I’ve got to move out of this hellhole. Not going to be easy if I keep ditching shifts.
A sudden wave of nausea hit Kenji, and he raced for the toilet, making it just in time to lose the contents of his stomach.
He stared down into the bowl, panting and waiting to see if he was done. After a few minutes and nothing else, he washed his face off and wobbled to the bed. He stared at the bag of food and shook his head. A waste of money. His stomach was a shitshow.
After sliding the bag off the bed and setting it on the floor, he gingerly lay in bed and covered himself in a cocoon of blankets. Tears formed in his eyes. How much worse was his day going to get?
His phone buzzed beside him on the bed.
Sure it was work trying to guilt him into coming in again, he reached out to silence his phone. Spying the screen, it was a text from a number he didn’t recognize.
Kenji… Tacoma wouldn’t stop flirting with me and seemed uninterested in giving you my number. He was being a jerk and wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I told him I’d MAYBE give him a shot, if and only if you didn’t want me—simply as a means to persuade him to give you my number. I didn’t have ANY intention of sleeping with that asshole you call a roommate, nor will I now that he’s blowing up my phone.
Block him like I did you… although you found a way around that, didn’t you?
While his explanationdidsound plausible and Tacomawasan asshole, Kenji’s feelings were hurt, he was sick, and he just didn’t have the energy to put up with the drama. Kenji blocked the second number and tossed his phone to the bed. After his stomach settled for a few minutes, he fished out the wanton soup and gotsomething in him before slipping back between the covers and drifting off.
That is… until the screamer started screaming.
Kenji got out of bed on a hunt for his noise-cancelling headphones bought just for muting the sounds coming from the next bedroom, slipped them on, and got back in bed, where he finally got some rest.
Two days later, Qylar and Cryss moved the last trunk into position in the cargo hold before their trip back to Nefyria. When they had it tied down, Cryss eyed him, a sad look on his face.
“I’d ask if you were sure you didn’t want to come with us, but I know you’re not leaving this planet anytime soon.”
“No.”
“You still haven’t heard from him?” Cryss asked.
“No,” Qylar repeated.
“Do you want me to shut up about it?”
“Yes.”
Cryss sighed. “We’re going to miss you.”
“Yeah,” Qylar muttered.
When Alex and the children appeared, he forced a smile on his face. Zaadi ran up to him and held out her arms. He scooped her up and gave her a big hug.
“Why can’t you come with us, Uncle Q?”
“Becausesomeonehas to stay here and keep the home fires burning,” Qylar said.
“What does that mean?” Zaadi asked.
“I don’t know. Something humans say,” Qylar replied. “Let’s just say I’m going to keep home safe for you until you get back.”
“I wish you were coming,” Zaadi said, pouting.
“You’ll see me soon.”
Zaadi continued pouting.
“Ael’s turn,” Ael said from below, tugging on Qylar’s pants leg.
Qylar didn’t put Zaadi down but scooped Ael up, too. He gave them both a hug, growling playfully as he did. Both kids giggled and held on tight.
