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"So… you're telling me Tony Stark just gave you ten million dollars?" she asked, finally looking at him.
"Yeah," Alex said calmly. "Apparently, it was because of the accident. I guess he felt responsible… or maybe he just felt generous."
Skye shook her head, letting out a quiet laugh. "Man, that's insane. You can't even imagine what I would have done if I had that much money at once."
Alex smirked. "Believe me, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself. But it's enough to get things rolling…"
"By the way, I rented a new place with two rooms," he said, holding her hand gently. "At first, I wasn't sure if you'd want to stay, so I booked two rooms. One for me, and the other is yours. Of course, if you're comfortable, we can share a bed—just in case you feel it's too fast."
"Thank you," she said, smiling and nodding.
Alex grinned. "So enough about the past. Tell me—how much are you earning these days?"
"Well, we've got a group of nerdy hackers still working on making the world a better place," she replied.
Alex nodded. "Good. Keep at it. I'm sure one day it'll pay off. If I had your skills, I probably would have helped you too," he said jokingly, making her laugh and nod in agreement.
Skye glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "It's getting late. We should probably grab something to eat before it turns into dinner time."
Alex nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. I know a place not too far from here—nothing fancy, just good food."
She smiled. "Lead the way."
He started the car and drove through the quiet streets, keeping the conversation light. They talked about school, mutual friends, and the little things that had happened while he was recovering. It felt easy, comfortable, like nothing had changed.
After a short drive, they reached a small diner with neon lights glowing in the evening. Alex parked and led the way inside.
The smell of fried food and coffee filled the air. They picked a booth near the window and sat down.
"So," Skye said, glancing at him with a grin, "you survived that accident and got ten million dollars. You're telling me your life suddenly got that good?"
Alex shrugged, leaning back. "Life has a funny way of surprising you. But I'm not complaining."
After they finished eating, Alex drove Skye back to where her van was parked. When they reached it, she got quiet and looked down.
"You… still living in here?" he asked gently.
She nodded, embarrassed. "Yeah. Things got rough the last few months. I didn't really have another choice."
Alex didn't say anything at first. He just stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Come on," he said softly. "Let's move your things to the second room. You're not sleeping in a van anymore."
Together they packed her boxes, bags, and a few old computer parts into the car. It took about an hour, but they were laughing and joking the whole time. When they finished moving everything inside the new apartment, they ordered some takeout and sat on the floor eating from containers, music playing quietly from his phone.
It was a hot, humid night. The windows were open, and warm air drifted in. They talked until late—about dreams, about fears, about everything they never said before. Eventually, exhaustion won and they fell asleep beside each other without even noticing how it happened.
The next morning
Alex woke up slowly, sunlight brushing across his face. For a second he wondered why everything felt so warm and soft. Then he realized Skye was curled against him, sleeping peacefully with her head on his chest.
He stared for a moment, stunned and unsure if he was dreaming. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him with a sleepy smile.
"What are you staring at?" she asked, snuggling closer.
Alex let out a breath and laughed softly. "Just wondering if I actually died and ended up in heaven."
She rolled her eyes and playfully hit his chest. "Dummy."
They both laughed, then slowly sat up, stretching.
"So," Skye said, brushing her hair back, "what's the plan for today?"
"Well, I dunno," Alex shrugged as she laughed. "Yeah, with that money, you can live comfortably. Why not invest in some big companies?" she asked. Alex nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah… that's not a bad idea," he said. "Could help the money grow and give me more options later."
Skye smiled. "I can help you look into it. I know a few people who are good with finance and investments."
"Perfect," Alex said, finishing his coffee. "But first, let's grab breakfast properly. We can plan everything after that."
They got up, got dressed, and headed out to a nearby café. The streets were quiet in the morning, and the city felt calm. Over breakfast, they discussed companies, investments, and ways Alex could make his money work without drawing too much attention.
After finishing, Alex leaned back, rubbing his chin. "Alright… first step, investments. Second step… figure out what else I need to prepare for the next few weeks."
Skye grinned. "Sounds like we've got a busy day ahead."
Alex nodded. "Yeah… but it's good to have someone to help me figure it all out."
She smiled and reached over to bump his shoulder playfully. "Well, lucky for you, I happen to be very good at this."
With that, they left the café, ready to tackle the day together.
They walked back to Alex's car, chatting and laughing along the way. Alex felt a little lighter—having Skye around made the stress of everything else seem more manageable.
"First, we need to check out a few companies online," Skye said as they got into the car. "I'll show you which ones are safe to invest in, and which ones to avoid."
"Sounds good," Alex said, starting the engine. "Let's make sure this money actually grows instead of disappearing."
They drove to a quiet park nearby and parked under a tree. Skye opened her laptop while Alex pulled out his tablet. Together, they went through stock lists, investment funds, and small business opportunities. Skye explained things clearly, and Alex asked questions, slowly getting a handle on it.