Page 22 of Searching the Skies
Ash was everything she wanted to be. As successful in his career as she’d been, nothing could ever pose too much of a challenge to the brave commander. He shared her love for adventure, seeking thrills within the structure of their military units. The way he faced everything thrown at him with a positive, energetic attitude had endeared him to so many on the ship and served as an inspiration. Part of her wanted nothing more than to travel the universe with him, continuing to serve their people side by side and taking in every new experience to share with each other.
But then there was Marcus. Marcus, who had known her for her entire life and seemed to have the ability to understand her every thought, sometimes even before she did. He was caring and kind, and she’d caught glimpses of how his compassion spread to others. With everything she had ever done, he’d supported her. She’d grown to appreciate his insight and clarity, and a potential future with him appeared just as enticing.
Either one of them would be so, so easy to love. Allowing herself to indulge in those strong emotions, the ache for them in her soul, meant giving one of them up for good. Thinking of one while in the arms of the other would forever haunt her conscience. As painful as it would be, she planned to say a final farewell.
The heat of the two suns beat down upon her as she struggled with her decision. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the warm, solid branch. Squeezing them shut, she prayed for the best option to appear to her, to make itself known with a sudden flash. A dull pain swelled in her chest, tugging at her core as she tried to imagine life without Ash’s smile and contagious laugh, or Marcus’s affectionate embraces and penetrating stares. The memory of each man’s touch was vivid in her mind and alive upon her skin. Neither would be erased any time soon.
The idea of running away again tempted her, but what may have been excusable for an impulsive teenager wasn’t an option for a mature, established adult. However, perhaps she could find a way to achieve the same results. If a definitive decision eluded her, the right thing to do would be to distance herself from both of them. She could request a transfer to a new ship, she could continue to avoid Pasurea, and she could try to forget she had ever allowed either of them to break down her defenses and touch not only her body but her heart.
The sound of voices emanated from the direction of the house, interrupting the tranquil rustle of the leaves. She turned her head to peer through the branches and spotted both Marcus and Ash ambling toward her hiding place. Frozen, she watched as Marcus approached the base of the tree and looked up. “I thought we might find you up there,” he said, smiling.
“Old habits die hard.” Geneva descended from the lofty tree and swung down to solid ground from the lowest branch. She wiped her hands on her pants and stared at the two men, unsure of what to say. “What are you two doing here?”
“Coming to find you, of course!” Ash winked at her.
“Iknowthat.” She folded her arms across her chest, though she wasn’t really annoyed. “I meant, what are you doing here together?”
“Well, when Marcus gave me a lift to the hotel yesterday, we had a nice long conversation.” He scratched his chin. “Your name may have come up a few times.”
Her right eyebrow shot up. “Oh?”
“Don’t look so alarmed.” Marcus’s voice sounded soft and reassuring, as always.
“I just…I don’t know. For some reason, I assumed you wouldn’t get along.”
“Aw, come on. You of all people should know it’s much better to have an ally than an enemy.” A roguish twinkle lit up Ash’s eyes. “And we do happen to have a lot in common.”
“Yeah, well…” Geneva stared at the loose dirt at her feet and kicked some of it around. “I guess we should talk.”
Marcus craned his neck to peer into her eyes. “You seem upset,” he said, reaching for her shoulder.
She backed away from him. “Why shouldn’t I be? Not only do I have to decide where I’m going and what I’m doing, but I have to choose who I want to be with.”
“Maybe not,” Ash said, his sunny disposition never wavering.
Her gaze flicked back and forth between them as she searched for an explanation. “What do you mean?”
Marcus answered first. “No one ever tells you what to do, Geneva. We figured if either of us tried, it wouldn’t end well.” His fingertips brushed against her arm. “Neither one of us wants to lose you.”
“And we wouldn’t want to force you to give anything up.” Ash turned up his palms. “What good would that do any of us?”
She wasn’t sure if she heard correctly, or if she did, whether or not she believed them. “So…where do we go from here?”
“I assume you plan to travel back up to your ship tomorrow so you can continue to fly through the skies,” Marcus said.
Geneva nodded in the affirmative, though said nothing. Twinges of guilt gnawed at her over how he hadn’t expected her to stay behind with him, and she remained bewildered by the recent turn of events.
“You’ll leave,” Marcus continued, “but whenever you come back here, you know my door is always open to you.”
“And you’re fine with this?” she asked Ash.
“Hey, I’m not ready to settle down any time soon. Plus, I think you still have quite a few more years of wanting to explore the rest of the universe.” He shrugged, but his grin never disappeared. “So, let’s not worry about any of that yet and we’ll have our fun, okay?”
“It all sounds very logical, almost too good to be true…and I was so worried about disappointing either of you.” She ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Are you sure there won’t be any hurt feelings?”
Marcus glanced at Ash before returning his gaze to her. “Come to dinner at my house tonight. Both of you,” he said. “I’m sure we can have a pleasant evening, the three of us together.”
“Sure. Sounds great,” Ash said.