Page 77 of Between Earth and Eternity
I huff out a laugh. “Are you serious? You’re going to give me an ultimatum?”
He says nothing. Anger pumps like lava in my veins, and I know I could really hurt him if I wanted, break his heart even, but I will take the high road. For now.
“Fine. Goodbye, Payson.” I bump his shoulder as I head toward the door. He doesn’t call me back, and I am relieved. The words are at the tip of my tongue, but I suck the venom back in to spare us both the heartache.
Movie night provides a welcome distraction. We reserved an entire theater for ourselves, and Ori made an excellent choice in an action adventure film. Once the movie ends, I am more than ready to call it a night, but a few women from our group attempt to talk Ori and me into going out for drinks.
“Come on! The night is young,” one of them says. She’s short and has bright pink hair, eerily similar to Zara’s. I wonder if she did that on purpose.
“Yes! Please come. We’re meeting up with some other friends, and there will be a few attractive men joining us tonight as well,”another adds. I can already tell from Ori’s wide smile that her mind is made up.
“Alright,” I say apprehensively, but Ori’s cry of excitement convinces me that this might be fun in spite of what else happened today.
Hours later, we arrive at yet another bar. I wonder about the total number on the ship and make a note to find out later.
“Oh, our friends are over there.” The pink-haired girl, Gemma, points to the back corner.
The bar is swanky, and most of us are criminally underdressed, but thankfully, with the low lighting, no one will notice. At least I’m wearing a dark pair of jeans with a fancier top—fancy by my standards.
The excitement is short-lived. When we approach the booth where Gemma’s friends await, my stomach lurches. Slade, Kol, and their usual gang of playboys look up at us.
“Everyone, these are our friends, Ori and Skyler,” Gemma says, introducing us.
Kol looks much too excited. “We’ve actually met already,” Slade says with a slimy disposition.
I want to grab Ori and get out of here, but one of the girls pulls her into a conversation. She meets my eyes and shrugs as if to sayjust go with it, but you can’t casuallyjust gowith guys like these—the type who get bored easily and expect you to entertain them.
“I’m going to get a drink from the bar,” I say before I can be forced into the booth. I order a gin and tonic and look over my shoulder. Ori laughs at something the guys say to her, and I know they’re tempting her into their trap, giving her compliments so she’ll lower her guard. Snakes, the lot of them. I know how they operate. Kol has tried it many times over the years, and when that doesn’t work, it turns into full-on bullying.
I dig out my StarComm to look busy just as a waiter bot sets my drink down in front of me, but before I can take a sip, “Well, isn’t this a nice surprise.”
I turn, and Kol genuinely looks happy to see me, which only makes me more skeptical.
“I come in peace,” he says, hands up. He slides onto the stool next to me, and I shift my body to face the opposite direction.
“I wouldn’t have come if I knew you and yourfriendswere here,” I say smoothly, taking a long sip of gin. I know he watches my every move. What is the agenda tonight? Try to rile another outburst from me? Cause a scene? “Whatever motives you had in coming over here, I’m wholeheartedly uninterested, so please leave me alone.” I take another sip, the alcohol making me braver.
“Skyler, come on. We still have a ways to go before we reach Eden.” I can’t believe he didn’t call me San Fran.
“And? What’s your point?” I say, stirring my drink with a small straw.
“My point is that I want to call a truce.”
“Yeah. No thanks.” I stand to leave.
“We’re going to keep running into each other, it’s inevitable, so how about we try to get along if I promise to be less”—I cock an eyebrow as he thinks about his words—“bothersome.”
Maybe it’s because I am angry with Payson, maybe it’s pure boredom, but I say, “Okay, fine. Truce.”
There, Vallen. Staying out of trouble.
“Skyler? Everything okay?” Ori walks up and places a hand on my shoulder. Her face is flushed and sprinkled with worry.
“Yeah. All good.” I eye Kol, and he gives Ori a reassuring smile. Something isn’t right, even for his standards.
“Come on, everyone. I have a special treat for you!” Slade yells, and the rest of the gang follow him. He has his arm slung over Gemma’s shoulder. Oh Gemma. She looks like she’s theluckiest girl in the room, and I want to shake her for how terribly mistaken she is.
“Where is this special treat?” Gemma asks.
