Page 26 of The Alien's Runaway Bride

The mental image of petite, bubbly Maya squaring up against Vex was so absurd that Raelee couldn’t help but laugh. It was a fragile sound, teetering on the edge of a sob.

“He’s gone,” Raelee said quietly when she’d regained control. “This morning, I guess. Didn’t even say good-bye.”

“Thatbastard,” Maya hissed. “I’ll kill him. I swear, Rae, I’ll?—“

“It’s not—“ Raelee interrupted, then stopped. She took a deep breath. “It’s complicated.”

“Uncomplicate it for me,” Maya said, her tone softening. “Talk to me, Rae. What’s going on in that stubborn head of yours?”

Raelee looked out the window, watching a couple walk hand-in-hand down the sidewalk. The man said something, and the woman threw her head back in laughter. The sight made Raelee’s heart ache.

“I…I’m in love, May,” she whispered.

The admission hung in the air between them, heavy with implications.

“Oh, honey,” Maya’s voice was full of sympathy. “I’m so sorry. Also, your timing sucks.”

A startled laugh burst out of Raelee. “Gee, thanks.”

“Hey, I’m just saying,” Maya continued, a smile evident in her voice. “You couldn’t have fallen for, I don’t know, the pizza delivery guy? At least then we’d get free breadsticks out of the deal.”

“Maya!”

“What? I’m just trying to find the silver lining here.”

Raelee shook her head, feeling some of the tension leave her body.

“So,” Maya said after a moment, her tone turning serious again. “What are you going to do?”

Raelee sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I mean, I know I have to go back. And I don’t even know his full name. I have responsibilities. I have to face my parents, deal with... everything. But...”

“But you’d rather get a root canal than listen to your dad’s greatest hits speech about duty to the nation?” Maya supplied helpfully.

“God, don’t remind me,” Raelee groaned. “I swear, if I have to hear one more time about howan Arison always puts country first, I might actually scream.”

“Well,” Maya said, a mischievous note creeping into her voice, “we could always stage a coup. I bet we could take the White House if we had enough cupcakes and a really good playlist.”

Despite everything, Raelee found herself grinning. “I’m pretty sure that’s treason, May.”

“Only if we get caught,” Maya shot back. Then, more softly, “Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

Raelee shook her head, even though her friend couldn’t see it. “No, I... I need to do this on my own. I’m heading back. I just needed a minute to... I don’t know. Breathe, I guess.”

“Okay,” Maya said slowly. “But promise me you’ll come see me before you go home. I’ve got a fresh pint of Chunky Monkey with your name on it.”

“You had me at Chunky Monkey,” Raelee said, managing a small smile. “Thanks, May. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Probably make much worse life decisions,” Maya quipped. “I mean, more than usual.”

“Hey!”

“Love you too, babe. Drive safe, okay?”

Raelee ended the call, feeling both better and worse. The reality of her situation was sinking in, but at least she wasn’t facing it entirely alone.

As she finished her coffee, Raelee allowed herself one last moment of self-pity. She imagined an alternate reality where she wasn’t Raelee Arison, daughter of the President, bride-to-be in an intergalactic arranged marriage. In that alternate world, she was just Raelee, a normal girl who could fall in love with a mysterious stranger and follow her heart without worrying about the fate of two planets.

But that wasn’t her world. And wishing wouldn’t make it so.

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