Page 119 of Between Earth and Eternity
“If you have nothing to say, then at least I said my piece.” I stand to leave. “I expected more from you, Pace.” I start toward the door.
“Wait,” he calls out. I turn, and he runs a hand through his hair. “You’re right. About everything.”
I cock my eyebrow, waiting for more.
“I was disappointed, and I shouldn’t have taken it on you. I was wrong and . . . I’m sorry.” He looks down in defeat. I’m sure he still thinks this is a battle, and maybe it is, but we are not at war with each other, we are fighting on the same side.
“Thank you,” I say softly.
His mouth twitches, and he slowly smiles. “I should be thanking you for what you said in front of everyone about Laz and me. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. I still think of you two as my friends. I meant every word. I truly didn’t want to lose you, Payson, and I still don’t. ”
He blushes with a small grin edging his lips.
“So what do you say? Friends?” I hold out my hand in resolve.
His pale blue eyes look a little sad, but he manages another smile as he takes my hand. “Friends.”
I convince Payson and Laz to come to dinner at Lunar Landing with Ori and me for old time’s sake. They weren’t so sure at first, but after some slight begging, they caved.
“Might as well maintain the image,” Laz’s reply read on my StarComm.
Vallen sent me a message shortly after my conversation with Pace that he was pulled into an emergency meeting with his father and that he would find me later. I tried to not let it scare me. I’m sure those meetings happen all the time with a busy, important man like Alister.
Ori was thrilled to hear we had all made amends. There was a lot to catch up on from weeks apart. She didn’t waste a second in filling them in on all the singles group activities and eventually scolded all three of us for not coming to any of the outings as of late.
“I promise to be at the next one,” Laz swore with a hand over his heart.
It’s strange being inside now, knowing what Laz and Payson have been up to all these weeks—since before the day we all met as lucky Lottery winners all those weeks ago.
I can’t help but wonder if we’ll still be here for the next outing.
How easy it is to make and break promises when your life is a lie. What do you have to lose if, at any minute, you could be discovered, arrested, or killed?
Woah, San Fran. We don’t need to go that dark.Elliot’s voice continues to ring through my mind when I’m on the verge of spiraling. Maybe, by some miracle, my message will find its way to him. Elliot would fit in nicely in Nova . . . if he ever learns of its existence at all.
Our group’s conversation goes on for so long that we are kindly asked to leave by a crew member when they begin closing up for the evening.
When Ori and I settle back in our suite after saying goodbye to the guys, I check my StarComm, expecting a message from Vallen, but there is none. No news is good news, as they say, but a tinge of worry sinks into my stomach.
It’s nothing, I think to myself.
I flop onto the couch, and within minutes, I fall asleep. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until I had a moment to be still for a moment. So much happened in the past forty-eight hours, my body was begging for rest.
It feels like I’ve only closed my eyes for ten minutes when suddenly someone is whispering my name. “Skyler. Wake up,” the voice says, shaking my shoulders. I open my eyes as little as possible, squinting in the darkness, expecting to see Ori, but it’s not her; it’s Payson.
“Pace? How did you get into the suite?” I yawn, rubbing at my eyes.
“Laz has shared a few tricks over the years, but that’s not important. We have a problem.”
Sleep disappears and is replaced by fear.
Vallen. Where is he?
I scramble, searching for my StarComm.
“Skyler.” Payson grabs my hands, forcing me to look at him. “Alister knows. We need to leave now.”
