Page 36

He rolled his eyes, and her breath hitched when he sat down.

Raising a brow in mock challenge, he stretched onto his back, the truck’s rear barely fitting his length.

She stood over him, hands on her hips and a deep scowl etched on her face. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”

“What does it look like?” he asked calmly.

“I don’t know! Like you want to sleep in this…thing.” She flicked her hands toward the truck, her lips twisting.

“The last thing I want to do is sleep,” he replied, crossing his arms behind his head.

Her eyes were drawn to the defined muscles in his forearms, and she barely restrained herself from bashing her head into the rear window to rid herself ofthosethoughts.

“This is ridiculous.” Khalani brushed a hand through her unruly hair. “I don’t even know why I’m here,” she grumbled to herself, but Takeshi heard her.

“You’re here because you need a distraction. And I don’t like seeing you sad,” Takeshi muttered, his voice deepening.

She blinked rapidly at his unexpectedly kind words.

“That doesn’t sound like you. You love making me cry.”

“Let me rephrase. I want to make you cry in other ways, but never from being sad.”

Khalani frowned. “Do I even want to question what ‘other ways’ you mean?”

“You definitely don’t.”

She swallowed, the brisk air thickening.

Takeshi stared at her with an unreadable expression, unmoving, waiting for her decision.

Khalani knew for certain that Takeshi wouldn’t hold her there against her will.

He’d simply let her walk away.

And they’d return to glaring at each other on the long, barren road.

For some reason, the thought didn’t bring her joy. It lingered inside of her like a necrotic wound.

Maybe it was the pure exhaustion or the wind picking up around her, but without another word, Khalani laid down next to him in the back of the ancient vehicle.

The tiny space around them was enclosed, and she tried to push her body against the metal, but Takeshi’s large physique left little space between them.

“Now what?” She glanced at him.

“Look up.”

Khalani sighed, letting her head rest against the metal of the truck as she finally turned to face the night sky.

For most of their journey, clouds hovered above their heads like a protective veil. But in the next moment, the full moon peeked through.

Khalani gasped.

She’d only ever seen the moon through virtual windows in Apollo, but now she understood that they were little more than pale imitations.

Nothing had ever truly encapsulated the magnificence that now floated above her.

The sun had always been the focus of her dreams, but the moon was entirely different. Entirelyher.