But for some reason, he keeps turning back to look for me.
Like I matter.
Like the story can’t move forward without me in it.
It’s a foolish notion, maybe, but one I can’t stop thinking about. That endless, terrifying ‘what if’that springs to mind every time he steps into the room.
Gods, he’s so pretty.
“When are you gonna do something about that crush?” Sprocket asks, far closer than I expect.
I knock into the table and shoot her a glare over the rattling equipment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A remarkably unrefined snort rattles from her nose. “Sebby, baby, you’re a horrid liar. Every time he comes into the room, you freeze.”
“I do not,” I mutter, tugging on the collar of my lab coat in a blatant show of nerves, and I force my fidgeting hands to fall to my sides when I catch her smirk. “Oh, come on. We’re friends. What am I supposed to do when he walks in? Give him a fist bump because we’rebros?”
“Yeah,” she says with another snort. “Friendsgo out of their way to use the one lab a certain someone has access too, even though it has the worst equipment.”
I gesture at her working alongside me. “You’re in here, too.”
She props her chin on her hand and stares at me with that infuriatingly smug half-smile. “Of course I’m in here. Watching you two idiots is the most entertaining thing on this base. You totally get heart eyes every time you see each other.”
The flush burns from my neck to my ears, and she tilts her head, chewing on the inside of her cheek like she’s deciding whether to twist the knife further.
“He likes you too, you know,” she says.
“What?” I turn so fast I bump the table again and send a pen rolling towards the edge.
“Males,” she mutters as she catches it and twists it between her fingers. “Do you need a map? An operations manual on how to manage a crush?”
“Sprocket,” I groan, already scanning the room for the nearest flammable object. Maybe a controlled explosion would shut this down before it gets worse.
“Stop dancing around each other and do something about it. I’m choking on the pheromones, honestly. The untamed lust between the two of you is a hazard to my health.” She fans herself, lolling her head to the side with her tongue out. “He’s too stubborn to make a move, and you’re too shy. Everyone on this damn base knows you have feelings for each other. Hells, even the cafeteria employees probably ship you two at this point.”
“They do not,” I argue weakly.
She chuckles, the sound bubbling up from her chest. “Fine, maybe not everyone, butIknow. Both of you are so painfully obvious.”
“He doesn’t like me like that.”
Sprocket rolls her eyes with all the melodramatics she can muster, arms crossing over her chest as she leans back in her chair with a brow arched in challenge.
“Honestly,” she drawls, “have you never stalked the guy?”
“Uh, no?” There’s an edge of uncertainty to my tone that makes her chuckle again.
“Innocent little babe.” She shakes her head as she uncrosses her arms to gesture towards the break room. “You should check his schedule every once in a while. Half the time he’s in the lab working with you, he isn’t even scheduled for duty. I mean, do any of the other medics hang out in here?”
My tongue goes dry in my mouth, and I mutter a very eloquent, “What?”
She heaves another loud, theatrical sigh. “Gods, I really have to spell this out for you, don’t I? He is giving up his free time—hisvery limitedfree time—to hang out in the lab, and only when you’re here. He doesn’t flirt like that with anyone else. Doesn’tsave them a seat at lunchjust in case. Hells, he paid for more of those espresso beans he knows you love.”
“Hedid? I… I didn’t know that.”
Her gaze softens, the teasing edge fading into something warmer. “Come on, Sebby. Use that big, beautiful brain of yours and put the pieces together.”
My eyes drift toward the locker room door where Xeni disappeared moments ago, lingering on the plain metal surface like it holds the answers.
