Page 29 of The Alien's Unwilling Bride

The genuine concern in Raelee’s voice coupled with Zora’s comforting presence, broke through Mila’s carefully constructedbarriers. She sank onto the edge of the healing bed, suddenly feeling the full weight of her exhaustion. “I don’t know. Everything’s... complicated.”

Raelee settled on one side of Mila as Zora began unpacking the food, the familiar scent of home filling the air. “Complicated how?” she probed gently.

Mila took a deep breath, organizing her thoughts. “It’s Roq,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “I think... I think I’m falling for him.”

Raelee’s eyebrows rose, but she remained silent, allowing Mila to continue. Zora, ever the optimist, beamed.

“And it terrifies me,” Mila admitted. “I’ve always prided myself on my independence, on putting my work first. But now, with Roq... I can’t stop thinking about him. About us. And I’m scared that if I let myself feel this way, I’ll lose who I am.”

Raelee squeezed her hand gently. “Oh, Mila. Love doesn’t have to mean losing yourself. It can be a partnership, a way to enhance each other’s strengths.”

Mila shook her head, frustration seeping into her voice. “But how? How do I balance my feelings for him with everything else? There’s so much at stake – Tharvis’s future, my research, the environmental crisis we uncovered. I can’t afford to be distracted.”

“Is that really what you’re afraid of?” Raelee asked softly. “Or is it about trusting someone again?”

Mila flinched, memories she’d tried to suppress bubbling to the surface. “You know why I can’t just... open up like that.”

Zora’s eyes filled with sympathy. “Jake,” she said simply.

Mila nodded, her jaw clenching. “He seemed so perfect. Charming, intelligent, interested in my work. I thought I could trust him.”

“And then he sold your story to the press,” Raelee finished, anger coloring her tone.

“Not just the story,” Mila said bitterly. “Those photos... They weren’t even risqué, just private moments I thought I was sharing with someone who cared about me. Suddenly, they were everywhere.”

Zora wrapped an arm around Mila’s shoulders. “Jake was a jerk, Mila. But Roq isn’t Jake.”

“I know,” Mila sighed. “Logically, I know that. But it’s not just Jake. Remember Samantha?”

Raelee groaned. “Your college roommate? The one who spilled all your secrets to that gossip blog?”

Mila nodded. “I thought she was my friend. I told her things I’d never told anyone else. And she just... sold me out. For what? Fifteen minutes of fame as the girl who knew the President’s daughter?”

“People can be awful,” Zora replied. “But, Mila, you can’t let a few bad experiences close you off forever. Especially not from someone like Roq.”

Raelee nodded. “You know, I went through something similar with Vex.”

Mila looked up, surprised. “You did? But you two are so... perfect together.”

Raelee laughed. “We are now. But there was a time when I was terrified to let him in. I kept thinking about all the ways it could go wrong, all the reasons I shouldn’t trust him.”

“What changed?” Mila asked.

“I realized that by not trusting him, I was already ruining our chance at happiness,” Raelee said. “I had to make a choice – keep my walls up and lose him or take a chance on love. It was the scariest decision I’ve ever made, but God, Mila, it was worth it.”

Zora grinned. “Plus, Vex is hot. That probably helped.”

Raelee swatted at her sister, laughing. “You’re terrible.”

Mila couldn’t help but join in the laughter. It felt good, a release of tension she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “You two are impossible.”

“That’s why you love us,” Zora said, sticking out her tongue.

As the laughter died down, Mila found herself smiling softly. “Do you remember when we were kids, and Dad had that big state dinner?”

Raelee groaned. “The one where I spilled punch all over the French ambassador’s wife?”

Zora giggled. “I forgot about that! Didn’t she call you a ‘petite catastrophe’?”

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