Page 60 of Hyperspeed
She glanced between Kai and me, confused and maybe a little uncomfortable. I didn’t want to fuck up the interview any more than I already had, so I forced a very small, very fake smile onto my face.
“No,” I said, forcing my jaw to unclench. “It’s fine.” Kai raised an eyebrow, but ever the professional, he didn’t call me out in front of Lisa.
“It’s my fault,” she cut in. “I was running late this morning, and I forgot to call you to push our time back.”
“It’s all good,” Kai replied like it was no big deal. “I can come back in a bit.”
“Don’t be daft. Just take a seat at the end.” Leanne motioned to the empty chairs before turning back to me. “If that’s alright with you, Rev? It might make you feel less nervous having someone else in the room. Someone you’re well acquainted with.”
I could’ve laughed at the accuracy of her statement. She didn’t know just howwell acquainted I was with Kai—specifically, his naked body.
But having Kai in the room wouldn’t make me feel less nervous. Irritated, maybe.
“Aw, you feeling nervous, Revvy?” he drawled, voice syrupy sweet and dripping with condescension. “Interviews are easy. Just open your mouth and let it allspill out.”
Were his words supposed to sound so filthy?
He sat down, slipping off his sunglasses with a practiced flick. It revealed the mischievous gleam in his eyes, and I had to bite down on my tongue. The fucker was teasing me, trying to rattle me.
“So, Rev,” Lucy said, pulling my attention away from Kai. “You said your home was cramped?”
I took a deep breath, doing my best to ignore Kai when he turned his chair in my direction. How he sprawled out like a king on his throne, his right ankle resting on his left knee. The way one arm of his sunglasses rested against his plush lower lip, right beside the red mark left by my teeth.
“Yeah,” I started, my voice rougher than before. “I grew up on Zyphar, and we lived in a two-bedroom apartment. My family still lives there; they just don’t have me camped out on the sofa anymore.”
“You didn’t have your own room?” Lynette frowned. From the corner of my eye, I saw Kai sit up straighter, listening intently.
“We couldn’t afford a three-bed, and landlords aren’t lining up to rent to a family of Iskari. I guess they thought we’d go extinct before the end of the lease.” I tried for humour, but it landed with a thud. The silence in the room was so heavy I could hear muffled conversations drifting up from the hotel lobby.
“That sounds . . .” Loretta started, trailing off.
“Rough,” Kai finished. I couldn’t discern the tone of his voice, but I also couldn’t look his way to confirm.
I was scared of what I might find. I wasn’t sure what would be worse—his eyes gleaming with amusement at my rocky childhood, or brimming with pity.
“I didn’t have a difficult home life or anything, not really,” I blurted. I didn’t want them to think I was neglected. “My family worked as hard as they could, but it’s difficult for the Iskari.”
“Can you explain how?” Kai asked.
This time, I felt brave enough to look, and the earnest expression on his face surprised me. He wasn’t being nosy, asking me to justify myself.
No, it sounded like he wanted to understand.
What was that about?
“Well, after the destruction of Iskanya—way before my time, obviously,” I added with a dry huff of laughter, hoping to cut through the tension with a bit of levity. “Iskari numbers were lower than ever. They’ve climbed over time, but they’re still low enough for us to be classed as critically endangered. I mean, I’d love to see us upgrade to just endangered, or even vulnerable, in my lifetime, but since we’re spread so thin across the galaxy, some Iskari go their whole lives without meeting another who isn’t part of their family.”
“That’s heartbreaking,” Lily whispered, and I returned my gaze to hers.
“It is. But in a way, it’s also incredible.” I leaned back in my chair. “Let’s put it this way. You’re human, right?” I gestured to Lucinda.
“Yes.”
“Could you imagine the possibility of never meeting another human who you’re not related to?”
“Honestly,” she started, eyes wide. “I couldn’t.”
“Exactly,” I continued. “I don’t think people understand how it feels to be so . . . isolated, especially when you’re different from everyone else. How lonely it can feel when you don’t have someone who can relate to you.
