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The moment Garix told Izzy via her O.D.I. that Malo had found Caro, she leaped out of the chair to face the screen. She choked on saying Caro’s full name, as undulant waves of emotions crashed through her. Swiping away a tear, she bounced on her toes and waited for the call to connect.
“Caro?”
Seeing her beloved friend’s face was glorious, a crescendo of joy rose within her, and she beamed.
“Izzy? Where the monkey’s bananas have you been?”
“You’re one to talk after traveling the galaxy. I merely had an incident and just returned. When Garix said Malo found you, I had to call you. I need you, babe. The shit’s hitting the fan, and I don’t know how to handle it.” Izzy winced at the truth in her words.
Caro folded her arms across her belly. “That doesn’t sound like you. Your solutions are usually too creative for me.”
That was so not helpful. Izzy leveled a glare on her.
Caro chuckled and held up her palms. “Okay, start from the beginning.”
“When those bastards took you, I was so scared, but not once did I think it was me they were after. A second attempt to take me changed things. I was shafted from stick-up-his-ass Vorn to some guy named Oyaz. I didn’t care who, as long as they rescued Simmy first. Can you imagine her alone?” Izzy shook her head. Simmy was no longer her problem. “Regardless, after Oyaz and his team brought her to the battleship, I met him.” She clasped her hands together, recalling how he’d hugged her. “My own Eth, Caro. At last.” And the joyful wave plummeted Izzy into the depths of despair. She sniffed, twitching her nose to hold back another round of tears. “But on a mission to collect Simmy’s art supplies, Yithians ambushed us and blasted Oyaz’s O.D.I.” She sobbed behind her cupped hands. “He awoke not knowing who I was, and while I tried to drag his huge ass into the forest to hide, his memory didn’t return. I couldn’t get in touch with Garix or Reyes, stranding us.”
“Holy noodles, Izzy. Does he remember you now?”
Oh, if it were that easy. Healed and still, nothing, no recollection in his eyes. And by calling her Izzy proved this. She’d loved the way Izabelle had rolled off his tongue, in that baritone and accent. Tears dripped off her chin. “I found my alien only to lose him.” Shaking her arms to rid herself of energy, she fell into pacing. “No other male has claimed me, so I assume it’s Oyaz or no one.” She raised her gaze to Caro, praying her genius friend had a solution. Hit him with a baseball bat, a shovel, a brick? Stun him with one of their guns? Something had to trigger his memory, or else, she was doomed. “I don’t want anyone else. What do I do?”
“Be patient? Granny’s nipples, I don’t know what to tell you, Izzy. What does the medic say?”
“There’s no medical reason for his memory not to return.” She paced again. “Maybe he doesn’t want a soulmate? Maybe he doesn’t want me as his Dar Eth?”
“They can’t choose, babe. It happens once in their lives. If he dropped to a knee for you, I’m afraid the poor bastard’s stuck with you.” Caro chuckled. “Now be patient. Yeah, I know it’s a curse word for you, but let nature heal him. He’ll kneel for you again.”
Days loomed ahead with Izzy doing nothing but waiting. No, she’d leave as planned. Seeing Paris would be a start, and distance would help her gain perspective. In the middle of her soul was a darkness she didn’t understand. “Patient? That’s worse than a rash on my lady bits.” She pouted. “You look good though, Caro. Are you glowing?”
Her dark hair draped over one shoulder, no doubt from the many Etterian showers she must have had. And it looked as if she had lost weight but in a good way.
Caro drew in a shuddering breath, with a smile lingering then fully forming. “As expected of a mom-to-be, Aunt Izzy.”
Lights exploded in Izzy’s chest, and she gaped. “I’m an aunt?” She squealed, throwing her hands in the air as she danced. “Way to go, Malo. He has super swimmers, he does.” She stilled and flipped her hair out of her eyes, her joy lingering. “But how are you doing, babe? You seem off. Are you unhappy about the baby?”
“No, never that.” Tears shimmered in Caro’s eyes. “Malo doesn’t love me, Izzy. I’m not even sure they know what love is. The sex is amazing, and he’s attentive, even affectionate.”
Ice cloaked Izzy’s heart. They didn’t love? Maybe what happened was for the best? No, she couldn’t think like that. “I can’t believe that, babe. I mean, once they feel, they feel. They have no idea how to hold back emotions. Maybe he does love you but doesn’t know what he’s feeling is love?”
Caro snorted. “Getting a human man to admit love is like pulling teeth. How the hell am I going to teach an Etterian how to recognize it, Izzy?” She slumped, dipping her chin to her chest. “It’s impossible.”
“Let me know if you figure out how. Once Oyaz returns to his senses,” she winced, “I might need that info.”
Caro jerked back, and her cheeks flushed. Malo’s face filled the display vid.
“Hi, Malo.” Izzy waved. She’d give a kidney for Oyaz to look at her like that. Something intense warmed his eyes when he gazed at Caro.
“It is good to see you, female. Your disappearance would have delayed heading home. Now you are well, I may show my Dar Eth Etteria sooner.”
Izzy blinked. Caro wasn’t coming home? Darkness engulfed Izzy, and she curled into herself. She was alone, as she’d expected.
“What?” Caro squeaked. “We’re not going to Earth?” She waved at Izzy, and the vid faded, as black as Izzy’s soul.
A sob escaped, and she whimpered, throwing out a hand to slow her descent. Crumpled on the floor, she wailed, allowing the pain, loneliness, and lost love a voice. The cold metallic flooring burned her flushed cheek, and she sniffed, not wanting to pull herself together, to pretend she was fine.
“Just one more time, Izzy. Go find Garix, have lunch with him for old time’s sake, then leave.” She wiped her nose on her T-shirt. “You can do this.”
She rolled onto her hands and knees and crawled until she could stumble to her feet. Activating the shower, she stuck her hand in the spray to dab her cheeks. Then ordered a clean T-shirt without the snot streaks. She studied her reflection above the vanity. Her pale face, her almost-tamed hair, but two red spots glowed on her cheeks, and her eyes shimmered with fresh tears. Pinching her lips, she rolled her eyes. Right, I am so fine. Nothing wrong here. Forcing a weak-assed smile, she cursed at failing, then she forced another smile. This one lasted longer. Splaying her fingers, she ran them down her skirt.
Faking a laugh, she bounced on her toes, hoping to appear happy. Then with a flounce, she marched out of her quarters to the common. Seven-foot Garix was easy to spot, biting into a salami stick. She took a calming breath then skipped across to Brynr, dancing around the males crowding the common.
“Medic Brynr, how do I move my tokens from my paychip to my O.D.I? And how do I activate languages?”
The older male smiled, pushed off his chair, and strode toward her. “I have activated Etterian for you, Lady Izzy.”
“I’d like German, French, Italian...” She tapped her chin. Technically, English was the global language chosen in 2110. Still, smaller towns clung to their cultural languages, and she hoped to wander through a few of them. Real pasta sauce with authentic cheese? Her stomach gurgled, and she yearned to share the experience with Garix. He’d love the food. She slumped. This adventure was by choice, and a desperate chance for her to forget Etterians existed. Having Garix along would defeat the purpose.
“Why would you want these?” Brynr frowned as he typed on her O.D.I., syncing her bank accounts. He patted the bed and helped her climb up. “Let me remove the old chip.”
She offered him her wrist. “I’m off on an adventure, Brynr, to visit Paris, Berlin, and Rome. I want to see it all. Well, as many as I can. They had to dome the Colosseum, the Berlin Wall, the Eiffel Tower due to our corrosive air, but still, to see them, to be in their presence.”
“Alone?” He held the medgun to her wrist, healing the sliced skin.
That one word was a dagger to her heart. “Garix can’t come with. He’s a warrior with obligations. His Dar Eth awaits him somewhere, and babysitting me will prevent him from finding her.” She squeezed Brynr’s forearm. “I’ll be fine.” It was sweet of him to worry. At least, someone did.
“May I suggest you take a blaster with?”
She laughed. “Where would I put it?” On a whim, she threw her arms around the male and hugged him. “Thanks for worrying, Brynr.”
He patted her back, and when he pulled away, his cheeks had darkened. “Still, a weapon of some sort—”
“Wouldn’t make it through the airport checkpoints.” She leaped off the bed while he packed away his gadgets, including the massive shaver she now knew was their medgun. “I plan to go without luggage and no travel route in mind. If I love a place, I’ll stay longer. I have the funds to buy whatever I need, go wherever I want.”
“Sounds wonderful, to be that free.” Brynr smiled. “I might join you, Lady Izzy.”
She treated his offer as a joke and chuckled in the hopes of not offending him. “You are needed here, and your Dar Eth awaits you too.” Patting his chest, she tilted her head to maintain eye contact. “But my eternal gratitude for offering, Brynr.”
“I—”
“You’d stop at the first medical clinic, lose your shit over how we’re struggling to cure cancer, and abandon me to my adventure.”
“Cancer?” His eyelids fluttered, and he gasped. “Truly?”
“See. You can make more of a difference on Earth than touring with me.”
He grinned. “Lady Izzy, you are a marvel. I will convene with the medics onboard the orbiting battleships and plan how to eradicate this cancer.”
“Promise me, Brynr, you’ll start with the children.”
He jerked back, and his cheeks trembled. “This I vow.” He tapped his O.D.I.
She sighed and plastered on a smile. Drawing from the bottom of the barrel, she gathered her energy and skipped to where Garix had almost finished the salami stick. She draped an arm across his shoulders and smacked a wet kiss on his cheek. He brushed her aside with a grunt.
As if it rained outside, she ordered a plate of cinnamon sugar crepes and slid the plate in front of him. “Try these, babe. Perfect rainy weather food.”
He unraveled his legs so she could sit next to him. Gathering the plate closer, he sniffed and closed his eyes on a hum. “What is this?”
“Just try it. Flaming nipples, Garix, you’d swear I’m poisoning you.” She laughed and ignored it cracking at the end. “Let me tell you, my grizzly, it would take a shit load of crepes to kill you.” Leaping to her feet, she ordered two forks and offered him one. “Have I led you astray before?”
His gaze whipped up. “Pineapple? Olives? Oysters? Tequila?”
“So, who’s counting?” She dug her fork in and held it for him to bite.
He wrapped his lips around the fork and groaned. “This is so good.”
“It’s better with ice cream, fruit, whipped cream, chocolate. Some eat it without sugar but with a chicken or minced beef sauce.”
She dug her fork in again, but he smacked it with his.
“Mine.”
She gaped. “What?” Trying again got the same result. She huffed. “You’re being silly.”
“No. You share with me and eat most of it.” He pinched his lips while she scoffed at the accusation. But he was serious, pushing the plate out of her reach.
Fury burned her hairline, and she narrowed her eyes on him. “Are you saying little me eats more than you?” She gestured to his size, and a pang shot through her at his wince. That was mean of her. “More than any Etterian male?” She scrambled to ease the pain she’d inflicted.
Yes, whatever she touched, she corrupted. Garix was better off without her. “I thought we shared everything, my friend. Who knew crepes would be a no-go.” She tried again to stab the last crepe. “If you don’t learn to share, I’ll stop introducing you to our delicious foods.” She grinned. “Fair’s fair.”
“You can order your own. Why must I share this time, ensa?”
“Because I don’t want a stack. I just want a bite. Garix, it’s just a crepe. You’re acting as if I asked you to share your last iced coffee.” Fuck it. “That’s it, Garix. I’m done with this...bullshit.” She threw down her fork and punched her O.D.I. “Pilot Vyar, zap me to my housing unit, please.”
The male’s voice vibrated up her arm. “Zap, Lady Izzy?”
How she heard and felt his voice, she wasn’t going to understand, ever. She gritted her teeth. “Port, teleport, zap, dematerialize, play with my DNA. Just get me home.”
Garix leaped to his feet. “Ensa—”
And bam, she stood in her living room. She patted herself to make sure her ass wasn’t on backward, then drew in a shaky breath. Maybe she’d spend one night here, then head out? Running to her room, she threw herself onto her bed and yanked her pillow into a crushing hug. And maybe a last meal at Papa and Milly’s. A friendly non-Etterian face was just what she needed.
“Izzy?”
She groaned and threw the pillow at Garix just as he filled her bedroom door. “What? Go away, Garix. I don’t need protection anymore.”
He hesitated. His furrowed brow and sad eyes tugged at her resolve.
“Flaming nipples, Garix. Go find your Dar Eth. I’ll be fine. Madyx was behind the attempts to take me. Which means no more sharkmen and squidheads.”
“But—”
She squealed, thrashing her legs and arms like a toddler throwing a tantrum. “What?”
“Is it because I would not share?”
She stilled and mumbled, “No.” Her voice was small. How could she explain her emotions to the big hulk? Rolling over, she sat up and faced him. “For once in my life, I have no responsibilities, Garix. I’m free to choose my life and path.” She scooted off the bed to sit on the edge. She dug her nails into her thighs and persevered. “I want no reminders of this...adventure.” She winced. “So, no Etterians, Garix, please.”
“You want to forget about me?” His eyebrows shot to his hairline.
“Oh, big teddy bear, I could never forget you, and I don’t want to.” She pushed off the bed to rest her hands on his stomach. “I want time to heal my...heart.” So cliché.
“Your heart?” He jerked back to type on his O.D.I. “Medic Brynr—”
“Can’t mend a broken heart. No one can...well, except time.” She waved a hand and slipped around him. Explaining her emotions to him was futile. “How about burgers at Papa and Milly’s?”
He huffed and stomped after her.
At the front door, she paused and arched a brow. “Coming?”
He grunted. “Fine, but this discussion is not over, minus susa.”
She snorted as she headed downstairs to call a cab. When she walked out of her apartment for the last time, boarded a plane for Europe, then he would realize, there was nothing he could say to make her stay.
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