We had gone through most of the plate when she finally admitted she was full. I brought the dish to the leftovers station before we slowly walked away, hand in hand, toward the sleeping area of the camp.
Tamara looked extremely tired. It probably had to do with the fact she constantly seemed on high alert, like something or someone would attack her out of nowhere.
This thing she was not ready to tell me…I knew what it was—or at least, I was almost sure I did. She must have been with another partner before. A partner who had probably been violent. And, given her reaction, people must not have believed her when she tried to get away.
This was why she did not fully trust me. I hoped she would tell me the details some day. So I would know about the person I would be allowed to kill if given the chance…
We were still silent when we reached my tent. It had been settled a bit farther from the others and Tamara tensed when she noticed, casting glances around.
People expected us to have sex tonight, as it often happened after a partnering ceremony. But we would not. Our partnering had nothing in common with the others.
It was not unusual for Cancos to have sex on their first couple outings, even before we were officially partnered…It was easy to fall in love, and when we did, we loved fully.
But Tamara was not there yet. And to be honest,Imight not be either. She was traumatized, and I did not want her to feel forced. To feel that shehadto—although I guess it was the wholepointof this program.
She would trust me, eventually. And when she did, I would show her that love was not supposed to be difficult. That it was not supposed to be painful.
She swallowed audibly but stayed quiet when I moved the fabric aside to reveal the small space and lead her in.
Just like I thought, the large sleeping net hung in the middle of the room, covered with lots of soft blankets. Blankets that I was supposed to arrange on the floor for sex. Blankets that I would keep in the net for warmth instead.
“Once again, I apologize for the little comfort the migration provides,” I said, arranging the covers and pushing them all away except for the thickest one. “I promise you both of our houses are much more comfortable.”
Tamara blinked. She did this a lot when she was confused. It was adorable. “Both?”
I gave her a nod. “Yes. We are moving to our summer house where we will stay for nine to twelve months. It is closer tothe sea so we do not suffer from the dry heat too much. Once the temperature lowers, we will move back to the center of the Island. We are protected from the tempests there.”
Her eyes widened. “Tempests?”
“Our summer lasts most of our year, but there are two to five pretty difficult months. The sea water becomes freezing cold and the wind picks up. Moving to the center of the island offers us the protection of the trees and the sand is warmer.”
She blinked again, her lips parting before closing a few times. “I…uh…How many months makes a year?”
Was it not the same for everyone? “Fourteen.”
Given her reaction, it was not. “Wow. Howoldare you? Wait, how old amI?” she asked, genuinely confused.
“I am thirty-one.”
“Thirty-one timesfourteen. I’m twenty-eight timestwelve.”
I did not see what she meant by this. “So?”
“So? So it makes you like—” She paused, narrowing her eyes for a few seconds. “Thirty-six in earth years. And it makes me—” Another pause and I held a smile. Was she trying to convert ourageinto each other's planet? That was kind of cute. “Twenty-four in Cancer years!”
Her eyes were wide, like the idea was absolutely ludicrous. “Yes. So?”
“I-I…I don’t know! Isn’t it like…weird? The age difference?”
I arched a brow, stepping close enough so I could cup the side of her face. “Really? Theagedifference is what you are picking up on?”
One blink. Another. A third before she slowly looked me up and down. Blood rushed to her face and the corners of her lips tilted up, although she worked hard to try and keep a neutral expression.
She failed and started laughing. “I mean…Yeah, I’m dumb. Sorry.”
I laughed with her and looked down as I moved my hand to the naked part of her waist. My red, contrasting heavily with her brown. The sheer size of my fingers against her small stomach. She had no visible muscle. Her skin looked too tight over her bones.
Shedidneed to eat.
