Page 132 of Stardusted

Kelly snorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder as we stepped inside.“Well, if I’d known that’s all it took to get his attention, I’d have slashed my own tires months ago.”

A snicker escaped me before I could stop it, and I elbowed her. “Stop. You would not have. You wouldn’t stoop that low.”

“Okay, fine. You’re right. I don’t usually need to.” She stopped at the back server station’s touchscreen and eyed me speculatively. “But some guys are worth a little desperation.”

Desperation. Gnawing on my lip, I watched her punch in her code and wondered, not for the first time, ifIwas the desperate one. After all, I couldn’t seem to shake my fascination with Sky—nor my attraction.Despiteeverything I knew.

Kelly moved aside, giving me access to the screen for my own clock-in. I typed in my numbers.

“What’s he think about the aliens?” Kelly asked, and I missed a digit. The screen flashed red, and I couldn’t suppress my snicker.

“Oh, he’s gotverystrong opinions,” I said, biting my cheek hard as I started over.

This time, the numbers took, and when I turned back to Kelly, she was watching me with barely disguised glee. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Before she could dig deeper, I leaned in. “Speaking of. This friend of yours…the FETR guy?”

“Cane,” she supplied, the gleam in her eyes becoming nearly maniacal.

“Yeah, him. Does he know…well, have you guys actuallymade contactwith any extraterrestrials? Hypothetically, I mean. I still don’t know if I believe in any of that stuff,” I added for good measure.

Which was clearly a lie. I didn’t have a choice now, did I?

“Well, look at you.” Kelly leaned back against the server station, bracing her elbows on its edge. Her smirk was sharp, knowing. Triumphant. “You’re, like, hooked, aren’t you? Did Mr. Sexy Bartender finally convince you?”

If she only knew.

“No, Sky didn’t have anything to do with it.” Sky had everything to do with it. “I’m just curious.”

“Uh-huh.” Kelly gave me a look but let it slide. “Cane said FETR has contacts inside the License 16 branch of the government.”

“License what?”

“License 16,” she repeated, slower. Like that was the issue. When I just stared blankly, she rolled her eyes and lowered her voice. “They’re the real-life Men in Black. Duh.”

Okay, now we were drifting back into far-fetched territory.

I arched a brow, pressing my lips together. “Is Will Smith a member?”

“It’s serious, Rae.”

I schooled my expression. “Okay. And what’s MIB think about our alien invasion?”

Kelly grew somber. Which was a strange look on her. It brought me up straighter.

“Actually, Rae…they’re supposedly worked up about it, okay?” She glanced around before crowding closer, and her mood shift was sudden enough that I followed suit without really thinking about it. Satisfied no one was close, she continued. “I just know something has the powers-that-be worried. The FETR network’s on high alert. Cane said something big is going on, and he and the other Skywatch Spotters in the area were all activated. Apparently, there was some kind of alert message last week…”

Skywatch Spotters? It sounded so ridiculous, I wanted to laugh. Iwantedto roll my eyes and crack a joke about paranoid YouTubers and tinfoil hats. To make fun of it.

Maybe I would have a week ago.But that was before I’d seen what I’d seen.

Before weird alien glyphs had been burned into my hand.

Before a Pladian had told me I might be carrying alien information in the inner recesses of my mind. Before I’d touched said Pladian and watched him transform.

I curled my fingers, hiding the nearly invisible marks.It was hard to keep up the act when Iknewthese FETR people were at least partially right. About some of it, anyway.

As much as I hated to admit it…the Friends of the Extraterrestrial Races had guessed correctly.Something was happening.