AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I suspected she'd want to talk more. She's looked positively antsy this entire time, and I know she's going to ask me more questions about her brothers. I knew it, and even so, I don't feel ready for it. I'll be as bad at this as I am with the nav system. But I nod, following her when she sits on the bench.
She tucks one leg under her as she sits, the other leg swinging free. Zoey glances at me and then looks around the terrarium. "You're not in love with one of my brothers, are you?"
I sputter, because that wasn't the question I was expecting. "What? No! Of course not. They've been very kind to me but…no." My face heats at the thought. "Why would you even think that?"
Zoey shrugs. "I was trying to think why they would bring you along with them, and I was wondering if you were entangled with one of my brothers somehow. But then I saw the way you and Jerrok looked at each other and figured out the truth."
I blush. "Your brothers were just being kind to me."
"They're corsairs. They're not paid to be kind." She crosses her arms over her chest. "It doesn't fit."
"I think perhaps they miss their little sister more than they've let on," I say softly. "And they took me on because I reminded them of you. Ever since I arrived on the Little Sister, they've talked about you non-stop."
Her eyes look suspiciously wet. "I'm sad those fucking idiots aren't here." She sniffs and wipes at her eyes, glancing away. "Slatra system, huh?" When I nod, she lets out a sigh. "And let me guess, no comms."
"Not a single one."
"Well, I've got a buddy over on a station in that system. Maybe I'll put a call out to him and see if they've dropped by to refuel." She swipes at her eyes again and manages a smile. "So when are you going to tell them that you're staying?"
I go still. My hands are clasped in my lap and I clench them tightly, hoping I don't betray a single emotion. "I'm not staying."
Her eyes narrow. "Why not? Or did I read the situation wrong?" She tilts her head. "I thought I saw a hickey on Jerrok's neck—"
"You didn't read it wrong." I will not fidget. I will not. I dig my nails into my knuckles, and the pain helps me focus. "But Jerrok is a loner. He wouldn't want me to stay."
"Wouldn't he?" Zoey's tone is dry.
I stare down at my hands. Good lord, why are all these people so confrontational? It's been so damn long since someone's talked to me like this that I've forgotten what it's like. "Jerrok has made it very clear that he likes his isolation," I say firmly. "We're just enjoying each other's company."
"Do you know," Zoey says in a soft voice. "That Jerrok is legendary for his dirt and his bad mood? That there are bets amongst other corsairs as to how long it's been since he's had a bath?"
I frown. "That's cruel. He bathes all the time. He doesn't smell. He—"
"He bathes for you," Zoey continues gently. "You're not attached to my brothers like you are to him. It's obvious. And you love this station like Jerrok does. So again, I have to ask, why are you going to rejoin them when they return? Do you feel obligated? Because I'm sure they would want you to be happy. Hell, they'd probably be thrilled if you stayed with Jerrok. He's a good friend to them, and a safe place to anchor. And if you're worried about the navigation systems, Kaspar knows them just as well as anyone else does. He's just lazy." She studies me with a curious look. "Or are you hoping to go back to Earth? Because I can assure you that's never going to happen."
I shake my head. Going back to Earth has never been on my radar. Not really. I'm too different from the person that was taken. I wouldn't know what to do with myself. "I'm just looking for the place I belong."
"Don't you think you've already found it?"
A knot of pure longing forms in my throat. "I…Jerrok's been alone for so long. He's never indicated that he's interested in me staying, and—"
"He's a man," Zoey says bluntly. "Something tells me he'd be really good at hiding his feelings if he thought you didn't share them. But if you don't, how will you ever know the truth?" She reaches out and pats my knee. "You might have to be the one to make the first move here. If he's half as thick-headed as my brothers, he's probably bending over backwards to make sure that you're comfortable and don't feel pressured, and all the while hiding what he really wants."
It seems too good to be true. "How do you know?"
