Chapter 16
Luna: Other than sex, of course, what kinds of physical activities do you enjoy?
Gemma: So sassy. Your messages always make me smile or laugh. Or both! Ahem. But getting back to your question, I like dancing and I love swimming.
Luna: Interesting. Sounds like I need to brush up on my super suave dance moves before we meet.
Gemma: Let me be clear, though. I prefer to alternate who leads. I don’t like being confined to one role all the time.
Luna: Swoon! A woman after my own heart. I’m totally into that, by the way. As for swimming, there are quite a few planets with stunning beaches and crystal-clear waters that we could visit for a little vacation.
Gemma: That sounds divine. I can’t even recall the last time I enjoyed a real vacation.
Luna: All the more reason you need one, gorgeous.
Gemma: For real. I even have a super cute bathing suit I have a feeling you’ll like…
Luna: Pictures??? Please tell me you’ll model it for me!
Gemma: Nope. You’ll have to wait until we go to one of those beaches.
Luna: Neptune’s nads! You drive a hard bargain, Dr. Taylor, but I’ll agree to those terms. Because you’re special. *heart emoji*
—Sent via FLIRTT (Frequency Link for Interstellar Real-Time Transmission)
Luna
“Would you like to check out the Quantum Tunnel of Love with me?”
Gemma blinks at me. “The what now?”
“It’s another romantic attraction geared toward couples.
We get into super cute hoverboats and travel through a tunnel that contains a low-level, empathic resonance system that can supposedly glean information from surface emotions and feelings among couples.
Then it projects dream or fantasy images on the holographic walls based on whatever it learns from us. ”
Her mouth drops open. “That can’t be real.”
I grin. “It totally is. From what I’ve read, it sounds really fucking cool. I think it could be super romantic.”
“Sounds a bit creepy to me.”
“I have no secrets from you, gorgeous.” I give her my best puppy-dog eyes and extend two of my tentacles in front of me in a mock prayer pose. “Pretty please with candy canes on top?”
“Are those eyes one of your Love Master Luna moves?”
“Maybe.”
“Well played. Those are dangerous.” She sighs dramatically. “Fine. As long as this system doesn’t hit on any super weird or embarrassing fantasies we have! Also, if I find out you’re a serial killer, I’m out.”
I nod vigorously. “What happens in the tunnel, stays in the tunnel. Unless one of us is a serial killer.”
That makes her laugh. “Okay, how does this work? Please tell me this tunnel isn’t anything like that damn coaster.”
“It’s an enclosed tunnel, and the walls and floors are designed to display the images I mentioned. No floating into space or crazy vertical drops to be had.”
“When in Rome, right? Let’s do it.”
I take her hand in mine again and we head toward the tunnel.
Along the way, we stop at a vendor cart selling herbal teas.
We select one that’s supposed to be calming and relaxing.
With our warm beverages in hand, we arrive at the entrance line for getting into the Quantum Tunnel of Love.
Waiting for this ride takes a lot longer than the coaster earlier since the park only allows one hoverboat in the tunnel at a time.
The resonance system can only assess one couple passing through, but Gemma and I are content to chill and wait while talking and sipping on our hot tea.
By the time we reach the front of the line, we’ve finished our beverages and are nice and relaxed.
I hold Gemma’s hand to help her into the hoverboat then jump in next to her.
We strap ourselves into our seats, and the attendant quickly sends us on our way.
As the tunnel’s entrance fades to darkness behind us, its shimmering walls begin to light up, and Gemma and I hold hands while we wait to see how some of our dreams and fantasies play out on the walls.
The first image shows Gemma and Felix celebrating a future Christmas with me, Najar, Khephren, and Sasha. We all look festive, happy, and full of cheer. It’s a warm, cozy scene that makes me smile.
Glowing, scrawling letters appear above the image with a single word: family.
Gemma gasps. “That’s fucking uncanny.”
My hearts go pitter-patter in my chest when I realize this is one of Gemma’s wishes.
“I know it might be hard to fully accept quite yet, but like Kheph and I told you, the Taylor siblings are part of our quirky found family aboard the Sleigh Belle, and you always will be.”
Gemma’s voice comes out in a faint whisper.
“I know, and that means more to me than I could ever put into words. Having a family again, a loving and loyal support system in our lives, is something Felix and I have yearned for ever since we lost our grandparents far too soon.” Her expression turns wistful.
“When they were gone, it left us painfully adrift. We never had anyone else we could rely on or turn to in times of joy or trouble beyond each other.”
Well, fuck. Now I’m getting all teary-eyed.
“You both have all of us now, and we’re not letting you two go without a fight!”
Gemma chuckles wetly. “Good, I’ll hold you to that.”
As our hoverboat moves further down the tunnel, the images fade away to be replaced by one of my dreams. It’s an image of Gemma and me being welcomed with open arms by my family.
The words reunited and acceptance glow brightly above the image.
Now I understand what Gemma meant when she said this was uncanny.
In fact, I kind of get her earlier point about this being creepy.
Dammit, am I going to lose my self-appointed title of Love Master?
“Is that your family?” Gemma asks me softly.
I startle out of my thoughts. “Yeah. Like I told you when we texted, things are kind of strained between us and have been ever since I left Draveth. Actually, if I’m honest, our relationship was rocky for quite a while prior to me leaving. It all got way worse after I left.”
“Because you didn’t fit into their expectations?”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Basically. They put a lot of pressure on me to be someone I’m not.
If I hadn’t had the friendship of Kheph and Naj, who knows?
I might have caved to their demands. Luckily, my friends supported me from the get-go.
That gave me the courage and strength to stand firm against my family’s traditionalist views, no matter how hard it was. ”
Gemma uses her free hand to gently stroke my forearm. The sensation is soothing, and a tension I didn’t know had risen up in me lets go.
“You’re super fucking courageous and strong. I can only imagine how difficult that all must have been for you, but I for one am glad that you stayed true to yourself, because you shine as bright as the moon that your name derives its meaning from.”
Talk about a direct love shot to the heart! Or, in my case, hearts.
Thankfully, the image on the screen fades away before I can say or do anything foolish, and we both look on with anticipation as the next one begins to shimmer to life on the tunnel walls.
This time, it’s an image of Gemma and me, years from now, cuddled together in bed and looking happy and content.
My hair is cut short and there are streaks of silver in the green.
Gemma still retains her wild, curly mane of hair, but there’s white around her temples and threaded through her tresses.
We’ve aged, but like fine fucking wine. We look damn good, wrinkles and all.
I sincerely hope this is an accurate prediction of what we’ll look like in a few decades.
And that’s when it hits me, this is a dream about the future, and one that imagines us still together and happy decades from now. It’s something I can’t deny that I want very badly.
Glittering letters begin to emerge above the image I can barely tear my eyes away from. When I do drag my gaze upward, I see that they spell out shared dream.
My hearts start thumping; I whip my head in Gemma’s direction to find her watching me with a similar kind of awe. Neither of us is quite able to speak yet, and I’m trying not to hyperventilate from too much excitement and pass out.
Calm down, Luna, I mentally chide myself.
Then, quite suddenly and when I’m not entirely ready for it, the image fades away and light appears ahead as we come to the tunnel’s exit.
The attendant waiting there helps us both out of the hoverboat, and I won’t deny that my legs are a little shaky.
My chest swells with so many emotions that have been building inside me ever since I first saw Gemma on that view screen.
I feel like a supernova about to explode.
Unable to hold it all back any longer, I blurt out what I’ve been longing to tell Gemma but too scared to say.
“Gemma Taylor, I’m completely head over tentacles in love with you.”
Her eyes go comically wide.
Said tentacles undulate in the air, dancing to music only they can hear. I shake my head and point at them. “These babies only act like this when I’m with you. They’ve been screaming at me for a while now that you’re the one—my celestial soulmate. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Gemma’s bottom lip trembles. “Fucking hell if you don’t know how to slay my heart with a few words. I love you too, and that includes your tentacles.”
As if prompted by that comment, my tentacles do a full-on Rocky victory dance.
My hearts leap in my chest, and I’m momentarily lightheaded from the euphoria her words bring.
“Truly?” I ask, my voice wavering with a mixture of hope and uncertainty.
She flings herself into my arms and I catch her, inhaling her sweet, familiar scent and counting my lucky stars.
“I’d never lie about loving you,” she whispers fiercely.
My tentacles shimmy and shake. “Good, because no one has ever sent joy comet-tailing through my entire being like you do.”
Gemma peppers soft kisses along my jawline. “You’re such an adorable romantic,” she murmurs. “You make me believe in the power of true love, something I’d kind of given up on until I met you.”
My tentacles do another merry little shimmy around us.
Gemma pulls back slightly to look into my eyes, her mouth curving in a smirk. “You do realize that your love confession was basically a proposal, right?”
It’s my turn for my mouth to drop open. I think back on what I said.
Neptune’s nads, but she’s totally right.
That wasn’t intentional on my part, yet it speaks to the truth of the final image we saw on the walls of the Quantum Tunnel of Love, and that bolsters my self-confidence.
I smirk right back. “Hey, don’t forget, the tunnel showed us a shared dream image at the end. I’m not the only one who fantasizes about a future with us growing old together as a happy, loving couple.”
Gemma’s cheeks flush. “That one did throw me for a bit of a loop at first, but when I did a little soul-searching, I couldn’t deny that it’s something I’ve secretly started dreaming about.”
“Ditto, gorgeous.”
The smile she directs at me is so beautiful and bright. I’m utterly captivated.
She traces a heart pattern over my chest with her finger. “Does that mean we’re both committing to one another on a permanent basis right now?”
I swallow hard. “That’s what I want.”
“Perfect, me too. Although I’m not sure that I’m ready for or even want something official like marriage.”
“Don’t worry,” I hasten to reassure her. “There are plenty of other types of couple designations that are legally recognized across most of the universe. We can decide together what, or if anything, suits us best.”
She links her arm with mine, and we begin walking back through the park toward where we docked the ship.
When we entered the Quantum Tunnel of Love, I wasn’t planning to declare my feelings for Gemma, but in the end, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I’m so damn glad I did because now I know that she loves me too.
I covertly pinch myself. Yep, this is real. I’m not dreaming.
I start grinning from ear to ear.
Gemma’s eyes become hooded and sultry. “Now that we’ve declared our love for one another and gotten that out of the way, I think it’s time for us to make our way back to the ship and to a bedroom. Stat.”
We race arm in arm back to the Sleigh Belle.