It was a short while later, showered and dressed in a clean uniform, that Domik approached the medical tent. He pushed a hand through his hair, stopping when he touched the tightly braided strands.
For the first time in days, he felt clean. Truly clean. He had shaved the stubble from his face, cleaned what felt like a thousand layers of dirt and grime from his skin and even filed back his fingernails and applied a cologne that T’arq had offered to him.
He figured it couldn’t hurt, but now, catching a sniff of himself, he wasn’t so sure.
I smell like a bouquet was dunked in a bottle of whiskey.
Grimacing, he took a breath and pushed on, ducking inside the medical tent.
He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the changed light inside, as he looked around for CJ.
Most of the stretchers were now empty, neatly folded blankets on the end and a single clean, white pillow stacked on top. They were arranged in neat rows, the orderly appearance at odds with the chaos of earlier in the day.
Domik strode across the tent, toward the center where a group of human and Taurean medical staff were talking. As he approached, their conversation broke off, and they turned to stare.
But he had eyes only for the blonde woman who had her back to him. She was the last to turn, looking over her shoulder and smiling broadly when she spied him.
His heart lurched in his chest, and if there was any doubt in his mind, it was quelled.
I love you.
His whole being screamed with the emotion and it was a wonder to him that everyone around didn’t fall over at the extreme feelings that shot through him.
CJ strode toward him, and a huge smile lit his face as he met her in the middle of the tent. He ignored the onlookers and dropped to one knee in front of her, taking her hand in his. Her eyes widened in shock as she lifted her other hand to cover her mouth.
“Dom?” she whispered, clutching his hand tightly. “What are you doing?”
He smiled slightly, their heads almost the same height as he kneeled before her. “Clodagh, I have something I need to tell you.”
“Oh.” Her face paled as her hand dropped away to clutch at his. “What’s wrong?”
Domik swallowed and steeled himself before saying, “I lied to you, Clodagh.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I lied to you,” he repeated. He looked down at their joined hands before continuing. “Or I may as well have. I didn’t actually lie to your face, but I let you believe something that wasn’t true.”
She tilted his head to one side, lifting a finger to her lips in mock deep thought. “Did you kick a puppy?”
“What? No. Of course not.” He shook his head.
She lifted an eyebrow. “Did you hurt someone on purpose? Apart from all those Xakul, I mean?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Then what could be so bad?”
He squeezed her hand gently. “I never had to stay on the Zataras.”
“Huh?” She shook her head and blinked rapidly, as if that would make sense of his words.
“I was offered a position on Taurus months ago. As chief weapons designer for the Taurean fleet.”
“Why do you think this means that you lied to me?”
“I never told you the truth about why I stayed.”
She smiled.
