Page 131 of Stardusted

Which was ridiculous. He’d be right upstairs. An Enil wasn’t going to crash-land on top of Oasis.

Maybe I’d gotten kind ofusedto him being around. It didn’t help that it felt like there were still unspoken words hangingbetween us. Lingering tension. As if everything that’d happened had created this tetherpulling me to him.Like Isawhim?—

I didn’t get to analyze that any further because my gaze slid past him and locked on Kelly behind her windshield.

She was staring at us staring at each other, her eyes wide.

Oh no.We’d just shown up together, first thing in the morning. I knew what it looked like. Or at least what she’d assume.

Which…was exactly what we’d done. Technically. He’d slept on the couch, but still. Close enough.

But how did I explain that?

I nearly groaned. So much for a calm, easy shift.

Maybe I could dodge her. I turned and power-walked toward the restaurant.I’d only made it a few steps before Kelly’s car door slammed. Her footsteps sped up.

She was coming.

I cast a desperate look Sky’s way as he rounded the SUV. He flicked his brows in ayou’re-on-your-ownslant before heading in the other direction. I watched him stride for his apartment stairs. He didn’t look back, the alien traitor.

I turned around just as Kelly descended on me with bouncing curls and the widest of smiles.

“Good morning, Rae-bae,” she said, tone positively chipper. Her eyes sparkled with razor-sharp curiosity. “Details. Now.”

Resigned, I sighed, adjusting my bag’s strap again and falling into step beside her. “Morning, Kelly.”

The gravel crunched under our shoes as a gust of wind blew in the scent of petrichor and frying bacon from the kitchen vents.

“So,” she said casually, “are you, like, banging the hottie bartender or what?”

Heat flooded my face. “Seriously? You couldn’t even wait until we’re inside?”

I glanced over my shoulder, but thankfully, Sky had already disappeared up the back steps leading to his door. He was nowhere to be seen. For now.I exhaled, relieved.

“No, I’m not sleeping with Sky,” I said, turning a glare on her.

“Why not?”

Yeah, why not?

I cleared my throat, shoving back my hair. “Because. We’re just…friends.”

Friends. If that was what you wanted to call two people—a human and an alien—stuck together thanks to a mysterious mission from the stars and my inability to keep my hands off extraterrestrial things.

…allextraterrestrial things.

“Friends,” Kelly repeated, the word dripping so much skepticism I was surprised we weren’t leaving a trail.

“Yeah, friends.” I shot her a look. “Two people of the opposite sex can be friends, Kel.”

“Okay. And why were you riding to work with your friend today?”

We neared the break area, which smelled faintly of stale cigarette smoke. Tony must’ve had a pre-lunch-shift puff. Kelly stepped through the cloud and pulled open the employee entrance door, raising a brow when I didn’t answer right away.

“I’ve been having car issues,” I said, shrugging and nearly dislodging my bag in the process. I hitched it back up. “Remember the other day?”

She nodded, eyes narrowed, and I forged ahead, the lie gaining steam. “He, uh, gave me a ride home after my accident and offered to pick me up today.”