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Marcus shrugged. “It was a misunderstanding. They know that. I’ll be out of here in no time.”
Karn shook his head. If Ivy truly thought this guy was a good idea, then they deserved each other. If he heard one more story about how amazing Marcus was and what a success he’d been on Earth, serious amounts of punching would happen, focused on Marcus’s face.
“You seem really interested in Ivy. You two aren’t an item, are you?” Marcus cocked his head as he looked at Karn. “You’re not exactly her type.”
“What type is Ivy into?”
“Me.”
Karn snorted. “I know Ivy well. I can’t believe she’d be into a drug user who lies.”
“She was. For a long time. I know Ivy better than anyone.”
“You know her so well that she abandoned you on Earth and started a new life here? That seems like a lot of effort, a clear signal she no longer wants you in her life.”
Marcus jumped to his feet. “It wasn’t like that, man. I made a few mistakes; that’s all. She’ll see sense. As soon as I get the chance to talk to her, we will patch things up and move on. I’m not leaving here until she agrees to marry me.”
“Maybe she’s interested in somebody else.”
“Like you?” Marcus shook his head. “Not possible.”
The whole time Karn and Marcus bantered, Strande sat quietly between them. He was a silent referee keeping them a safe distance apart. He occasionally groomed a spot on his fur as he listened to them.
Strande leaned back and yawned, displaying a row of sharp teeth. “You should let Ivy decide who she wants to be with. From what you’ve told me of her, this is a woman who knows her own mind. Let her decide if she wants either of you. You never know; she might have found herself a new guy whilst you’ve both been in here, a guy who doesn’t end up behind bars.”
Marcus grinned. “Ivy likes danger. She loves the unpredictable. She’d be bored with anything else.” His gaze slid to Karn.
“You’re the danger she’s after?” Karn said. “It sounds like she got tired of your kind of danger and has moved on.”
“To you? You’re seriously telling me the two of you are involved?” Marcus gestured at Karn.
“What if we are?”
“Then her taste has gone downhill since she arrived here.”
Karn stood slowly from his seat, his hands clenched. “Her taste is excellent.”
Marcus stood and took a step back. “You don’t know her like I do. I know everything there is to know about Ivy Blain. I know what makes her happy. It’s not you.”
“Prove it.”
Marcus snorted. “I need to prove nothing to you. For all I know, you could be lying about being involved with Ivy.”
“You could be lying about the same thing. What’s to say you aren’t some crazy human from Earth stalking Ivy?”
“I know her favorite food is chili flavored chips.”
Karn shook his head. “Not true. She doesn’t eat junk food.”
“She says she doesn’t. Ivy is as bad as everybody else. You check out her food supplies. Tucked away in the back will be a bag of chips. Guaranteed.”
“Everyone indulges at times. You could be talking about half the population on the station.”
“Okay, hotshot. What’s her favorite drink?”
Karn grinned. “Champagne.”
Marcus glared at him. “It’s most women’s favorite drink. What about her hobbies? What does she like to do?”
