Page 32 of Sachie's Hero

Her heartbeat fluttered and then raced, pumping blood through her veins so fast it made her lightheaded. “Yes. I am.”

“Hopefully, I saved you some hot water. I was about to sit outside my room on the upper deck and thought you might like to see what it’s like out here, where there’s so little light pollution.” He grinned. “And there’s an overhang over the balcony that would make it hard for a drone to drop down on top of you.”

She glanced down at her clothes.

“But you’re on the way to the shower.” He stepped back. “Don’t let me stop you. It felt good to wash off the smell of smoke. When you’re done, if you feel like it, you could join me. I’ll still be out there.” Teller gave her a brief nod and disappeared through the door to his room, closing it behind him.

For a moment longer, Sachie stared at the door, trying to decide whether she wanted to postpone the shower and join Teller immediately, take the shower and join him afterward, or be smart, shower and go straight to bed.

She chose to get her shower and think about options two and three while she washed away the stench of smoke from her hair and skin. After drying off, dressing and brushing the tangles from her hair, she left the bathroom and crossed the hall to her room. As she did, she glanced toward Teller’s closed bedroom door, no closer to making up her mind to join him on the upper deck or going straight to bed.

Inside her bedroom, she dropped her dirty clothing in a heap next to her suitcase and walked over to the French doors that led out onto the upper deck that wrapped around the ranch house.

As he’d said he would, Teller sat in a chair, looking out at the night sky.

Before she could think too hard about the pros and cons of spending the evening stargazing with Teller, she gripped the doorknob, twisted it and stepped out on the deck, barefoot and braless beneath the oversized T-shirt.

Teller glanced her way. “I’ve never seen the Milky Way as clearly as tonight. Check it out.”

Sachie sank into the chair beside him and stared out at the night sky filled with so many stars it looked unreal, and Teller was right. The Milky Way spread across the heavens as if someone with a giant brush had painted a swath of sparkling magic to the south. Sachie sat back and absorbed the wonder, awestruck at the brilliance of nature.

For a long time, they sat in silence. Sachie never felt awkward that they didn’t say a word. The night air was decidedly cooler than earlier, making her nipples pucker. She crossed her arms over her chest, lest Teller cast a glance her way and notice the points created against the soft fabric of the T-shirt.

He didn’t say anything.

Eventually, she relaxed and gave in to the peace and beauty.

“I never get tired of the skies over Hawaii,” Sachie whispered.

“Did you grow up outside the light pollution?” Teller asked.

Sachie shook her head. “No. I escaped the light pollution as much as I could. I lived in a house on the side of a hill. When I couldn’t handle life at home a moment longer, I’d climb the hill and drop down over the other side. I couldn’t completely escape the lights, but it was much better on that side of the hill. I could see the stars and a little of the Milky Way—not like I can now, but enough to give me hope.”

“Did you need hope?” he asked, his voice gentle in the darkness.

“I did,” she responded. “I know exactly how Luke felt that day in my office. I swore that if I made it to adulthood, I’d do everything in my power to help kids know that they aren’t alone, that things can get better.”

Teller turned toward her, the light from the stars glinting off his eyes. “Like they did for you?”

She nodded and then laughed. “Well, until recently.”

“We’ll find the guy,” Teller said.

Sachie sighed. “This view gives me hope. Witnessing something this beautiful and vast can’t be a once-in-a-lifetime event. I’d like to be around to see it again.”

Teller reached out a hand. “And you will.”

She laid her hand in his. “Promise?”

“Damn right.” He closed his fingers around hers and held her hand for another ten or fifteen minutes.

Sachie lost track of time, preferring to live in the moment. If she could, she’d stay there for the rest of the night. It beat going to bed and sinking into the nightmare sure to haunt her in her sleep.

All too soon, Teller squeezed her hand gently and said, “We should call it a night. Our flight leaves early, and I want to be there at least an hour early.”

Sachie didn’t express the disappointment she felt, nor the trepidation roiling in her gut at the idea of closing her eyes. She let Teller draw her to her feet and, surprisingly, into his arms.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I hope you sleep well.”

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