Chapter 10
It wasn’t a foolproof plan, but it was better than nothing.
At least that’s what Stephenie told herself while she and Darcy followed behind A-rec.
The white hallway seemed to grow smaller and closer together the deeper into the ship they went.
Other than that, everything remained the same.
It was like being stuck in a never ending nightmare, a house of mirrors that went on forever.
It was unsettling and frightening to say the least, and Stephenie found herself having to swallow down her anxiety more often than not.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Darcy asked, skipping ahead so she was side by side with the gray alien leading the way.
“I would not have suggested it if I thought it would not work,” A-rec replied gruffly. He glanced down at the human at his side, and his gaze softened. “I would not put you or your friend at risk.” He spoke with a strange softness Stephenie had not thought the alien capable of.
Stephenie watched the interaction carefully. A-rec was staring down at Darcy in a very familiar way… It reminded her of how Ee-rah looked at her.
Ee-rah.
She hadn’t had a chance to apologize for her outburst earlier.
Once he had explained his idea, they got started on forming a plan…
And after that, Ee-rah had left them to do his part of the whole scheme.
Stephenie hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye to him.
Her heart ached when she realized later that that may very well have been the last time she ever saw him.
She periodically glanced over her shoulder as they made their way through the hallway, hoping that she would see him coming up behind them… She never did.
Stephenie bumped into A-rec. She hadn’t noticed he had stopped.
He scanned his handprint on a computer pad on the wall. A door slid open with a whooshing sound. He gestured for them to head inside.
Stephenie shot one final glance in the way that they came, and her heart sunk. Still no Ee-rah. She followed Darcy and ducked into the room.
A-rec stood just outside the door. “I shall return when it is time, humans.”
“Thanks, big guy,” Darcy said, reaching up to pat the alien on the shoulder. “We owe you one.”
“Do not thank me yet,” A-rec replied. He reached up and scanned his palm again, and the door closed.
It was dark in the small room. Stephenie could barely see her hands outstretched in front of her. Darcy disappeared beside her in the darkness.
“Do you think this will work?” Darcy whispered. Her voice filled the darkness. It was much too loud in the quiet room. Goosebumps peppered Stephenie’s arms at the sound.
“I don’t know,” Stephenie said. “I…really hope so.” Actually, she really hoped to see Ee-rah again before they got on the Transporter and were sent back home, so she could say goodbye and that she was grateful for everything he had done for her and Darcy, but she wasn’t going to tell Darcy that.
“Tell me the truth, Steph,” Darcy said after a beat of silence passed between them. “Did you hook up with the blue guy? What’s going on there? Because I can tell something happened. I’m not blind.”
Stephenie thought about lying, but what was the point? It wasn’t like she’d ever see him again. “I…may have hooked up with him,” she said carefully. Her cheeks flamed with shame. She really just admitted to hooking up with a damn alien.
Darcy gasped. “Stephenie! Really? An ALIEN?”
Stephenie glared in the direction her friend’s voice came. “I did what I thought I had to do to survive, Darcy.” At least, it started out that way…
“Is that why he’s helping us?”
“No.” Stephenie snapped. “It’s not like that…
I mean, I thought it was at first. That’s why I did it in the first place, but…
I fucked up, Darcy.” Stephenie felt her throat thicken with tears.
“It turns out their species mates for life. Whoever they have sex with is who they stay with. And now he thinks I’m his mate, and he doesn’t understand why I want to leave him and go back to Earth.
It’s like he- or really, their species- cannot process a one night stand.
” The tears were flowing freely down her cheeks.
“I hurt him really bad, and I didn’t mean to. I feel awful.”
Plus, a little voice inside her said, You kind of like him too…at least a little bit.
“Damn,” was all Darcy said.
Another beat of silence passed between the two. Stephenie strained her ears, hoping to hear something going on outside in the hall.
“So what was it like?” Darcy asked, curiosity peppering her tone.
Stephenie’s cheeks warmed at the memory of their latest hookup. “Um… Well…” Leave it to Darcy to ask this question. At least her best friend wasn’t judging her too harshly about the situation. “They have two… You know.” Stephenie couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“You’re joking!” Darcy cried, a little too loudly.
Stephenie jumped and looked back in the general direction of the entrance. “Shh!” She said, reaching out and swatting at the air. She collided with something, and Darcy let out a whimper. “We have to be quiet! We don’t want anyone knowing we’re in here.”
“Sorry,” Darcy muttered. “Anyway… They have two dicks. Are you serious?”
“Yeah… And two tongues.”
“WOW. What must that be like?” Darcy said dreamily.
“Um… Well, I mean… If you’re asking how it was…
It was actually really, really good.” Stephenie admitted.
She could light a fire with how hot her cheeks were in embarrassment.
In fact, she was surprised they weren’t glowing in the dark right now.
“Like…the best I’ve ever had? I mean, he had TWO TONGUES, Darcy.
And… He was kind of sweet about it, you know?
” Stephenie bit her lower lip. “He wasn’t like some human guy that just wanted to get his rocks off.
He made sure I felt good. He put my needs before his own… It was really nice. He’s really nice.”
“God, you sound like you’re in love with the alien,” Darcy said grudgingly.
“I am not in love with an alien,” Stephenie snapped back. “Don’t be ridiculous.” The words sounded false even to her own ears.
Holy fuck.
Was she in love with an alien?
No, it can’t be. That was preposterous. She had only known the guy for…
what two days? Maybe three? If that! How could she be in love with someone that quickly?
Also, he was an ALIEN for God’s sake! They weren’t even the same species.
They were two totally different beings. Besides, what did she really know about him anyway?
It didn’t matter anyway. There was no future for them. She was going home- back to Earth, where she would finish college, start a career, and eventually marry someone…a HUMAN someone.
That’s what she wanted. That’s why she couldn’t stay here with him.
At least that’s what she told herself repeatedly.
The door opened with a whoosh. Smoke filled the hallway and bellowed into the tiny closet Stephenie and Darcy had been hiding in.
“Come now,” A-rec said. “There’s not much time.”