Page 33 of Revealed

"I'm Bryce," the man said, still looking a bit startled. "Allie's best friend. We met before, but things were a bit crazy. “ His gaze traveled up and down me. “You look different.”

“I am no longer working undercover, so to speak.”

Bryce blinked quickly. “You were a spy?”

“No, I procured tribute brides.”

Bryce made a sound in the back of his throat. “Of course you did. Who would mind being abducted by you?” Then he seemed to remember he was speaking out loud and his cheeks flushed. “Anyway, I’m assuming you’re here for Drex?"

I looked up, confused. Why was the man talking about my home world? “Drex?"

Bryce gestured to the dog. "That's what Allie named him."

I had to suppress a laugh. Of all the names she could have chosen, she'd picked that one? I was not sure if I should beflattered to have a dog named after my illustrious planet, but I decided to take it as evidence that Allie still thought of me.

I stood as Drex leaned against my legs. “Actually, I’m here to see Allie."

The change in Bryce's expression was immediate. His brow furrowed as he leaned back and drew in a quick breath.

"Oh," he said softly. "Oh, no. She's gone."

My heart stuttered in my chest. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

Bryce wrung his hands, looking everywhere but at me. “She signed up to be a tribute bride. She left to be matched with one of you guys on that space station."

The words hit me like a physical blow. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. Allie had gone to the Boat? To be matched with a Drexian?

"When?" I managed to ask, my voice sounding strange and distant to my own ears.

"A few days ago. She was excited, but she also said she was coming back. I guess with your new system, brides can return to Earth if it doesn’t work out.”

I didn’t correct him, but I did not think that was the way things worked now. Once a female signed a contract, even as a volunteer, she was committed to a Drexian match. That meant Allie had committed to be matched with a Drexian. She hadn't waited for me to return. She hadn't even tried to find me. She'd signed up and left.

Drex nudged my hand, whining softly as if he could sense my distress. I knelt down again, burying my face in his soft fur as I tried to steady my racing heart. I was not surprised that I didn’t see Allie’s cat, who preferred hiding, but I sensed that the creature was eying me from someplace safe.

"I'm sorry," Bryce said, his voice gentle. "I thought…well, I hoped you might be the reason she was so eager to go. But I guess…”

He trailed off, but I understood. I guess I was wrong, I finished silently.

"Thank you," I mumbled, giving Drex one last pat before standing. "Thank you for telling me."

I turned to leave, my legs like lead. Each step away from Allie's building, away from the last connection I had to her, was agony.

As I stepped onto the street, the sunlight seemed too bright, the sounds of the town too loud. Everything that had seemed wonderful and exciting just moments ago now felt hollow and meaningless.

I'd come all this way, risked everything, only to find that Allie had moved on without a second thought. She was probably already on the Boat, being matched with some other Drexian, starting her new life.

A life that didn't include me.

I wandered aimlessly through the streets, barely noticing the curious looks I received. My chest felt tight, each breath a struggle. Is this what humans meant when they talked about heartbreak? If so, I didn't understand how they survived it.

As I passed the bookstore again, those magazine covers seemed to mock me. "Find Your Perfect Drexian Match!" one proclaimed cheerfully. I turned away, unable to look at them anymore.

What was I supposed to do now? Go back to the Boat? Pretend everything was fine? The thought of returning to my old life, of potentially seeing Allie with another Drexian, made me feel physically ill.

But I couldn't stay here either. Earth held nothing for me now, just painful reminders of what could have been.

Chapter

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