Page 292 of Every Almost

Maybe I just come right out and say it? Fast.

That would be the single most terrifying thing she'd ever considered doing.

Or maybe I let her go first.? Give her room to start the conversation. I mean, she's the one who sent the song! She can open her mouth first, that's only fair.

Except she had no idea if Reyna would go first. She had no idea about any of it. That was the whole problem.

Okay. So I say something.

"Oh, hell."

What do I say? Do I just blurt it out? "Hey, so, funny thing?—"

"No. Nope.Absolutelynot."

Charlie started to pace.

Okay. New plan.

Charlie walked by the viewport.

I apologize first. For disobeying her order. Yeah, start there, keep it simple, and let her take it wherever she wants.

That was good. That was solid. That was?—

Why would you do that?

Because,she told herself,I don't actually know if she's going to say.

She sent you "Heroes."

I know she sent me "Heroes"—

You know what that song is. You told her what that song is. You sat on a floor and told her to her face.

I KNOW?—

"Oh, good," Charlie said, out loud, to an empty room. "Now I'm arguing with myself."

She kept pacing.

On her third lap around Reyna's space, a new thought caught up with her.

And it was so much worse than the others.

Wait.

What if I actually am getting court-martialed?

Charlie stopped in the center of the room.

Kess sent me! I couldn’t possibly be court-martialed by a doctor.

Charlie gulped.Could she?

She didn't even know what that looked like on a Coalition ship.

Probably no jury, or lawyer. There'd be nobody in her corner. Human from a non-contact planet?