Broken Hearts (Light in the Dark 5)

“Well, no,” I admit. “But I can’t work at the record store my whole life. I need to do something I’m passionate about and that’s photography.”

“Maybe we’ve been thinking too big.” He spreads his arms wide. “What if we scale back?”

“What do you mean?”

He tips his chair back on two legs. “We’re too focused on getting to the end game. We’re not thinking about the steps it takes to get to that point. I have an extra room in my apartment we could turn into our studio for the meantime. We can start offering the kind of shoots we want to do. Fantastical and out of this world ones. And go from there. Just save up our money until we can buy a studio. Who knows, maybe by then we’ll be getting businesses attention and they’ll want us to do campaigns. Dream big.”

I ponder his words, pursing my lips. “You might be on to something.”

I kind of feel like kicking myself for not thinking of this sooner. Granted, Joel has only been in his new apartment for five months but still. It makes sense to start slow. Going out and buying a studio straight away would be a stupid business decision. Especially in the city, since rent will be super expensive.

Joel grins, his dimples popping out. “See, I can be smart sometimes.”

I laugh softly to myself, hearing his words, but my mind is off thinking about how this might work.

Ever since I graduated college, all I’ve wanted to do is focus on my photography, but I’ve been unable to. Like Joel, I like to do things that are out there and different and make people think. It’s what makes me happy.

I sip at my coffee and smile at Joel. “I think we can do this.”

“I know we can,” he counters. “We’re awesome.”

I smile at the faith he has in us.

Joel is such an optimist while I skew to the pessimist side.

“We have most of the equipment we need, and we can get props cheap at the flea market. This is going to work, Nova. I know it.”

I want to say I hope so, but instead I agree with, “It will.”

And I actually believe it will.

I can feel it.

I leave Joel and walk around aimlessly a bit, letting my mind wander.

Eventually, I end up back at the apartment. I head inside and find Jace lying on the couch, wearing his glasses, with a book clasped in his hand.

I gave him a Kindle for Christmas a few years ago but he refuses to give up his paperbacks. It’s like they’re a part of him or something. I don’t quite understand it.

He sits up as I close the door.

“How’d the brainstorming session go?”

I click the lock closed. “Good, really good.”

He raises a brow and sets his book on the coffee table. “Really?”

“Yeah.” I kick my shoes off and then cross the room to plop on the couch beside him. “Joel thinks we can turn the spare room in his new place into a studio and work our way up to our own studio. It makes the most sense money wise.”

Jace gets a serious look on his face, and I know what’s coming.

“I’d be happy to give you guys the money for a studio. You know this, but I thought it should be said again.”

“Jace,” I say softly, “I can’t take your money for something like this. What if it ends up being a major bust?”

He shrugs. “I wouldn’t care.”

I sigh. “But I would. It would take a lot of money to open a studio and I’d feel guilty if I couldn’t pay you back.”