Ravok turns his glowing eyes upon me, that strange, piercing gaze sends nerves crawling up my spine. “Koko?” he asks.
“Yeah, the cabin belongs to her. She is letting me stay in her cabin while they fix my car. I don’t live here. I’m just visiting,” I say, nervously tracing the edge of my shirt’s hem. I force a chuckle, an awkward sound in the muted light of the forest. “It’s a funny story really. Koko – she’s the town’s mayor – she sort of… accidentally trashed my car. So, I gotta stay put until it’s repaired.”
Ravok’s eyebrows shoot up slightly and his eyes narrow, confusion rolling off him.
“I mean, I was just passing through town. I was on my way to move in with my aunt when I stopped in this area to check out the local festival,” I add. I tangle my fingers into my messy bun, my eyes flitting everywhere but his intense stare. “My Aunt Zizi… she lives a couple hours north and she’s taking me in while I get my feet back under me after a breakup. But well, Koko’s little accident set my plans awry, so here we are.”
Ravok tilts his head slightly, the gesture somehow making him both intimidating and endearing. “Leelee, what is a breakup? Are you injured?” he asks, his brows knitted in concern. I grin at his misunderstanding. How cute is he?
“Oh no, I’m fine. I just broke off a romantic relationship because I realized he wasn’t a very good boyfriend, and I deserved a better partner in my life. My Aunt Zinnia offered to let me stay with her as I make a fresh start.” I let out a breath and chuckle, shaking off my nerves as I realize I am explaining my rather mundane human issues to a stranded alien.
Ravok and I are two beings lost, in different ways, stirring in the same pot of unexpected troubles.
Silence seeps in between us like an uninvited guest. My mind keeps dwelling on the memory of our shared kiss. The touch of Ravok’s lips, alien but gentle, stays branded in my memory. My lips still tingle and feel kiss swollen. I want to touch them but manage to refrain. His lips had been firm against mine, but surprisingly plush.
In a week, he’ll be gone. Once that spaceship roars back to life, it’ll carry away the alien – my alien – I’d nursed back to health… the one who kissed me with more tenderness than I could comprehend. He’ll disappear into the infinite cosmos beyond the edges of my galaxy, and I suspect I’ll never see him again.
And I’ll be here, left behind, nursing yet another void within me. I can’t leave Earth. For one thing, there is no way that Icould leave Aunt Zizi behind. Maybe Ravok would be willing to take me out on a quick jaunt to Orion’s Belt and back. I shake my head at myself. I’m inviting myself on an outer space vacation. Who would take care of Mango? There’s no way I could take my cat on a spaceship, that wouldn’t be fair to him. Besides, that’s not a real relationship, that’s just a weekend trip situation. Nothing long term could come of something like that. I instinctively know that Ravok can’t take me with him – I suspect he has a mission or something.
But today, right now, he’s here. We’re together. Maybe it’s horribly wrong to wish the hands of time stall, to slow the repairs on Ravok’s spaceship. Perhaps it’s shameless, hoping for another kiss… but I can’t deny wanting one.
Ravok is my guest here, and our time together has an expiration date. We could keep it light; have some fun and make some memories together. Why not, right? Life is a medley of stories, some hilarious, some sad, some romantic – all of them a blend of heartache and joy. I wonder what Ravok would think of my idea. Based on that kiss, I don’t think he’d be repulsed. But he’s an alien so who knows. I don’t want him to feel pressured.
He’ll have to leave, sooner rather than later and I know instinctively that I will miss him. Who wouldn’t? He can be a bit arrogant, but he’s also been so kind and has tried so hard to bridge the gap of our language barrier. He never got snippy or gave me attitude for not understanding him. It’s the chance of a lifetime to get to know a being from another planet. I would be a moron not to take this opportunity. And he seems so sweet to me. He’s also gruff and somewhat haughty, but that almost adds to his appeal. I will miss him, I realize. Even so, I wouldn’t change a thing. For now, I return my gaze to his luminescent eyes. Enjoy it while it lasts, I remind myself.
The birds of the forest sing around us as we emerge from the woods and skirt around the lake. Looking up, I can see afew white fluffy clouds scattered above head. I’m accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city life and am unused to the peace and quiet. It’s so beautiful here. The sun reflecting off the lake catches against his silvery skin, and the look in his eyes makes me feel like the only star in the galaxy.
We continue our trek with pleasant, nonsensical banter, keeping my worries at bay. By the time we leave the lake behind and head back into the woods, I’m inordinately aware of his presence, his form a solid comfort beside me.
“I am indebted to you, Leelee,” Ravok says, pulling me from my reverie. “You could have ignored the crash, the disturbance, and yet you did not. You chose to save me, a stranger from an unknown world. I still can’t figure out how you managed to get me from the crash site to your dwelling without help. It was a truly impressive feat, and I am thankful.”
“I’m so glad that I happened to be out watching the fireworks and saw the crash. It was just pure luck. If I hadn’t happened to see a sign for the town festival and decided to stop by, I would’ve never been anywhere near here. The same thing if Koko hadn’t offered me the cabin after breaking the back window of my car. Then, if she hadn’t told me that the view of fireworks over the lake behind the cabin was breathtaking, I would’ve never seen the crash when it happened. It was all luck. But I’m glad I saw the crash and got to meet you.”
I look at his alien form in the shadow under the canopy of trees overhead, more beautiful and enticing than anyone or anything I’ve ever laid eyes on. The dewy chill of the late spring morning can’t reach me – his warmth, both physical and emotional, wraps me up.
“Well, then, I’m thankful for luck,” he murmurs.
“Me too, Ravok.”
Our eyes meet, and something unspoken passes between us, a connection deeper than I could have ever expected when I left my old apartment and got on the road to Aunt Zizi’s place.
CHAPTER 32
Ravok
Tiny rivulets of sweat trail down my back as I push my ship. My vessel is not cumbersome. The heat from the sun above my head is causing some of the sweat, but more so because of Leelee’s nearness. I cast a sideways glance at her. She’s perched on the wing of my spacecraft, her face turned skyward in relaxed bliss.
She radiates a warmth reminiscent of my home star; her tangled, chestnut curls bounce in the wind and brush teasingly against her shoulders. There’s an ethereal quality to her – one that tugs at something deep within me. Suddenly, everything else fades away, and all I can focus on is her – the pink of her cheeks, the smile lines at the corner of her eyes, her aura of goodness. Everything about Leelee is captivating.
With her eyes closed and her lips curved in a slight smile, it makes me think of the look on her face the moment before we kissed. That kiss… On Cryzor, it would have been a forbidden act, not yet earned through acts of service to my people. I wonder if it is the same here. I now understand why some ofmy people gamble their lives for such intimacy. I would risk everything to feel Leelee’s lips against my own, even if only one more time.
When I know that I should be watching for danger, all my focus is on Leelee. It is my duty to keep her safe, so I force my attention back to our surroundings. My eyes scan back from the forest’s edge to my ship, flickering briefly to Leelee. I stare, unable to look away yet.
I am annoyed with myself. Another human could easily wander into the area, and I would be caught unaware because I am captivated by my rescuer.
“There’s the cabin and garage,” Leelee announces, pointing down the path. Her sweet, chirping voice carries through the forest as lovely as any bird, either on Earth or Cryzor. The sight of the small outbuilding, the ‘garage’ Leelee described, sparks a flare of hope within me. It appears large enough for my ship to fit entirely inside. I hadn’t paid the structure any attention when we left the cabin earlier, so I am relieved this will work out for us.
Leelee hops off the ship’s wing and lands on the ground before I can offer my assistance. Her curly hair bounces as she skips over to open the large bay door of the building. I watch her go, a fondness sparking in my chest. I remain alone for a moment with my starcraft before finally following Leelee to the temporary workshop.
