Chapter 21
ALL THAT GLITTERS ISN’T GOLD…OR TERRESTRIAL?
Sky didn’t look up from wiping down the bar until I’d nearly reached him. When he did and his dark eyes met mine, I caught a glimpse of wariness before his face shuttered. His movements slowed.
I halted at the drink mat. This was it. My heart rate spiked, and I drew a deep, nerve-steadying breath. I’d prepared for this.
But the look he was giving me was penetrating and steady. Too steady. My mind blanked like someone had tugged the power cord, and the words I’d rehearsed all day unraveled into nonsense.
I obviously waited too long to speak because Sky’s mouth twitched and he said, “Hi, Raven.” Casual as can be. He swiped the rag one final time before leaning on his elbows, brows rising. “What can I help you with? I didn’t see any new orders come through.”
The false nonchalance zapped my resolve back to life like a defibrillator to the chest.
He was playing it cool, but I’d seen that wariness. If I was right, none of this was real. That serene mask—nor the charming smiles. Definitely not that dance at Crescent. A blush threatened to ignite at the memory.
He’d known. He’d used it. He’d weaponized my infatuation with him to get answers.
Talk about a blow to the ego. It cleared the lingering fog from my brain.
“I need to talk to you,” I said, proud that my voice came out level.
“Yeah?” His eyes narrowed a fraction. “What about?”
I flicked a glance at the woman at the bar, who was doing a terrible job pretending not to eavesdrop. “Privately.”
His eyebrows lifted further, and something flashed across his expression. Something that could’ve been triumph. Maybe even relief.
Like he’d been waiting for this.
I faltered, suddenly uncertain, but it was too late to back out now. I’d already lit the fuse.
“Okay. Sure.” He searched my face before flipping the cleaning cloth over his shoulder and drawing himself up to his full height.
Feeling at a disadvantage with him towering over me, I rocked onto my heels and shoved my hands into my apron pockets. I couldn’t read a damn thing in his expression as he drummed his fingers on the bar and gave me that too-polished bartender’s smile. No teeth, all professionalism.
“So, um, where?” I mumbled. When had my throat gotten so dry?
“Give me five minutes,” he said, inclining in his head and starting to turn. He spoke over his shoulder. “I’ll meet you out back.”
Out back meant the employee break area. Picnic table, dumpsters, low visibility.
Great.
The perfect spot to tackle a bartender. Not literally. Well—maybe perfect for that, too. Not that I should be thinking about tackling Sky at all, considering—
I shook myself.
I’d tell Sandy I was squeezing in my fifteen-minute break. The dinner rush was late anyway. My insides buzzed with anticipation.
I was doing this. I was about to accuse my crush of manipulating me. Possibly stalking me.
I might even say the word aliens.
What if I was wrong?
I swallowed the rising nausea and nodded once. I whirled away—and nearly collided with a pair of customers heading to the bar. The man stumbled back, and the woman clutched her purse.
“Sorry,” I muttered, ducking my head and beelining for the back. I swore I heard Sky stifle a chuckle, and I ground my teeth.
I wasn’t wrong.
Five minutes from now, Sky Acosta wouldn’t know what hit him.
Hopefully.
Four minutes and thirty seconds later, I shoved open the back door. Its hinges shrieked like they were auditioning for a horror film, emitting a screech that bounced off the cinderblock walls and echoed into the parking lot beyond. It did great things for my already shredded nerves.
Huffing, I sidled from the entrance and scanned the area. Empty. The door shut with a thud behind me, sealing off the kitchen’s racket. Leaving me alone in the storm.
No one lingered beneath the lean-to. No smokers. No line cooks on their break. Just the rustling hush of the wind and the rain drumming on the shelter’s metal roof.
Lightning flickered somewhere out of view, followed by a low rumble of thunder. Wind swirled around the building’s side and slapped mist across my face. I wiped it away and moved to the picnic table, checking for wet spots before I perched on the edge and folded my arms.
Another bout of nerves twisted up my belly, and I tapped my toes, pushing the doubt away.
I was right to question him. I knew it. My palms were damp and my stomach churned, but I was done being jerked around.
A heartbeat later, the door swung open again, and even though I’d expected it, I jolted like I’d been shocked.
Sky stepped out into the wind and rain. He did the same thing I had: scanned the space to confirm we were alone. His shoulders lowered a fraction. Still, tension hardened the lines of his face when he glanced my way.
“Rae,” he said in greeting.
I tried to act cool and leaned back against the table again, but my pulse was doing a wild drum solo. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could hear it from there, especially when he strolled closer. The door slammed shut once more, and he stopped in front of me, crossing his arms to mirror my pose.
“Did anybody see you come out here?” I asked. Last thing I needed was a rumor about a rendezvous with the bartender.
“I don’t think anybody was paying attention. Why?” he asked dryly. “Embarrassed to be caught meeting me by the dumpster?”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I pressed my lips into a line. His jaw was tight, like he wasn’t looking forward to this, either. Like he wasn’t looking forward to talking with me.
Should that feel like a victory? I wasn’t sure. It felt kind of like a blow.
I summoned a scowl, despite the blush trying to rise. “Maybe I am embarrassed to be caught meeting you behind the dumpster.”
“Right.” He smiled faintly. When I just stared at him, trying to decide where to start, he tipped his head to the side and arched an eyebrow. “Well, what’d you need to talk about? Need another ride somewhere?”
Was he still toying with me? My anger flared like a struck match.
Maybe he was just ET-obsessed. Maybe he was one of Kelly’s FETR weirdos. But whatever the reason, he’d been digging. And I’d been too stupid, too giddy over the attention to realize it.
He’d played me.
That match hit dry tinder, and righteous fury burned bright. I shoved off the picnic table so fast Sky gave a start. I didn’t stop. I marched right up to him and thrust out my hand flat between us.
Lightning crackled like a cue. The strange pearlescent glyphs on my palm shone silver in the flash.
“If you want to know my secrets so badly,” I said, waggling my fingers, “then here. Why don’t you tell me what the hell this is?”
His gaze dropped…and widened. He flinched like I’d slapped him.
His wariness vanished, and in its place was pure, unadulterated shock. His lips parted. His face paled. The mask was gone, cracked apart to reveal…
Alarm?
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but it wasn’t that. I’d expected denial. Smugness. Not fear. God, I wasn’t sure if he was even breathing. For a second, the world seemed to hold its breath along with him. I did, too.
Unease shivered through me.
He slowly raised his head, blinking rapidly. Then, as if he couldn’t help it, his attention drifted back to my hand.
“How…?” he breathed.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I was still absorbing his shock.
The rain hammered above us, filling the tight silence. He stepped forward suddenly, hands lifted like he meant to grab my wrist.
The quick movement sent me skittering back a step. Sky checked himself in time and didn’t touch me. His fingers hovered, though, close enough I felt their heat.
I whipped my gaze back to his, and I found it dark and searching and full of questions. More questions. His whisper was hoarse. “Where did you get this?”
“Where did I get it?” A bubble of incredulous laughter spilled out. My open palm hung awkwardly in the space between us. I curled my fingers. “Oh, you know. Picked it up at Willow Mall. BOGO palm tattoo day.”
He didn’t smile.
I swallowed hard, deliberately flattening my hand again. “Does this look like something I’d do on purpose, Sky? It’s not even…”
Human, I almost said. I couldn’t seem to force the word out.
His eyes dropped back to my hand. His chest rose and fell with his uneven breathing.
That was totally fear. Not of me, but maybe for me. A chill slithered down my spine.
Maybe I’d miscalculated. Maybe this wasn’t the power move I’d thought it’d be. Thunder rolled above us.
I jumped when Sky took a jerky step back, but he only scrubbed his hands down his face, exhaling heavily. I watched wide-eyed as he dropped his arms to his sides and bowed his head. His gaze was trained on nothing, his jaw working.
What the hell was this?
I drew my hand back and clasped it in my unmarked one, but it was too late. There was no hiding the marks. Nor this weird reaction he was having to them.
I’d thought he’d deny it, and I’d have to force him to admit he’d manipulated me. Or he’d spout some wacky alien theory, and I could scoff because I knew the real truth.
But this…this was something different. He looked like I’d just ripped the rug out from under his feet. Like his world had just been rocked, not mine.
When he raised his head again, tossing his bangs from his eyes, his expression had closed. I could read nothing in his stony countenance, but I’d already seen enough.
My pulse stuttered.
Maybe I should’ve kept pretending. Ignored the artifact, the lights, the weird scars. All of it.
I’d been right, though. He clearly knew something. And if this was his reaction…what did that mean for me?
We stared at each other. I rubbed my thumb across the markings. It’d become a habit, despite the lack of texture. As if I could rub away this sudden shift in reality.
The skin there felt normal. But it was a lie. None of this was normal.
One of us needed to say something, so I licked my dry lips and went for it. “You know something about this, don’t you?”