“Hello, Yiri’sAneah,” he said. “I’m Evik, the better option. Not only am I better looking, but I also have the best sellah.”
“He’s a pain in my ass,” Yiri muttered.
“Hmm.” I tilted my head as I looked Evik over. “I don’t know. Yiri has a sharper jaw, and he’s got all the tattoos. I like that.”
“I could get body art,” Evik offered. “Do all Earth females like that?”
“It doesn’t matter to you what Earth females like,” Yiri said, shoving him aside. “You’re spoken for, remember?”
“Nice to meet you, Evik,” I called.
Yiri grunted, scowling at what I assumed was his cousin, no longer in my view. “Don’t humor him,Aneah.He’ll never leave you alone if you’re nice to him.”
“Another thing he has in common with you,” I teased him.
He made a gruff noise as the lighting changed and the ambient sounds dimmed to nothing. I recognized the dark walls and occasional glow of tech around him. He was home. Stripping off his outer layer of clothing, he stretched and sighed, a man getting comfortable after a long day of work. Rolling his neck, he dropped heavily onto his couch and regarded me through the screens.
“Hey,” he said. One word, but it warmed my belly.
“Hey.”
“Are you alright?” he asked. “You look sad.”
My lips lifted in a small smile. “I’m already feeling better.”
“Tell me,” he said, not letting me dismiss it.
“I realized when I said goodbye to Andrew that I was saying goodbye to my only friend in the world. It was sad,” I admitted. “Maybe a little scary.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “What can I do to help?”
“Tell me you’re my friend,” I said. “That I’m not all alone.”
Yiri’s eyes widened for a second, but then narrowed to stern slits. “Cora, you are not alone,” he said. “You’re mine now. You’ll never be alone again.”
“Thanks,” I said, sighing as a wave of contentment settled over me, finally allowing the exhaustion in. “That’s just what I needed.”
CHAPTER 16
CORA
The transport vesselwas homier than I would have expected. The walls were all glass and metal, of course, but they were at least warm neutral colors, and there were lots of chairs and couches in every room I’d seen, all of them piled with soft throw pillows and blankets. Far from my sterile space-age expectations, it looked like someone had raided a home decor store, and I appreciated the effort.
My things were searched before I got on the vessel, the daernir techs gently explaining it was for safety. They were very discreet for the most part, but they did confiscate some of my snack foods and my tampons, explaining that they were banned in Bion 8KV due to a plethora of toxic chemicals. I was assured there were safer tampon alternatives in all of Bion’s worlds. I just hoped it was something tampon-like because I’d tried the cups and the disks, and nothing seemed to fit comfortably for me. I didn’t exactly want to have that conversation with a strange daernir male as he carefully pawed through my cosmetics, and the thought of discussing it with Yiri wasn’t much better.
The techslovedMr. Darcy, all of them taking the time to give him ear scritches, and gush over him in what seemed to be alienbaby talk. Mr. Darcy gave everyone side eye, but magnanimously accepted all offered affection. It always helps to calm his nerves when he’s treated like a little king, so he didn’t complain at all as we were shown to our private quarters for the journey.
The room was bigger than I would have expected. I went on a cruise with one of my exes once, and this was way bigger than the cabin on the cruise ship. One wall of the room was nothing but glass, looking out onto the transport compound currently. Bright sunlight filled the space, making it cozy. A tech showed me how to make the glass opaque if I preferred, and then showed me how to work the shower, sink, and toilet in the bathroom. It was all motion and voice-activated, but I appreciated the tour since I would probably have drenched my clothes in the shower if I didn’t know where to stand. In the main room, there were closets for me to put away my belongings, a small couch with more pillows and blankets, and a modestly sized bed. It was very cozy.
Even the stasis pod, which I was told I wouldn’t get into until we were outside Earth’s orbit, looked comfortable. It was cushioned and even had a thin blanket folded up at the foot of the pod. Mr. Darcy approved and made the blanket his bread-loafing spot.
Next, the tech escorted me to a common area where he said other passengers usually congregated during takeoff for the best views. It was another comfy space with lots of seating, a few tables, and what looked like a bar. When the tech who’d been my guide left, another approached, offering me a menu of beverages to choose from, and I ordered a caramel latte while I waited to see who else might be joining me. I was either the first to arrive, or no one else had ventured this far from their rooms yet. I sent a few texts to Andy, sharing some photos of the vessel and my rooms, and then tried to settle in with my e-reader. It was no good, though. I was about to leave the planet! Everything I’dever known was going to be out of reach, probably forever. What the hell was I doing?!
My phonebloopedwith an incoming call from Yiri.
“Um. Hey.”
“Aneah.”His eyes seemed to travel over my face through the cameras, technology, andso much space. “You’re nervous,” Yiri said.
