Page 128 of Veiled Vixen

“Have you ever done that before?”

She hesitates. “Well, you hugged me that one time.”

“That’s it? That’s the only time?”

She nods her head against my chest.

“That’s sad, Veila.”

“Look, I know I’m a freak. OK?” She tries to pull away but I keep her close.

“No, you’re not a freak. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m telling you that it’s sad that you’re all alone and I have all these people to choose from. I’m telling you that I want to be that person for you. And if I’m the only one, wow. I feel special. But my hope for you, Veila, is that one day soon you will wake up and realize that you have too many people who love you and some other, sad, unfortunate person is looking at your life with envy.”

She huffs. “That’s never going to happen. Everyone has made up their mind about me already.”

“Yeah, but… someone very wise just told me something true.”

“What did they tell you?”

“That time is the gift of new perspective.”

“Who told you that?”

“Baby. Just a little while ago. He thinks I should take a second look at you. See something else besides the person you were. Formulate a new perspective based on how you’ve helped rebuild a station that isn’t even your home.”

“He… did?”

I nod. “So you know, that whole ‘I’m your only friend’ thing I was just fantasizing about? Not gonna happen. You already have two. And this place is your home now. You put it back together.”

“We did,” she corrects me. “All of us.”

“Yes. We did. And I know that it’s not going to be easy for you going forward. When we wake everyone up from the time pause, they won’t have a new perspective yet.”

“I know. I think I’m just going to stay on my ship and out of the way.”

“No, that’s not the right answer. This is.” I lift up her shirt and slide my hand over her flat, warm stomach.

She gasps a little. And for a moment I can’t even recall the silver princess I first met in that video she made after we took over Lair Station.

And I suddenly realize what my problem is.

I want her to be brand new again. Pink and pure. Soft and scared. I want to erase her past and start over.

But that’s what’s really unfair about this situation. Not the fact that the bond exists and we don’t get to choose.

It’s me. I’m the one making this unfair.

Even if it were possible to erase her past—and who knows. Maybe it is? Stranger things have happened to me in the past few months—I should not want to erase her.

I should be strong enough to accept her.

My hand is still on her stomach and she’s still stiff. “OK, I think I figured it out.”

“Figured what out?” she whispers.

“Do I care that ALCOR killed millions of people thousands of years ago? Do I care that he is the reason that all this is happening to us?”

Veila props herself up on one elbow.