippantly out the front window of the truck for a moment. “I guess you’re right.”
    “I respect what you said, baby, but I have to do what feels right. So at this point, there really is no use to keeping this conversation going. You’ve hollered at me, I’ve hollered at you… I don’t like that, but we got it all out, so just let it go.”
    She swallowed and crossed her legs, her lips now twisted in obvious annoyance. Yet, she kept still, quiet—said nothing more. He leaned back in his