Page 65 of Between Earth and Eternity
“I’m sorry I’m so difficult to control. That I don’t fall in line like everyone else,” I bite with sarcasm. I am far from sorry, especially to anyone who has worlds in the palm of his hand.
The smile fades from his lips as he looks intently into my eyes. “I think, depending on thesituation, you would happily give up your control to me.”
My jaw drops. “How dare you.” I seethe, standing.
He does the same seconds later, taking a step forward, but I hold my ground.
Was this all some game? I should have never opened my mouth. I guess I haven’t learned my lesson.
But neither has he, apparently, because he continues, “Maybe you would be impressed with me then? If you gave me complete control. What would it take to impress you, Skyler?” I swallow nervously and stop breathing altogether when he takes a step closer. It’s not fair that his questions stun me to silence. It seems he is the only one who makes me speechless, and I think he knows that as well. “Because, after all, I’m just a pathetic, lonely, rich boy, right?” His invasion of my space should make me uneasy, but I find myself caught in his pull again. This bastard. “It seems I’m not the only pathetic and lonely one.”
The words hit like he intended them to: a punch to the gut to crush my confidence to dust.
I don’t say anything, just stare back into those captivating deep hazel seas. It’s a shame something so beautiful belongs to someone so cold.
“Thank you for the stimulating conversation, Skyler. Have a good evening.”
He brushes past me, and I don’t bother turning around. Tears well up in the corners of my vision, but I refuse to let them fall. I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that, in a single conversation, he tempted me, swallowed me up, and spit me back out. Not this time.
I attempt to read after my standoff with Vallen, but I’m distracted by his scent lingering in the nook. It takes me out of the pages, that intoxicating mix of something expensive and dark. Eventually, I give up, go back to my suite, and take a cold shower before getting ready for the night’s event. The frigid water helps to cool me down, but that heat still hides underneath.
As it happens, there are more curious adult singles on Zenith than I realized.
That or they’re just horny. Not that I am against it, but if anyone hurts Ori’s feelings, there will be hell to pay. The plus is that I’m positive most of the attendees are third-class passengers. No one seems to turn up their noses, genuinely happy and willing to be here, so the chances of someone being blatantly rude is lessened.
The lounge that Runa reserved for us is intimate with a plethora of options to sit and chat, some more secluded and others out in the open. There’s also a reasonably sized bar, where a bot mixes drinks. I sit in the back, letting Ori take center stage, and she’s an absolutely perfect host, as if she has done this a thousand times before.
People continue to pour through the door, the space now filled with chatter and the clinking of glasses. I glance up just in time to find Payson walking into the lounge, Laz following close behind. I eye him over the edge of my drink, and he catches me staring. He excuses himself from Laz, who gives Ori a kiss on the cheek as a hello.
I stare as Payson navigates through the crowd, grabbing the attention of a few women who offer him a hopeful gaze, but he keeps his gaze on me.
“Can I talk to you?” He’s wearing a blue jacket that complements the color of his eyes perfectly.
“Sure,” I say, taking another sip of my drink.
He slides into the seat across from me. “Seems like a good turnout.” He surveys the room. “Ori must be pleased.”
“Yeah. I’m happy for her.” I stare into my drink, swirling the ice around with my straw.
“So, I’ve been thinking about a way to make things up to you,” Pace declares.
“Oh yeah?” I bite the end of my straw.
“Would you like to go on a date with me?”
“A date?”
“Yeah. Like we go out and spend some time together,” he says with a shrug.
“I know what a date is. I just wasn’t . . . expecting this,” I say more harshly than I mean to.
He wipes his palm on his pant leg, clearly nervous.
I try again, softening my tone. “How about we start with an apology? And then . . . maybe.” A big maybe.
If he wasn’t nervous before, he certainly is now. He swallows, but to his credit, he does exactly what I asked. “Skyler, I never meant to hurt you.” I cock an eyebrow. “And even if it wasn’t my intention, I’m sorry that I did.”
I purse my lips. It’s a decent apology, but it still leaves me wondering if I should or could truly trust him.
