Page 21 of Surrendering the Skies

“Ugh. Was it so obvious?” She shook her head. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I knew you’d bring it up as soon as you were ready.” His thumb rubbed over the tops of her fingers. “Talk to me, Geneva. What’s going on?”

She rested her head on his shoulder. “This job was once the love of my life. I felt accomplished, fulfilled, like I could take on anything in the universe and win. But now…” Closing her eyes, she swallowed. “Lately, it seems like the military is taking away more than it’s giving. I don’t feel like I’m in control of my life anymore, and it’s bothering me more than I would have expected.”

They sat in silence for several moments, Ash never ceasing his soothing strokes. “It’s your choice,” he finally said. “I meant it when I said you should do what makes you happy. It’s all I ever wanted for you.”

Geneva straightened to look at him. “Since you haven’t said otherwise, I’m assuming you don’t feel the same way and you’re not ready to leave.”

He offered her a melancholy smile. “No. I’m not.”

Her hands trembled in his grasp. “I don’t want to feel like I’m abandoning you here by yourself.”

He let out a short laugh. “If I’m the only thing keeping you here, it’s not a good enough reason to stay.”

“Isn’t it, though?”

Ash cupped her cheeks and planted a kiss on her forehead, letting his lips linger on her skin. “Even if we’re not sharing a room every night, we’d find a way to make it work.”

She hated herself for saying the next words aloud, but they came tumbling out regardless. “We thought the same thing about Marcus, and look what happened there.”

His arms draped around her shoulders and he pulled her closer. “I won’t tell you it’s a completely different situation or make a lot of empty promises because I know it’s not what you want to hear. The truth is, no one ever knows what the future will hold.” With a finger on her chin, he tilted her face toward his. “But no matter where we are and what we’re doing, if you still want to be with me—and I hope you do—everything will work out in the long run. Neither of us is the type to give up on something.”

Swiveling in his embrace, Geneva slid onto his lap and laced her fingers behind his neck. “Of course I want to be with you. I thought I made it clear.” The affection she felt for him swelled in her chest, and she wanted to believe in all his wonderful words. “You almost make everything sound too simple, though,” she said.

Tenderness reflected in his cobalt eyes. “I love you. What could be simpler than that?”

Chapter Eleven

Geneva sat in the back of the shuttle with her knees tucked to her chest, staring at the sea of stars outside the window. She’d chosen the short flight over teleportation, opting for a little more time to organize her thoughts before seeing her parents. Indecision still plagued her, but she hoped the brief leave Admiral Walker had instructed her to take would help her find the answers she sought.

The shrill ring of her civilian communicator interrupted her reverie. She picked it up, expecting an inquiry about her arrival time from her mother, and raised an eyebrow when she saw the caller’s name on the screen. Though tempted to ignore it for a split second, she answered the call. “Marcus?”

“Hi, Geneva.” The deep notes of his voice resonated from the speakers. “I realized I hadn’t spoken to you since we last saw each other, so I thought I’d see how you were doing.”

“Fine.” Her jaw tightened. “I’m on my way back home to Pasurea right now, actually.”

He paused before answering. “I know. I ran into your mother at a gallery opening last night.”

“Sounds like tons of fun. What else did she have to say?”

“About you in particular, not much.” Despite her irritation, his demeanor remained pleasant. “Is Ash with you?”

She pursed her lips. “No. Why do you ask?”

“No reason, just curious,” Marcus said. “I figured I’d ask how he was doing, too, especially after…you know.”

“You could call him yourself if you really wanted to know.”

A sigh echoed from the communicator. “Geneva, I’m getting the sense you’re upset with me, and I’m not sure why.”

She shook her head, even though he couldn’t see. “I told you, everything’s fine.”

“And I’m telling you I don’t believe you. Come on, we’ve always been honest with each other. What’s going on?”

Anger bubbled in her chest, and she fought to keep it contained. “You said so yourself—we haven’t spoken in a while, let alone one-on-one, so now you’re suddenly interested in what’s going on in my life? I’ll manage without you somehow, but thanks.”

When he spoke again, the volume of his voice had grown softer. “Is this about Adele?”

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