Page 44 of He Will Always Love Me

“We were,” he rasps, crawling to meet me in the middle.

The pain takes my breath away, keeping me from saying anything more until I’m curled up in his arms. “We found each other before. We can do it again.”

He lets out what is likely meant to be a huff of laughter, but it comes out more like a gurgle. “Better luck next time?”

I let out a weak laugh. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.” His breathing slows and then stops.

I stare up at the stars, the infinite expanse of the universe, and watch as the lights blink out one by one. As places to die go, it’s not so bad.

Until next time, my love.

CHAPTER 23

HYX

“Hey, Elyzin. Do you want to stop in at the Dead Reaper after work today?” I call down the long corridor, knowing Elyzin won’t be able to resist a quick drink at our local bar on the way home.

“Have I ever let you down?” he calls back. “I hope that new bar attendant is working tonight. She’s damn hot.”

I laugh. She’s a young human girl. She only started there a week or so ago, and she’s taken a real shine to Elyzin. She keeps calling him Golden Boy because his golden skin is darker than everyone else’s here on Kilgar. I have to admit, he does look a lot like one of the depictions of the gods from the old days. I wonder if he polishes those massive pecs of his every day when he gets up.

It’s been a boring week here at Fenwilde Lab. Normally we get out with a shipment or two, but nothing has been shifting for a while. So it’s been a lot of standing around which is the downside to being a security guard. I’m itching to get off work and blow off some steam.

“Sorry I’m late,” says my relief shift worker an hour later as she walks over. “The kids were acting up again.”

It’s the usual excuse. Marta is an Odex, and despite her regular tardiness I can’t help liking her. Her blue fur is always a little disheveled, and her uniform is rarely pressed. But her eyes are kind, and she never says a bad word about anyone.

“No worries, Marta,” I say. “I’m sure Elyzin is already keeping the bar attendant amused without me.”

“He’ll get himself in trouble one day if he’s not careful.” She laughs. “He’ll find himself hitched with a couple of little ones clutching each ankle. That would slow him down a bit.”

“The way he plays the field, that could easily be with two different women. That would sort him right out.”

As predicted, Elyzin has already made it to the bar without me. There is always a large group at The Dead Reaper Inn at this time of day. They serve traditional Kilgari food for the workers at the lab when they knock off.

I order a glimworm stew from the automaton. I love glimworm season. The long, fat, glimworms feed on the ocean floor at depths that make them impractical to harvest most of the year. Then in the spring, they all come to the surface to mate. The Dead Reaper’s specialty at this time of year is fresh glimworms, cooked to perfection in a spicy sauce.

With my precious glimworm stew in one hand and a Kilgari brew in the other, I go to join my friends. It’s a good life, but I can’t help but feel there’s something missing.

“Hey,” calls Elyzin as the new attendant walks past. “I’ll have to make a complaint to the management if they’re going to hire people as beautiful as you. I’ll never be able to leave!”

She rolls her eyes and keeps walking.

“That was terrible.” I groan. “You know you’re going to die alone with lines like that?” I may be cringing inside, but I’m pretty sure she will be in his bed within the week.

Elyzin is my oldest friend, but he really should come with a warning tattooed on his forehead. He seems to believe he is entitled to whatever, or whoever, he wants. Rarely is he proven wrong, which is sometimes to my amusement and sometimes to my annoyance.

I finish my stew and leave. I don’t need to see him in action tonight.

My apartment isn’t huge. I could afford something much better on the wages Fenwilde Lab pays, but I like to put my money away. One day, when I meet the woman of my dreams, I want to be financially secure so I can treat her right.

I have a small VR Holo-deck in the spare room, so I set up a fight sequence to keep me fit and in shape. I set the difficulty level at hard, still feeling like I have excess energy to burn after my dull day at work.

I step into the Holo-circle and immediately I’m surrounded by a thick jungle. I have a laser sword in each hand. I drop into a fighter’s crouch. There is a path ahead of me. Cautiously I follow it, my senses alert for attack.

A twig breaks off to my left. It’s a small sound amidst the screech of jungle animals and the chitter of insects. But every fiber of my being tenses to listen, ready for the attack.

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