He laughed and guided me around. “Come watch this performance, you’ll love it.”
“Do you ever miss having someone hold you at night?” Tatiana asked as we lay in our beds, going to sleep as the sun rose.
“You mean having a boyfriend?”
“Yeah.”
“No.”
She snorted a laugh. “I could have guessed that.”
I smiled softly up at the ceiling. “Actually, I’ve been thinking lately about how it would be nice to have someone. Isn’t that strange? We’re on a foreign planet, it should be the last thing on my mind.”
“I don’t know about that. Wrapped in the arms of your love makes you feel safe, and having that right now would mean more than ever before.”
Sleep pulled at me, but I wanted to know what was bothering her. “What’s on your mind?”
“I just... sometimes I think, what if we had a real chance at life here?”
“Is that something you want?”
She was silent for a long moment and I thought she might have fallen asleep. “It depends on how things develop.”
“Well said.” I could get behind that line of thought. I drifted off.
When I woke, I groggily got to my feet. The time showed late afternoon. I’d gotten plenty of sleep but felt like I’d been dragged by a stampeding horse. Tatiana wasn’t in bed or in the living room, but Jaron’s door was closed, so I knew he must be here. Still sleeping, lucky jerk.
I don’t know how long I sat in the living room, but Jaron eventually stumbled out. “Good grief. I don’t know how they have the energy. It doesn’t matter how old they are, they have the stamina of a college student on spring break.” he mumbled.
I hummed my agreement.
“Did you make coffee?” he asked. I stared at him with half-lidded eyes. “Never mind. I’ll make you a cup too.”
“Thanks.” I was content to stay curled in the chair.
“Here.” He deposited both a mug and a folded paper in front of me.
“What’s this?” I picked up the paper. “Who uses paper anymore?” He gave me a look. “Besides me.” I amended.
“I don’t know, it was on the counter.”
I read aloud. “Everyone meet me at the top of the cliff as soon as you can. There is a small stairway to the right of the Northernmost park that leads to the top. Arrazyl.”
“It sounds urgent.”
“Yes. It says everyone, but I’d rather we find out what’s happening right away instead of waiting for Tatiana.” I pushed myself to my feet and took a gulp of the coffee before heading back into the bedroom to get changed.
The walk did me some good, slowly clearing my groggy mind. I hadn’t ever been a partier and the past week had wiped me out. I’d still loved it. I’d taken so many notes on cultural nuances I’d noticed, and the time with Arrazyl had been wonderful.
“I wonder why he didn’t just have someone get us and fly us up?”
“He took me to the top of the cliff before, but it was way over there”—I waved my hand in the direction I meant—“not right above the city.”
“Oh did he now?”
I narrowed my eyes up at my brother. “I’m not the one disappearing most nights these days.”
He held his hands up, conceding.
