I commed,
she commed again, her shoulders hitching toward her ears, her head ducking low like she was trying to hide inside her dress.
As discreetly as she had ever been, she looked back, pretending to scratch her chin on her shoulder.
I commed.
she admitted.
I agreed.
I snorted, pretending to cough when the Kravaxians turned toward the sound.
I asked.
she replied, scratching her chin so she could look at the handsome, blue-eyed bionic one more time.
I couldn’t speak.I could barely breathe. Beside me, Freddie’s face reddened to some shade I could only describe as disastrous, and I wondered if either of us would make it out of this alive.
When the ball had dropped at midnight, and Marisia, Tano, and Axel had retreated unceremoniously to their suites, I’d raced to meet up with Freddie so I could say a reluctant farewell to my favorite Argosian. An Argosian who was currently squeezing us half to death.
Tapping on the purple pectoral my face was currently pressed against, I wheezed, “Garran, put us down. Please.”
“I am just so happy,” he cried, squeezing me even more tightly in his right arm, crushing Freddie in his left, lifting us both a solid foot off the floor before finally letting us go.
“Thank you,” I managed, rubbing at my chest as sweet, blessed air made its way back into my lungs.
“You are together,” Garran said, all smiles as he looked from me to Freddie and back again. “You areworthyof each other. You fit.” The words were simple, but from him, they meant the worlds.
“Are you sure you have to leave so soon?” Freddie asked,rolling his shoulders, stretching his neck from side to side. “We have an excellent physician aboard this ship for Kasa’s mother. Dr. Semson is second to none.”
Garran nodded, his tattooed head gleaming in the glow from the overhead lights. “I am sure he is very good. But Kasa and I have plans”—stealing a glance at the airlock where Kasa carried her mother’s bags toward the docking port, he lowered his voice—“for making things official.”
“Official?” I squealed. “Really?”
“Shh.” He put a finger to his lips. “Her mother does not know yet. She still does not like me.”
His face returning to its normal shade of handsome, Freddie said, “No worries, big guy. She’ll come around.”
“Do you think?”
“Of course she will,” I said. “Because you’re Garran the Brave. Garran the Verdant. You’re Garran”—I sniffled—“our friend.”
While I nestled into Freddie’s side, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and told Garran, “This ship simply won’t be the same without you.”
“You two should come visit Argos.” Glancing down at his enormous feet, Garran suggested, “Maybe when Kasa and I are joined.”
Even though my chest still ached from the first time, I threw myself into his arms again and said, “Just try to keep us away.”
“Is it always this hard?”Freddie asked while we watched Garran and Kasa’s shuttle push back from the airlock. “Saying goodbye to the guests?”
“No.” I ran a knuckle under my eye. “Garran was one in a million. Like a special piece of hay in a haystack.”
Freddie’s head swiveled toward me, his lips flattening. “Where did you hear that expression?”
