Page 77 of Malliko
CHAPTER 22
The Mistake of Involving Tania
Malliko
I was relieved once I got Clara out of her neighborhood and back to my apartment.
She was quiet and as we entered my place, she looked like she wasn’t sure that she made the right decision to come here.
“Make yourself comfortable. Are you hungry?” I asked while walking into my bedroom, setting down the few bags of clothes she had brought with her.
“I shouldn’t be here.”
“What did you say?” I asked as I walked back into the open living room and saw her make herself small.
“It’s kind of you that you want to help, but…” Her eyes were darting around. “With everything you told me I’m not even sure you’re right in your head. I think I got scared because of the shooting and that’s why I made this irrational decision to come with you.”
Moving to stand in front of Clara, I waited for her to meet my eyes. “I get that it’s confusing to you, but I promise you that I told you the truth. How about you sit on the couch while I talk to Tania and tell her that you’re here now.”
Clara watched me with her eyebrows furrowed and a stern expression on her face. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and her feet slightly apart in a defensive stance. With the way her eyes narrowed and she stared directly at me, I got thefeeling that she wished she could read my mind. “And you’re a hundred percent sure that Tania isn’t your fiancée?”
“Yes.” I kept my answer short because the best way to convince her would be for her to hear it from Tania directly and that was exactly what I was aiming for.
Clara didn’t move to the sofa. She kept standing in the same spot when I went to knock on the connecting door. At first, Tania didn’t open, but I kept knocking and finally the door swung open.
I made sure to block Tania’s vision of Clara so that she only saw me. Not messing around or wasting time on small talk, I asked. “Why did you tell Clara that we were together?”
Tania stood with bare feet, tight shorts, and a pink tank top that made me think she had done some sort of exercise. Blowing hair from her forehead, she lifted her chin. “Because unlike you I actually care about other people’s feelings. I don’t want her getting hurt.” Pointing a finger at me she sharpened her tone. “I told you from day one that you needed to stay away from human women.”
“You don’t get to decide for everyone else just because you got burned. What if the thing Clara needed from me was physical, and I could somehow help her reconnect to her sensuality? A relationship doesn’t have to be long to be good. People impact each other in different ways and Clara and I had something good that you decided to destroy.”
Popping her hip to one side, Tania raised her voice. “I doubt she would want anything to do with you if she knew that you’re not even human.”
“Maybe you’re right. I never planned to tell her that, but then she blocked me after your little chat. That forced me to explain that I hadn’t been lying to her.”
Gaping, Tania took a second before she exclaimed in an incredulous tone, “You told her you’re alien?” Tania’s horror wasright there on her face. “You can’t do that. Are you out of your mind?”
“I did. And the thing is that while I was at Clara’s apartment, people started shooting outside and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her in a place like that which is why Clara will stay here with me for now.”
Tania opened the door wider. “Malliko, I get that you’re upset, but you’re not thinking clearly. You can’t live with a human. You need to tell her not to come.”
“Too late. She’s already here.” Turning my head, I moved my body a little, letting Tania see more of my apartment. “Say hi, Clara.”
Clara stood where I had left her looking like she wanted to sink into the floor and disappear.
Leaning to the side to see past me, Tania smacked her tongue. “Seriously? You two are more doomed than our ancestors. I’ve tried to warn you, but you’re straight up sabotaging my attempts at helping you.” Throwing her hands up she gave me a disappointed glare. “You’re digging your own professional grave. I might as well tell you that I’ve reported you to my contact person at the Federation.”
“Yes, I know that.”
Her head jerked back. “You know? What do you mean?”
“I got called back to the ship today. I had to explain myself to a team of cultural defense specialists. From my memories they were able to determine that I didn’t violate or coerce a human like you accused me of doing.”
Tania opened her mouth and then closed it again. Crossing and uncrossing her arms, she shifted her weight. “You went back already?”
“Yes. And no charges were filed against me.”
“But…” Leaning to the side again, she looked to Clara. “She told me you had oral sex.”
