Chapter 8 #2
“Good job, Z,” Apodis agreed, and the caerulian bristled with pride, shaking out his fur as his tail finally slowed its agitated twitching.
As the adrenaline waned, Gemini realized her ankle was throbbing once more, and she winced as she pulled away from Apodis.
“Are you in pain?” he asked, concern furrowing his brow.
He steadied her with his hands, so large she felt dwarfed in his presence.
“My ankle hurts again,” she said, and without another word he scooped her into his arms, carrying her through the front door like the first day they’d met.
Zenith followed as Apodis settled her on the couch, removing her boot and sock with tender care. A tentacle coiled around her ankle, the suckers attaching and sending a jolt through her as her sprain was chilled.
Her breathing was finally steadying, and though her ankle was feeling better, Apodis didn’t unwind his tentacle from her skin.
“Gegon roots aren’t usually active this late in the season. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let you and Zenith go out there alone.”
“Nonsense!” she said, sensing the guilt in his voice. “It’s not your fault. I know the power of the natural world is not to be underestimated. Honestly, I thought it was a snake or something when it grabbed me.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Apodis murmured, his bright eyes glued to her before glancing at Zenith. “Both of you.”
“We were never in any danger. I made sure of that,” Zenith said.
Gemini bit her lip hard, trying to stifle the giggle bubbling in her throat, and it almost burst forth when Apodis eyed her with a similar look.
Zenith curled up next to the blue flames, apparently exhausted from his encounter with the gegon root, and Apodis lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom.
“Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“I think Zenith is trying to get us together,” Gemini said as she lay in bed, eager to spend another night cuddled up with Apodis despite the nagging feeling that she should be getting back to camp.
“Get us together?”
“Like a relationship or something…”
Apodis’ eyes widened, then an amused smile curled his lips.
“He really loves to meddle. What exactly did he say?”
“Um, well, he essentially invited me to stay. He said I shouldn’t go back to Earth…”
She wasn’t being weird. It wasn’t her suggestion or idea. She was just repeating what the caerulian had said.
Apodis nodded, though a smile curled his lips, his face flushing maroon as if she’d embarrassed him.
“Did he? But your life is on Earth. He should know better.”
Was Apodis fishing for information? It was difficult for her to tell whether he wanted to know more or was trying to end the conversation.
“Not much of a life…” she muttered, regretting the statement a moment later.
“What do you mean? What about your family?”
Gemini shrugged.
“They live on the opposite side of the planet, and my parents are too busy with my brother and his kids to come visit. And I get it. They always wanted grandchildren.”
“I’m sorry. That’s unfortunate.” He paused, eyeing her carefully. “But surely there are other… things worth returning for.”
Jesus, did he really want her to admit how pathetic she was?
The shame she’d felt after Kenny broke up with her still hadn’t fully dissipated, no matter how much she tried to tell herself that it wasn’t her fault.
There were chatbot support groups, for fuck’s sake, for those trying to break their addiction and for people like her who’d been ditched in lieu of a virtual partner.
She’d gone to one meeting but had felt so uncomfortable that she never returned, vowing to wallow in her sadness instead. It wasn’t too difficult to find sex partners, and really, with how busy she was with work and how much she hated the apps, it was for the best.
But how much to tell Apodis? He seemed so sincere, so interested in everything she said. It was nice not having to worry about her console or comm or anything to distract her from enjoying his presence fully.
“My last boyfriend broke up with me for a chatbot. So, no, I don’t have much to go back to.”
Apodis’ face betrayed a series of emotions; shock, confusion, sadness, and finally… anger.
“A chatbot? Only a pathetic male would let someone as intelligent and beautiful as you go, especially for a thing that doesn’t actually exist,” he growled, his tentacles waving wildly behind him like he wanted to fight Kenny the way he’d fought the vine.
It was a relief for someone else to acknowledge how absolutely insane the whole situation was, because for a while, with how blase her friends had been, she had started to wonder if she was the crazy one.
“Yeah. I mean, it is what it is. So many guys like those kinds of things…”
Apodis cupped her cheek, heating her face upon contact.
“I don’t. I will always appreciate the real thing over digital falsehoods.”
Gemini swallowed hard, her heart thumping like a drum in her chest. God, was he going to kiss her? Apodis licked his lips, sending a zing of electric arousal through her body, her cunt slick with need.
Instead of what she expected, he pulled her into his chest, pressing the kiss meant for her lips on the top of her head. It was a sweet gesture, and she stifled the tears burning the corners of her eyes, once again not understanding when she’d become such an emotional wreck.
“You know you’re welcome here for as long as you’d like,” Apodis whispered, so quiet she almost didn’t hear him.
It wasn’t quite an invitation, but it wasn’t not an invitation.
Gemini settled into his arms, letting her worries float away into the clouds, focusing on how good it felt to be held by this alien male.