Page 27 of Avery

My eyes are wide, and my feathers stand on end because this is a delicate situation. I don't know how we got here, and I don't know how to get out of it.

"I was planning on it," I say, eyeing the entrance to the nest. "Would you like me to leave?"

"What?" Avery snaps and sits upright. "Now you want to leave?"

"I don't want to, but you're unhappy with me right now, so what is it that I can do to make you happy?" I ask, waving my hands around like it might help me better demonstrate just how lost I am right now.

Avery's anger seems to evaporate, and a look of hopelessness takes its place. I didn't think I'd ever want her anger back on me, but I'd much rather have that than whatever this sadness is. She rubs her eyes, and I hope there are no tears when she pulls away. Her lower lash is rimmed in red, and her eyes are misty, but there are no tears yet.

"It's not your job to make me happy," she says the words so softly that I think I'm misunderstanding.

Of course, I want to make her happy. She's my friend, a female I'd love to be more than friends with, if I'm being honest. It's my honor to make her happy.

"I think I should go," Avery says out of nowhere. My claws extend like I'm in danger, and my feathers stiffen even harder. I open my mouth to object, but Avery beats me to it. "Yeah, I need to go. This isn't fair to you. I'm sorry."

"Avery, wait," I call after her as she power crawls through the nest out the entrance.

I'm right behind her, wanting to grab her and pull her back into the dome with me. Whatever is wrong, we can fix it. I just need to know what's wrong so I can handle it. Avery doesn't stop to grab any of her belongings. She heads straight out the door into the sleeping ship.

"Avery," I whisper shout her name, following after her.

"Phial, I'm going to the sanctuary tonight. You can sleep in the nest. I've already taken it from you enough," Avery says, not turning around to face me.

I can hear the tears in her voice, and it breaks my heart. How did the night go from so good to so bad in a matter of seconds?

"It's your nest." I weakly attempt to convince her to return to it. She doesn't turn around. She doesn't open her arms to me and tell me I'm right. She keeps walking. "Avery, please."

She spins around at that and holds up a hand to keep me from getting too close to her. "I rely on you too much. You give me your room and nest, and you spend all your time with me. I have nothing to offer you. I can't keep being a burden on you. It's going to ruin our friendship, and I'll never forgive myself if I let that happen."

"So you're what?" I ask, lifting my arms and motioning between us. "You're going to stay in the sanctuary, not talk to me, not tell me what's bothering you? Why? If we're friends like you say we are, why are you not letting me be your friend? I'll fix things for you as I would for Alik or Jovi or Essa. They don't run from me when I try, so why do you?"

"Because I don't want to be your friend, Phial!" Avery shouts the words at me, probably loud enough to wake the whole crew.

We've only a few minutes before the others are up and wondering what the commotion is. Avery covers her mouth, surprised at herself for the words coming out. I can't say that I'm not surprised either. I'm surprised, heartbroken, defeated. Any negative emotion I'm feeling to some degree.

"I see." I nod, taking a deep swallow of emotions that are now attempting to constrict my throat.

"No, you don't." Avery wipes the tears from her face, her eyes taking on a hard quality that I'm not used to seeing from her. "I don't want to be your friend because I want more."

Of course, as soon as my spirits are lifted, my mood rejuvenated, and my entire reason for existing uplifted, Essa comes out into the hall, sees one of her friends crying, and tries to help. Essa steps between us, wiping away some of the sleep from her eyes. She's not trying to pick sides. If anything, she's trying to figure out why we're arguing and what she can do to make us not.

But while Essa is separating us, waking up much too slowly, Avery takes the opportunity to sprint out of the ship. Essa, in her sleepy confusion, holds her hands up to keep me from chasing after her.

"You don't understand," I hiss at Essa, wanting her to let me go so I can track Avery down and tell her I want her as more than a friend as well. That I've always wanted more with her.

Maybe it's the conviction in my voice or the look in my eye, but Essa moves out of my way, letting me chase after the human female I want to be mine. The only obstacle in my way will be an angry Jia, but I'm sure I can win her over.

Maybe.

thirteen

Avery

I'm making a mess of things. An absolute mess.

Things were going great with Phial and me. Why did I have to ask him to come into the nest, and why did I have to get all butthurt when he chose to sleep far away from me?

This is all so stupid, and I blame the Rytharian hormones still coursing through my system. I need to get laid. That's all there is to it. I'm latching on to Phial so hard because he's the male I'm around most often. Of course, I'm going to grow attached to him when my biological makeup is telling me to procreate every moment of every day.

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