Chapter 17 #2
"What?" I ask, confused at the change in subject. "No, I told Jeremy I'd be there in an hour."
Zill slowly turns to face me as Kolos's humor falls from his face. Marr snores again, but at this point, it's just really loud background noise. Honestly, I'm more surprised he's sleeping through all of this since none of us are being particularly quiet.
"You told him you'd meet with him?" Zill asks, the shock morphing into something close to resignation or sadness. I don't know what.
"You could still get it done in that amount of time," Kolos says as if it's helpful at all, as if I have any idea what he's talking about.
"You're not in my head, stop acting like you are," Zill snaps at him, and for the first time, Kolos actually looks something other than amused at annoying Zill.
"We don't have to be in your head," Isha says, placing a hand on Kolos's shoulder. "If you bond her, you'll know if she's in danger and if we need to go help her."
"Bond?" I ask, eyes going wide at this being something that's even up for discussion in front of everyone, let alone while there's a Lokan snoring up a storm in one of the only two beds in this place.
I shake my head as my eyes meet Zill's, and it's like he already knows that I'm not agreeing to it. I wonder if that's why he wasn't going to mention it.
"Not like this," I tell him, not wanting him to think I'm rejecting him completely. "I don't want it to be tainted with the knowledge that I did it because of my family."
Zill takes two long strides to me, his hand coming to the back of my head and cupping me to his chest. His chin rests on the top of my head for a moment before he turns and places his cheek there instead.
"We haven't even discussed it," Zill says, and I can feel the pointed way he's directing the words at the two other Sombrans. "And I wasn't going to bring it up today either. My shadows, well, they're another story, but you don't have to listen to their shrieking just yet."
"Well, if that's out of the question, we should figure out what we're doing instead," Kolos says.
He's interrupting the moment Zill and I are having.
Which is for the best, since we should really get this part over with so we can return to the ship.
If we want to have more moments, we should have them in private.
Kolos might be fine to deal with the sexual tension between Zill and me, but I can tell Isha is uncomfortable with it.
I wonder if that's how all Sombrans feel about it, since they don't feel any desire toward anyone until they meet their soulbond.
"Let's wake up, Marr," Zill says as he pulls away from me once again. This time, he stays close enough that his shadows can still touch me. "And before you say he can't go with you, either he goes or you don't."
"Bossy," I mutter, stabbing him in the side with my finger.
"Protective," he retorts. "And only because you expect too much from people who don't deserve it."
"Fine, but I'm telling you right now, Marr is going to wish he didn't have to go."
"Where am I going?" Marr asks, his voice heavy with sleep still.
I take a deep breath and start with an apology. "Sorry for how shitty this day is about to be."
The dirt driveway that leads from the gravel road up to my parents' property is about as well-kept as I remember it being from when I lived out here.
Which is to say it's not well-kept at all, and if the transport couldn't hover over the ground, we'd be bouncing around like crazy with all the bumps and holes in the road.
There are half a dozen cars parked on the grassy lawn, and some of my family is already out and about, either sitting in lawn chairs or standing by the grill as Jeremy messes around with what I'm sure are burgers.
They all stare as Marr pulls the transport up next to the line of cars, and already I can feel their judgment before I even get out.
"You got this," Marr says, giving my hand a quick squeeze.
I rode in the front with him today, and I'm glad I did because he's been a strong, calming presence.
He also turned to look at me anytime I brought my fingers to my mouth to chew on.
I'm going to pop one of the fake nails off if I'm not careful, but his calling attention to it had me lowering my hands back into my lap.
"They're going to be rude," I tell him, something he's already heard a million times at this point.
Instead of pointing that out, he simply nods and turns the transport off.
He doesn't make any move to get out, and I don't either.
I just need a second longer, one more second to build up a bit more courage before I get out and find my parents and brother to tell them what's happening.
If we're lucky, we'll be able to avoid everyone else entirely.
"Ready?" I ask as I run my sweaty hands over my jeans.
I dressed modestly today, knowing what my family thinks of me. Not that jeans and a nice blouse will keep them from making their remarks, but hopefully, it won't give them more fuel.
"If you are," Marr says, his smile small as he tries to reassure me. "I'm your shadow until we leave. Not a single person is going to get you alone."
"Let's get this done with," I say before I lose my nerve and ask Marr to drive us back the way we came.
No one comes to greet us at the transport, but it's not like I expect them to.
I'm grateful for it because it gives me a little longer to prepare myself.
The only reason it's harder this time is because I'm bringing someone else here.
Someone my family is going to dislike just because of their species, and it makes me angry.
This is the family I have, but I don't want to be associated with their thoughts or opinions.
Just being here, knowing this is who I share blood with, is an embarrassment.
At least when we finally get close enough to the family, it's not Marr who's insulted first. No, my cousin Cindy is the first to say something with a little huff as she looks me over.
"Who invited the whore?" she calls out loud enough that if everyone wasn't already looking at us, they would be now.
My cheeks flame at the insult, but at least it's directed at me.
If they started off with their bullshit bigotry toward Lokans, I'd be even more mortified.
There's a low growl behind me, one I haven't heard from Marr before, but I know it's him all the same.
I keep my shoulders squared as I walk past Cindy, hoping Marr stays true to his word and follows me closely.
"Reese, what are you doing here?" Jeremy asks when I get close enough to him that he has to acknowledge my presence.
You'd think, considering I pay for the land, the house, all of the food and supplies my family needs, they'd have some gratitude, or at least wouldn't treat me like a pariah. Instead, it just keeps getting worse and worse.
"I told you I was coming over to talk with you and mom and dad," I remind him. He stares blankly at me as if I'm making it up when I was on the phone with him less than an hour ago.
"Whatever," he says, looking over his shoulder. "Derek, come do the burgers."
Another cousin, Derek, comes jogging over and takes the spatula from Jeremy.
He doesn't pay me much attention. Instead, his focus is on the large man behind me.
Derek doesn't say anything, but I can see the wheels in his head turning.
I didn't tell Jeremy I was bringing a Lokan, just that Zill wouldn't be with me.
If we're lucky, they'll all just think he's a human security guard.
"You really had to come ruin a family get-together?" Jeremy asks me as he walks up to the house.
I curl my nails against my palms, wanting them to cut into me so that I could at least distract myself from all of this bullshit. It's what I have to do to keep myself from responding to him. Nothing I say will make this go any better, so it's best to stay quiet until I can say my piece and leave.
"Seriously, Reese, not everything is about you."
Where that comment comes from, I couldn't tell a single soul, but I don't say that to Jeremy. No, he wants a reaction from me, and not in the way that Kolos just likes getting under people's skin for a laugh.
Jeremy is mean. He's always been mean, and for some reason, my parents see no fault in that. He's their perfect child after all, and I'm just the one who funds their entire life in the hopes I might get a scrap of affection.
"Mom!" Jeremy yells when the screen door to the house flops open.
He doesn't hold it open for me or Marr, but Marr is already stopping it from smacking into me.
He catches my eye when I glance over my shoulder, and he looks thunderous.
It's not embarrassment that I feel more in that moment, but a sense of vindication.
I've spent so long trying to cater to Jeremy's feelings that I was starting to believe that maybe I was in the wrong, since no one else saw an issue with it.
Marr being angry at how my brother's talking to me should feel somewhat bad, but I find myself smiling almost stupidly because I'm not losing the plot.
Jeremy is shitty to me, and someone else is witnessing it and finding it as shitty as I do.
"What's wrong, Jeremy?" my mom asks, shuffling out of the kitchen.
She's smiling at first until her gaze lands on me, and then she's giving what could generously be called a scowl.
My mother's outward appearance is of a pleasant woman who enjoys baking and eating sweets.
That pleasant outward appearance doesn't match her personality. "What are you doing here?"
Another low growl from Marr behind me, but the other two, thankfully, don't hear it. My father steps in from behind my mother, eyes darting between Marr and me. Even if my father wanted to throw Marr out, it'd be impossible for him. Marr has a good few inches on him and at least fifty pounds.