T’arq reached out, touching her shoulder as his eyes lightened to pale lilac. So light they almost disappeared into the whites of his eyes. “I want nothing to happen to you.”
“Well, isn’t that the theme of the day?” she muttered, looking at the ground and taking a deep breath. She pushed her shoulders back and tossed her head. “I am an adult and, yes, I have some issues being in space, but this shuttle is bigger—”
“Not by much.” He dropped his hand, grumbling.
“—and I can do this.” She refused to let him talk over her, taking a step to the side once more and, this time, making it around him and onto the cargo ramp.
“It’s not that I don’t think you can—”
“Then why? What am I to you?” She glared down at him from her elevated position on the ramp.
He didn’t answer, just stared up at her, lips pressed together in a thin line.
Laila appeared at the top of the ramp and cleared her throat. “Are you two done?”
Krystal turned away from T’arq and marched into the cargo hold. “Quite done, I think.”
