Page 46 of Right on Time

“I think he might have done something stupid.”

“Like?”

Before Trixie could reply, her communicator chimed. “What do you have for us, boo bear?”

“The Subcommander is on his fighter ship. His communicator is switched off. I can’t reach him.”

“On his ship?” Chloe parroted. What the heck was going on?

“It is as I suspected,” Trixie grumbled. “The idiot is running away.”

“What? Why? You think he’s running… from me?”

“Not you. His feelings.” Trixie shook her head, lips pressed tightly together in clear disapproval. “Boo bear, I’ll handle it from here.”

“Bean, what–”

Trixie switched off her communicator and grabbed Chloe’s hand. “Hurry, or he’s going to get away.”

Chloe was still confused by the news Nitiel was about to leave, without having been allowed to do so by his boss, so she let Trixie pull her along to the bed. It was when her friend pressed a small indentation at the foot of the bed and the clamshell closed shut that Chloe thought to ask, “What are you doing?”

“Getting you to your stud muffin, duh. Hurry, he might take off any second.” Trixie led her to the wall behind the bed, which now had a round hole in it. It must have been there all along, just hidden by the open clamshell.

“Uh…”

Trixie patted her butt. “Come on, in you go. The chute is active, so he hasn't left yet. Don’t get cold feet now, Chloe.”

“Uhhh.” What. The. Heck.

“Girl, we don’t have time for this! The chute will take you directly into the Subcommander’s ship. It’s used in case of emergency, which you’re having now. Or do you wish to see him fly off to Earth without you?”

“No, I–”

“Then get in there! I’ll help with the dress.”

When had Chloe's life become an action movie? One minute she was looking for Nitiel to have a serious conversation and the next, she was climbing into a hole in the wall to slide who knew how many levels and rings down a space station and stop a fighter ship from taking off. Good thing she liked slides.

“Go get your man, honey!” Trixie gave her a strong push.

Chloe screamed. She took that back: she did not like this slide. It was steep and swirly, the chute was pitch black so she had no idea what to expect, and her stupid long dress rode high up her legs, leaving her butt in direct contact with the metal. When she reached the end of the slide – if she ever did, this thing seemed endless – she might have the worst case of a chute burn.

Suddenly, there was bright light ahead. Chloe barely had time to brace before the chute shot her out and onto a jelly surface. Face-first, because of course.

Dazed, she heard the roar of a powerful engine.

The engine of a ship taking off.

CHAPTER 23

Too Late

Nitiel accelerated to the maximum speed allowed upon takeoff. He couldn’t wait to get out of the station and into open space. He always thought more clearly when surrounded by stars from all sides. And he needed to think clearly now more than ever, after what he had done.

He slowed down as he maneuvered around the station’s maintenance shuttles, the vibrations of his fighter’s powerful engines decreasing to a gentle purr. That was when he heard it.

Knocking. On the door behind him.

There was someone in the small storage space between the engines and the cockpit. Someone whose knocking turned into pounding when he didn’t respond.