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This was a penal colony. I wouldn’t be allowed to come visit whenever I needed an Oaken fix.

Trying to ignore the depressing weirdness that was building between us, I threw myself into work on theLavariya.

But after a week, there was no more work to do. Nothing to do but wait for the delivery of the sonic recalibrater and count down the days until I would have to leave.

Have to leave?

No,getto leave.

Right?

I still had at least a week with him. But I was going to lose my freaking mind if we spent the last seven days we had together mired in whatever this awkwardness between us was.

So on the morning of the eighth day, I got up at the crack of Zabrian Prinar One dawn. Today, I was going to change things.

Today, I was going to start Oaken’s husband lessons.

Invigorated with a purpose that would force my fake husband to talk to me, I got ready for the day quickly, then opened theLavariya’sdoor.

Oaken was on the other side.

“Um. Good morning. What are you doing?” I asked him, startled to see him there. I knew he got up early, but wasn’t that to do chores? Why was he right outside my ship, bent over and…

“I am putting away my tent,” he said. His strong arms and shoulders flexed and bulged as he bound up his leather bundle.

“Your tent? What? Why?” I glanced down at a flattened patch of grass. “Did you sleep out here?”

“Of course,” Oaken said, seeming surprised by my question. “I’ve slept out here every night.”

“Every night?” I asked incredulously. “Since when?”

“Since the night you first brought the ship to this spot. Although, the night before that I did not sleep in my bed, either, because you were in it. So I slept on the bedroom floor.”

“What the hell? Why?” I asked. “The whole reason I moved the ship here was so that you wouldn’t have to sleep outside!”

“I know.”

“Did you know about this?” I asked Lala, dragging her out of my pocket.

“Of course I did. I am integrated with all of theLavariya’ssensors. I knew he was out there.”

I raised her up to the level of my eyes. Her visual sensors stared back innocently.

“And you didn’t think to tell me this?”

“No,” Lala said primly. “I have determined that Oaken poses no risk to you, therefore you did not need to be informed. In fact, he is a very positive factor in your environment. There were several days during the past week when the only reason you did not get dehydrated is because he kept filling up your water when you were not looking. As far as I am concerned, he may sleep as close to theLavariyaas he likes.”

Oaken appeared to perk up at that. For the first time in days, he beamed, his eyes burning briefly white.

“Thank you, Lala!”

“Yeah, thanks Lala,” I muttered sarcastically, tucking her back into my pocket.

Why was he smiling at Lala and not me?

Fucking hell. Somebody help me.

I wasjealous.