Page 51

Chapter

Fifty-One

Morgan

" T hanks again for dinner," I said, waving goodbye to Zoey and Kalex as I stepped into my fantasy suite. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The door slid shut with a soft hiss, and I leaned back against it, finally allowing my carefully constructed smile to fall away.

I'd made excuses about being tired, about needing to catch up on sleep after the mission.

It wasn't entirely a lie. My body was still recovering from the ration packs and stress.

But the real reason I'd fled was Tivek's expression when Serge had mentioned us being an item.

The look that had crossed his face had been one of panic. The thought of others learning about us worried him.

I pushed away from the door and wandered deeper into the suite.

I kicked off my shoes, feeling the polished teakwood beneath my feet as I made my way to the balcony doors.

The fake moonlight bathed the room in a silvery glow, catching on the iridescent shells scattered artfully across the glass tables.

I shouldn’t blame Tivek for not wanting anyone to know about us.

If I was being honest with myself, we'd had nothing more than a fling.

Intense moments in a ship drifting through space and some admittedly mind-blowing sex.

Hardly a relationship. Certainly not something you'd alter your career trajectory over.

I couldn't expect that from him, and I shouldn't consider it for myself.

The memory of my mother's voice drifted through my mind, sharp and bitter like the wine she'd drink late at night when the weight of her regrets became too heavy to bear sober.

"I could have been something, Morgan. I could have been anything."

She’d rarely talked about it directly, but I knew the story.

She'd left college to marry my father, who'd never gone himself and had convinced her to quit.

When those wine glasses were emptied, out would pour complaints about the hard life she'd had and how much better things would have been if she hadn't dropped everything for a man.

"Never do what I did," she'd told me once, gripping my wrist so tightly it left marks. "Never give up your dreams for a man. I loved your father, but sometimes love isn't enough."

A lump formed in my throat. I was sure Mom had died as early as she did because her life had been so hard, so full of resentment and what-ifs.

She’d been as smart as me, but she’d had to work herself to the bone just so we could survive.

Her one consolation had been seeing me accepted into the Air Force Academy.

That had been proof, she said, that her daughter hadn’t repeated her mistakes.

What would she think of me now, even considering giving up the academy for a man?

I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes. This was ridiculous. Tivek hadn't even asked me to give up anything.

Before I could sink any deeper into self-pity, a sharp beep from the door made me jump.

My heart thudded. Was it Tivek? Had he followed me after all? I wasn't ready. I needed more time to sort through this mess of feelings. Not that I could send him away or pretend I wasn’t inside. He’d seen me head for my room.

Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and pressed the button so the door could glide open.

A Drexian officer stood there, holding a sleek tablet. Not Tivek. The relief and disappointment hit simultaneously.

"Communication for you, cadet," he said formally, holding out the tablet.

I took it from him. “Thank you.”

After the door slid shut, I tapped the screen and it flickered to life, a chorus of familiar faces appearing and talking at once.

"Morgan!" "You're alive!" "What the hell happened?" "Are you okay?"

All thoughts of Tivek vanished as I flopped onto the plush bed, genuinely happy for the first time in hours.

"Hey guys," I said, taking in Fiona's concerned frown, Ariana's intense stare, Jess's relieved smile, and Britta's wide eyes. "Miss me?"

"Are you kidding?" Jess said. "We thought you were dead!"

I settled back against the pillows. "Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

"What happened?" Britta demanded. "All we know is that you were missing, and then suddenly you're at the tribute bride station!"

I told them about the Kronock firing at us as we jumped, the coordinates being corrupted, the destroyed systems, and drifting in space.

"You were actually floating in space?" Ariana leaned closer to the screen, her eyes wide. “With no clue where you were?”

"For days,” I said, deliberately leaving out the part where Tivek and I had sex in the med bay and then again in the cockpit.

"Were you scared?" Fiona asked.

I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. "The ration packs were the scariest part. They tasted like someone had crossed moldy kale with cardboard.”

They laughed, and the conversation shifted, allowing me to dodge potential questions about what Tivek and I had done during those long hours.

"What about you guys? Everyone okay?" I asked. "How's Sasha doing?"

Ariana's expression softened. "She's been sleeping a lot, but the doctors say she'll be fine. Physically, at least."

I’d barely laid eyes on the captured pilot before we’d been on the run from the Kronock and then separated from everyone. That didn’t mean I didn’t feel a pang of worry for how she would adjust to life outside captivity again.

"And the fantasy suites?" Jess asked, skillfully changing the subject when we all went silent. "Are they as amazing as Reina always describes?"

"Better," I said, grateful for the shift. "You wouldn't believe this place."

I told them about the promenade and about Serge thinking I was an actual assassin, delighting in their peals of laughter. Then I stood, carrying the tablet with me to give them a tour of the suite.

"This is the main living area.” I spun slowly with the tablet held high to show the full panorama. “The bedroom turns into a sunken living room.”

"That's incredible," Britta said. "Much nicer than our quarters at the academy."

"The bathroom has a waterfall shower," I continued, stepping into the adjacent room to show them and then walking back out to the main room. "And the bed is big enough for about five people."

"Like you need that much space for just you," Fiona teased. “Now maybe if you found some strapping young Drexians at the station…”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the flush I could feel creeping up my neck. "And here's the balcony.” I pushed open the glass doors. The fabricated night air caressed my skin, the coolness welcome. "The moon isn't real, but it's?—"

A chorus of screams erupted from the tablet, so loud I nearly dropped it.

"There's someone behind you!" Jess shouted.

My heart leapt into my throat as I whirled around, my paranoid mind half-expecting to see a Kronock warrior with a blaster.

Instead, Tivek stood there, his expression caught between surprise and apology.

"Oh," I said, my voice unnaturally high. "It's just Tivek. He, uh, came by to return something he borrowed."

"What did he borrow?" Ariana asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Thanks for the vid chat,” I said with false brightness. "I should go. Talk soon!"

"Morgan, what—" Fiona began, but I had already disconnected, my finger jabbing the end transmission button harder than necessary.

Then I turned to Tivek, staring at him through the darkness.

"I apologize for frightening you," Tivek said finally, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. “But I couldn’t wait any longer to talk to you.”

The moonlight illuminated half his face, leaving the other in darkness. If that wasn’t a perfect visual metaphor for the Drexian, I didn’t know what was. Half known, half mystery. And all of him currently making my heart race in a way that had nothing to do with fear.