“You’re still afraid I’ll snap though.”
“Can you blame me?”she asked with a heavy sigh.
“Never,” I told her.“Even if I swore a thousand times that I would never hurt you or our baby, I still couldn’t blame you for not believing me, Nera.I respect you and your past too much for that.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and while she worked to control herself, I picked up my chair and brought it around the table closer to her, slowly and deliberately so I wouldn’t scare her.Then I took her hand in mine and weaved our fingers together.
“I love you.Every single part of me loves you.I count myself as the luckiest creature in the universe with you at my side.We’re good together, better than I ever imagined anyone could be with me.I will fight for us with every breath unless you decide you hate me, but probably even then because I’m a stubborn fool in love.I will fight for us even if you tell me you need time to sort all of this out and need space.I will find a way to prove to you that I won’t ever be hacked.I’ll give it all to you.I would give you the stars and more, as long as you know I am yours eternally.”
I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore, but every word, every breath, held the absolute truth.
“And our baby?”she whispered, her chin trembling.
“I’ll love them with my entire hearts.”I lifted our clasped hands and kissed the back of hers.“If that’s what you want.”
“What doyouwant?”she asked, her dark eyes brimming.
“I want what you want.There is no other answer.”
“But thereis, Maxx.Doyouwant a baby?”
I sat back as the weight of her question careened into me, the serious implications and what it would mean for our future.DidI want a baby?
The answer flicked to my tongue almost instantly.“I’m the king of an entire alien species, have won hard-fought battles against the Killians, but…” The truth twisted up my throat, but I only managed to swallow some of the knots back down.“There is no greater honor than being someone’s father.To have that honor with someone you and I created… That would be a treasure.”
Nera released a shaky breath and propped her elbow on the table with her cheek to her hand, regarding me with her head tilted.Her tears flowed freely and plopped onto the fancy tablecloth, but there was something other than sorrow glimmering in her eyes.Hope, maybe.Or the first inklings of trust.Either one lifted some of the weight from my chest.
“You always know the right thing to say,” she whispered.
“It’s the truth.Every word.”
“I know.”Wiping her cheeks, she gazed at the overfilled table.“So what are we going to do?”
Swift change of subject noted, and I wished I knew exactly what it meant, but I didn’t push it.I refused to force anything with her.She needed time, and I would give it to her, as much as she needed, as much as it hurt me to be without her.
“We’re going to eat all this amazing food, I guess.”I spooned some dalamelon salad and herb chicken onto her plate.
“Well, obviously I love that plan.”She took a huge bite of dalamelon salad and chewed thoughtfully.“But I meant when we get back to Klio-3?Drag Earth Space Fleet’s asses over hot coals?Tie them all up to a breaking wheel?Or catch them in the act of their general asshole behavior and broadcast it all over this show that we’re on?”
I grinned at my beautiful star and her genius idea.“I’m fine with all of the above.”
Chapter fifteen
Rain
Emaildate:4/18/2635
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Re: Question That’s None of My Business
It still haunts me t…O…o.
Email date: 4/1/2635
