Page 28 of The Love Simulation

As Jordan fights for his life, I feel a little bad for complaining. We have weeks ahead of us. If our first space walk is already fraught with fighting, the library is doomed.

“Okay,” I say with a sigh. “I think we can handle fifteen minutes. But then that’s it.”

There’s a little grumbling (well, a lot from Angie), but everyone agrees.

Roman and I continue our wayward path up a small hill, and for the umpteenth time, I glance at the scanner in his hands. I don’t even know how he ended up with it. I should’ve been the one holding it. That way, if nothing showed up for the rover, at least I would know it wasn’t because ofmesabotaging it. What if Roman did see something on the scanner and simply neglected to say anything? For all I know,we’ve passed the rover ten times by now and Roman is quietly letting us walk ourselves into exhaustion.

I lean forward so I can look at the scanner with my own eyes. But Roman is holding it in his left hand while I’m on his right side. I’m forced to stretch farther than I normally would to see through the helmet, and then it happens. I don’t watch where I’m going and end up tripping over my boots.

As I let out a quick scream, Roman reaches for me, but it’s too late. The world starts spinning as I roll down the hill. When I finally come to a stop, I land face up, staring up at the domed panels, which have taken on a butterscotch color.

“Brianna!” Roman says as I hear him making his way down.

The concerned voices of my other crewmates also come through as they try to check up on me.

“I’m fine,” I say when I catch my breath. Embarrassed, but alive. “I just fell down a hill. No biggie.” I try to get up, but with the suit on I’m like a sad little turtle stuck on its shell.

A second later Roman is looming over me. “Are you okay?” The note of concern in his voice is way too convincing to be fake. “Here, let me help you up.”

I reach for his outstretched hand, and he pulls me up. Or at least tries to. Maybe he underestimates how much weight the suit has added to me, or maybe he simply loses his footing in the sand. But in a matter of seconds, we’re both on the ground.

I look at Roman’s stunned face and giggle. After a few seconds, his laughter joins mine. When we finally stop, tears that I have no way of reaching run down my face, tickling my cheeks, and my face aches from smiling.

“That did not go how I envisioned it in my mind,” Roman finally says.

“You mean this wasn’t your way of trying to lie up with me?” I tease.

In a flash, his demeanor switches from playful to smoldering. “Naw, your boy’s game is a little smoother. If I was trying to lie up with you, it wouldn’t be in a pile of dirt,” he says, and a rush of heat overtakes me. I’m curious as to what kind of game he’s got.

“Just what kind of game are we talking here?” Angie interrupts, reminding me that we’re not alone.

I open my mouth to respond, but thankfully Simone distracts everyone when she comments about picking up a signal. I forget too quickly around him when I’m supposed to have all my guards up. I turn away so I’m looking straight up at the ceiling. Roman doesn’t say anything, and we lie there a few more moments until he manages to get himself up. When his shadow falls over me this time and he reaches out, his grip is strong and unwavering, allowing him to pull me up all the way.

“Eureka!” Simone yells. “We found the little sucker!”

With the missing rover found, we can finally head back to the Hab.

“Nice going, ladies,” I say when we all meet up at the hatch.

Angie opens the hatch and Jordan walks in, carrying the robot like a hard-won trophy.

Before I can follow everyone in, I hear a gasp and turn back around to Roman.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

He doesn’t say anything, but ominously points up.

I brace myself, prepared to face whatever the simulation has in store for us. I follow the invisible line fromRoman’s gloved finger to just above the door and see it—a spider.

A glance from the spider to Roman confirms he’s scared. Terrified even. Aww.

“What’s the holdup?” Angie asks. “I’m ready to take this suit off and relax.”

I open my mouth to tell them about the spider, then reconsider. I don’t trust Roman here, but I don’t want to embarrass him.

“Hold on, we’ll be right there,” I say.

Not wanting to scare the others, I can’t very well tell Roman that it’s a wolf spider and will leave him alone as long as he doesn’t mess with it. I reach for the scanner and tug it out of Roman’s grip, then tug on his hand. Only then does he tear his gaze away from the spider and look at me.

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