Page 28 of Obsessed

My chest tightens. "Right. Of course."

I retreat to my lab, the sterile white walls suddenly feeling more like a prison than a workspace. The calendar on my desk mocks me - only a little over a month until the transport arrives. A few weeks until everything changes, or more likely, nothing changes at all.

"Computer, pull up my preliminary findings." The holographic display flickers to life, showing months of careful documentation. "Cross-reference with known botanical databases."

"No significant matches found," the computer chirps.

I slam my hand on the desk. "There has to be something! Show me the cellular analysis from last week's samples."

The display shifts, but the results are the same as always. Nothing revolutionary. Nothing that will keep me from being shipped off to another remote post where I can't embarrass the company.

And I don't even have a handsome alien boyfriend to confide all this in. I don't know what's gotten into Davrik all of a sudden, but it seems he'd rather be interested in anything that isn't me.

And things were going so well, too. I'd thought after that night, with the waterfalls, and the couch…

No. I'm silly naïve little human Alice once again.

I grab my sample kit and shove it into my pack with more force than necessary. The equipment rattles in protest, but I don't care. My boots thump against the metal flooring as I stride toward the airlock.

"Computer, log field research expedition alpha-seven-nine." My voice comes out steadier than I feel. "Estimated return, six hours."

"Logged. Weather conditions are optimal. Temperature twenty-three degrees Celsius."

I pull on my protective gear, double-checking the seals more from muscle memory than actual attention. Through the common room window, I catch a glimpse of Davrik still absorbed in whatever's so fascinating on his tablet. Fine. Let him brood.

The airlock hisses open, and warm jungle air rushes in. The familiar scent of decay and growth fills my nose - this is what I'm here for. This is what matters. Not some temporary fling with a mysterious alien who clearly has better things to do.

"Research is the priority," I mutter, stepping onto the path. "Always has been."

The jungle welcomes me with its symphony of clicks and rustles. A six-legged creature scurries across my path, probably one of the local omnivores I cataloged last month. The dense canopy above filters the sunlight into dappled patterns on the ground.

I check my wrist display for the coordinates of my latest research site. The specimens there showed promise - unusual cellular structures that could revolutionize our understanding of xenobotany. If I can just focus on that instead of...

"Stop it," I tell myself firmly. "You're not some lovesick teenager. You're a scientist."

The path winds deeper into the jungle, and with each step, the station - and Davrik - falls further behind. Good. This is what I need. Just me, my research, and the fascinating ecosystem of Meltor IV. Everything else can wait.

I pull out my scanner and get to work.

The humidity clings to my skin as I trudge through the undergrowth. My scanner beeps steadily, but I barely register the readings. Every blue flower reminds me of his skin. Every rustle in the trees makes me think he's followed me out here.

"Focus, Alice." I adjust my pack. "The cellular degradation rates of the?—"

A dull ache throbs behind my sternum. It's been getting worse the further I walk from the station. Like someone's hooked a fishing line through my chest and keeps tugging.

"That's ridiculous." I rub the spot. "Probably just anxiety. Or indigestion from those weird fruits I tried yesterday."

But it doesn't feel like either of those things. It feels like... longing? But deeper, more primal. Like my body knows something my brain hasn't figured out yet.

"He's just some guy." My voice sounds hollow even to my own ears. "Some admittedly gorgeous, mysterious guy who happened to crash land here and?—"

The pain sharpens. I stop walking, press my hand harder against my chest.

"This is stupid. I'm acting like some teenager with her first crush instead of a trained scientist who?—"

A flash of movement gets my attention. Something small and fuzzy scurries across my path.

"Oh!" I jerk back, trying not to crush the creature. My boot catches on something thick and ropey. A vine? My arms windmill as I stumble backward. and to the side

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