Page 47 of Right on Time
Nitiel turned on the autopilot, clear of the space station as he now was, and stood up to unlock the door. He was very confused: how could there be someone aboard? Who could it be?
“Loe?!”
The reason for his unauthorized flight stood on the other side of the door, hair sticking in odd directions, formal blue dress rumpled, and an expression more fiery than he had ever seen it. As he stood there, speechless and staring, Loe crossed her arms over chest and leveled him with her gaze.
“Told you you’re not getting rid of me yet, Subcommander.”
“Loe, what on Gaenthia are you doing here? How did you–”
“I could ask you the same thing, Nitiel. What are you doing here, when you were supposed to be resting in the medical bay?”
“I–I–”
“More importantly, how could you lie to me? You said you’d be sleeping, yet here you are!”
“I did not lie!” Nitiel’s wings drew in at the preposterous claim. “I planned to get some more sleep, but I couldn’t. Not in the medical bay, and not in my cabin. I was too restless to even stay in bed.”
She did not look impressed. “So, you decided to fly to Earth?”
“What? I’m not going to Terra.”
“Fine, you’re going someplace else. That doesn’t change the fact you’re running away, Nitiel.”
He scratched his horn nub, perplexed and growing nervous under her stormy gaze. “What are you talking about?”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on, cut the act. I caught you. I found the courage to slide down a dark chute, not knowing there would be an onboard jelly pad to catch me at the end, and you’re too chicken to admit it.”
He blinked. “Admit what?”
Loe threw her hands up. “That you were afraid to face me after the ball, so you ran to your ship the first chance you got! Still recovering from a dangerous wound, lacking the Commander’s permission to leave, and yet headed who knows where so you wouldn’t have to talk to me ever again!”
Nitiel was rendered speechless. By her accusation, by her sharp tone growing shakier by the second, and by the wetness pooling in her eyes.
“If I had left the ball mere seconds later, I would have missed you! You would have slipped away without a single word. I thought that after what we shared in the Arboretum – after everything we have shared since Earth – you would at least say goodbye to me. But no. I don’t even get a goodbye note. A goodbye wave. Nothing!”
He balled his hands into fists, lest he reach for Loe and wrap her in his wings to comfort her. “If you believe me capable of such cowardice, why did you come after me?”
“What? Well…” She huffed. “Because unlike you, I don’t run away from my feelings. I don’t turn my back on what I want. On who I want.”
Fire erupted in his groin. This female. So brave and bold… “I am not running away, Loe. Not to Terra or anywhere else.”
“Um… Uh… You’re not?”
“No. I got on the ship for a short flight. To clear my head.”
“But–But your wound–Your leg–”
“I feel well. The doctor confirmed I could leave the bed. He said no flying with my wings, but I needed to be on my own and fly, so here I am.”
“To clear your head?” she asked tentatively.
Nitiel nodded.
“Why?”
He took a deep breath. “Because I had to find the right words to say to you. And because I needed some time on my own to strengthen my resolve.”
“Oh.” She bit her bottom lip then laughed nervously. “Oops.”