“No one else is going to ask for anything from you.”
Smiling at me, she looks at Jess and says, “Bye. Don’t come knocking… the outpost might be a-rockin.’”
Gagging, Jess steps closer to Trench. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“We do! But none of it’s going to change between now and tomorrow.” Chrys walks straight to her other sister, saying a quick hello and goodbye to Cindy as she passes.
“We are going home. Don’t try to make me move in with you like Jess did.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Laurel hugs her tight. “Come visit me soon,” she says before dropping her voice, “and tell me which one’s going to make you stay on this planet.”
Chrys looks at all three of us over her sister’s shoulder, and her smile tells me she has a plan. I just don’t know it yet.
ARC
The meeting was… harder for me than I thought it would be.
All of the usual problems were amplified with Chrys sitting by my side.
The fact that she chose to stay there is the only thing that made it bearable.
The pity was worse than their usual brand of disdain.
Every one of them knew. All they had to do was look at me and they knew.
He loves her… poor guy.
Oh, he’s going to be so much worse when she picks one of the other two.
Damn. Sucks to be him.
And various other thoughts in the same vein.
None of them thought she’d actually considermeamong the three of us.
She leans on Risk in the back seat, smiling and holding his hand, and I keep my eyes out the window.
The Paxton ridge outpost is empty. It needs three systems replaced… I could fix them on my own if given the time and the need.
By the time Shock closes the garage door behind the car and pops the top open, I’ve made my decision.
I’mveryglad they can’t hear my thoughts.
They’d try to stop me. They’d try to argue with what I already know.
When the proximity warning pops up, I’m almost grateful.
“I’ve got it,” I tell them, not letting them offer to come with me or try to stop me before I go downstairs.
I need…
I need to bury myself under ten feet of snow somewhere no one else’s thoughts can find me.
But there’s no cavrinskh. Just a man.
“Sorry,” Riann says, waving to me. “I came down through Kilo’s sector and didn’t realize I’d crossed into yours.”
I look up the outer caldera. “I didn’t think Kilo was home yet.”
