He winced at the sound of Alura’s voice as she came skipping over toward him. That was all he needed right now.
Like another hole in his heart.
With a ragged breath, he braced himself to face her. “Yeah?”
“You okay?” She slowed down as she neared him.
“Fine.”
With a sympathetic frown, she placed a comforting hand on his arm. “Brandy told me about last night. You want me to give you a ride to your new post?”
Yeah, right. Ember would have a seizure on them both. While she might be pissed for the moment over some imagined slight, she’d hopefully calm down in a few days and get over it. But if she saw him with Alura that would guarantee that she’d never speak to him again. “It’s okay. My sister’s waiting.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry, Bastien. I just wanted you to know that if you need a friend, I’m here. Anytime.” She kissed his cheek.
Mumbling an insincere thanks, he quickly grabbed a transport and put as much distance between them as he could. One thing about Alura… she had a nasty habit of chasing after her sisters’ boyfriends for reasons only Alura knew. All of them wanted her head for it.
And he had enough problems with the world gossiping about his behavior. Be damned if he’d fuelthatfire. There wasn’t enough alcohol in the entire Kirovarian Empire and all her territories to make Alura appealing to him. Not enough alcohol in all the Nine Worlds for that matter.
I just need some time, Bas…
His gut tightened as he heard Ember’s voice from last night in his head again. It didn’t make sense. Everything had been golden between them. They’d been dating for a year and never had he been more sure of anything. They rarely fought, and never over anything major. Day and night, they were together and she’d seemed as eager for his company as he was for hers.
Until this.
Just trust in her. She’ll come around. You know she will. She loves you. You love her. Love wins over everything else.
As stupid as it sounded, he really believed that. Most of all, he really believed in her.
Few days and everything would be back to normal. She’d get over whatever was bugging her and they’d be planning their wedding.
All he had to do was be patient…
ALMOST TWO MONTHS LATER
“You unbelievable bastard!”
Bastien had barely stepped off the ladder of his fighter when he turned to find Ember in the hangar bay. Her cheeks flushed, she glared at him with fury in her eyes, making them all the greener. Honestly, he was so happy to see her here that he didn’t even mind the fact that she’d insulted him.
At least not until a second later when she unexpectedly kneed him straight in the groin.
Pain exploded through him as he dropped his helmet and doubled over, fighting against the sudden wave of nausea that threatened to send him to ground.
“You went out with my zusa?” She ground those words out from between her teeth in an effort to keep the fight between them. But it was too late. Half the bay had seen her assault and stood frozen in curiosity.
“Not what you think,” he managed to choke out past the pain.
“No?” She shoved a photo into his face that Alura had posted of them in the restaurant. One that had been picked up by a number of news agencies and broadcast all over. Ironic really that it had more coverage than the assassin’s attack on his mother two days ago, or the near miss he’d had himself just yesterday. “Guess I’m hallucinating, then.”
Cursing his stupidity, he righted himself even though all he really wanted to do was find an ice pack and a bed. “Why are you so mad anyway? I asked you before I did it.”
And that was definitely the wrong thing to say as it sent her off into a round of incoherent sputtering that resulted in the only recognizable words being pieces of vulgar profanity that would have gotten slapped had he let them fly.
But at least it got her talking to him again. This was the longest conversation they’d had since the night he asked her to marry him.
With one last choice insult for his manhood, she started off.
Bastien took her arm and gently pulled her to a stop. “Em—”
