Page 76 of Across The Stars
“Really?” she said.
I looked down at our hands and then pulled away from Vahko’s grip, feeling judged.
“You two were what? On a date when the freaking gek stormed this place?”
“What?” I said. “No, we—”
“Oh, stop, Innifer. Salukh told me everything.”
As if his name had called him forth, Salukh showed up behind Sam with a confused look on his face.
“I what?” he said.
“What are you talking about?” I asked Sam.
“Please. You know what I’m talking about. The surge thing. Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”
“I haven’t been avoiding you. You’ve been—"
“You’re my best friend and you abandon me for the first guy that gives you attention? Even if that guy is a freaking alien? Is this cuz Jason broke up with you?”
“Sam, stop.”
“You know,” she pressed her hand to her chest. “I’m freaking out. We’re on a goddamn alien planet and I’m stuck with this guy,” she pointed at Salukh, “while you’re fucking this one!”
Her words were turning heads and embarrassment hit me right in the gut. Salukh reached out and touched her arm as if trying to calm her down and she jerked away from him, storming off through the crowds.
“Uh,” Solukh said, shrugging his broad shoulders. “Look, she was panicking when she couldn’t find you in all this. She’s just wound up.”
I nodded, but her words still stung. Maybe I was a bad friend. I should have rushed to find her as soon as Vahko won the fight with the gek. Instead, I let my libido get in the way. Guilt ate me up inside because I was the one who’d convinced her to come to space with me. Now we were stuck in a strange place after nearly dying and she probably needed me more than ever.
I sighed, hugging myself and suddenly feeling the cold. Salukh cleared his throat awkwardly and then headed after Sam. I probably should have been the one to do that, but I was rooted in place, feeling her words too deep to chase after her. Slowly, I turned to Vahko, whose face was weighed down with sympathy.
What the hell were we doing? That was the question that went through my head every time we gave in to whatever was going on between us. It was so perfect at the time and then my mind exploded with doubts and confusion.
“I need to get in contact with my sister,” Vahko said softly, putting a hand on my arm.
“You have a sister?”
He nodded. “She left to speak with the Nexus just before you found me. I’d like to know that she is safe and she should know about the attack.”
“How did this place not know it was coming? Even the Nexus has drones that pick up on these things.”
He shook his head. “The gek seem to be finding new ways to avoid detection every day. I should find out how they did it this time. There’s a lot of business I need to take care of right now. I’ll take you to your room and you can rest and get cleaned up.”
I really didn’t want to leave his side, but Vahko was a captain. He was well versed in battles, attacks, fighting, and all that space stuff that I was completely oblivious to only weeks ago. So, reluctantly, I nodded and let him walk me to the room. When I entered, I noticed a stack of folded garments on the bed. I wasn’t sure who put them there or when, but I was anxious to get out of my wet clothing and into something more comfortable.
Vahko turned to leave as soon as we arrived, but took one last glance at me. It made him pause. I must have looked like a wet, lost little puppy because he quickly stepped back toward me, lifting a hand to my cheek.
“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “Your friend is scared, just like you.”
“She doesn’t have someone like you, though. She has Solukh and he just seems to piss her off. I should be with her.”
“Solukh will bring her around. He may not seem capable of calming her down, but trust he’ll find a way and he’ll bring her to you.”
“She doesn’t want to see me now. Didn’t you hear her?”
“She’s small. Solukh will carry her over his shoulder if he has to.”
