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“Ripley, you’re a miracle worker!” I gushed, admiring my chic new look. She beamed at me, clearly pleased with her handiwork.
“Go on, girl. Enjoy your night out, and don’t forget to save me all about your sexy extraterrestrial adventures for next time, kitten!” she winked at me as I left the salon.
A wave of happiness washed over me, and I walked away carefree and buzzing with excitement for the evening ahead.
After quickly changing into my new dress back at my apartment, I walked into The Soylent Green. The upbeat music and exotic smells of interstellar dishes washed over me. I spotted Zoe at our usual booth, her vibrant hair piled high atop her head and her eyes sparkling with mischief. She jumped up and hugged me tightly before we settled into our seats.
“Vanessa, girl, you look fantastic, but you need to tell your face that you look like your mind has been wrestling with an Ulgarthian slime beast,” she teased, raising one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “What’s going on?”
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to begin. But as I looked into Zoe’s eyes, I knew I could trust her with anything – even my heart.
“Zorak and I…” I started, suddenly feeling vulnerable and exposed. “He asked me to leave T’rra with him, to start a new life together on his home planet.”
“Wow,” was all Zoe could say at first, clearly taken aback by the enormity of the situation. “That’s huge, Ness. But… is it what you want?”
I shrugged, running my fingers over the condensation on my glass. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I love him, Zoe, I really do. But I can’t help but wonder – am I willing to give up everything for him? My entire life?”
Zoe reached across the table and squeezed my hand, her gaze steady and unwavering. “You know what they say about love, right?” she asked softly. “It’s not supposed to make sense. It’s supposed to make you feel alive. So, Vanessa, my dear friend, follow your heart. Take a risk for once in your life.”
As the words left her lips, something inside me clicked into place. Maybe Zoe was right – perhaps it was time for me to step outside my comfort zone and embrace the unknown. I had done it once already, going to the pleasure planet and doing things like ziplining that I had always believed weren’t for me. And as I thought about Zorak, with his strange yet endearing ways and his impossible love for me, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I was ready to take that same leap, but this time into love. Or maybe life.
I opened my mouth to respond when the sudden buzzing of my holophone interrupted our conversation.
“Sorry, let me just check this,” I said, picking up the device from the table. The screen displayed Lyle’s name, and I hesitated momentarily before answering. “Hey, Lyle, what’s up?”
“Vanessa, are you sitting down?” His voice sounded serious, and I could feel my newfound confidence waver.
“Yeah. What’s going on?” I tried to keep my voice steady.
“Look, I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a jerk, but you need to know. Zorak isn’t being completely honest. He has a family back home on Orkaris – two kids, even.”
I scoffed, disbelieving. “That’s ridiculous, Lyle. He would’ve told me if he had a family.”
“Maybe he didn’t want you to know. I’m sending you some holophotos now.” As he spoke, my phone chimed with the arrival of new images.
“Vanessa, what’s going on?” Zoe asked, concerned, etching her features.
“Let me just look at these photos first,” I muttered, ignoring the sinking feeling in my stomach.
I tapped the holo-image icon, and a three-dimensional picture materialized. My breath caught in my throat as I saw Zorak, his arms wrapped around two small children who bore an uncanny resemblance to him. Their eyes sparkled with the same otherworldly glow, and I couldn’t deny the truth.
“Zorak has a family, Zoe,” I whispered, tears welling up. “He has children.”
“Vanessa, I’m so sorry.” Her voice was soft and full of sympathy.
My mind raced as I tried to process the information. How could Zorak hide something like this from me? The love we shared felt real, but now it all seemed like a lie. My chest tightened with each ragged breath, and I knew I couldn’t leave T’rra for a man who had kept such secrets from me.
“Thanks for telling me, Lyle,” I said, my voice shaking. “I appreciate it.”
“Of course, Vanessa. You deserve to know the truth.”
As I hung up the phone, I looked back at Zoe, my eyes brimming with unshed tears. “What do I do now?” I asked, my heart splintered into a thousand pieces.
“First, you need to talk to Zorak,” she said firmly. “Find out his side of the story. Then, you’ll have all the information you need to decide.”
And with that, I steeled myself for the confrontation ahead, knowing that no matter the outcome, my life would never be the same.
Chapter 23
