We gazed out over the lights and buildings, watching the flicker of drones whizzing by. Neither of us spoke for some time, until she rubbed a soft circle on my chest.
"Can we go to your place?" I asked, returning my attention to her.
"Of course." She hugged me tighter.
I closed my eyes for a moment, then angled our trajectory toward her apartment.
"He had to be lying about all of that," I said when I landed with her on the balcony. "It didn't make any sense."
"I've read about Starseeds in that book I told you about, but I haven't finished it," she said, lowering her legs to stand on her own. "You're upset."
"A little bit," I admitted, blinking away the tears that immediately returned to my eyes. "I don't know anything. My mom would be ashamed. She would—"
"Honey, if she wanted you to know these things, she would've told you…" Harlow stroked my cheeks with her thumbs before looping them around the stretchy part of the mask that settled around my ears.
"Maybe she did, and I forgot." I sniffled and shook my head. "I don't know. I don't know if I believe that guy. I mean, the suit is incredible. But the stories…I don't know. You paid for all of this, Harlow? How much—how can I—"
"Easy, Vey. I don't know if everything he said was true." Harlow's energy settled me, and she lifted to her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on my forehead. "Breathe with me. You feel like you're buzzing." She removed my mask, then brushed her thumb over my lips. "Slow breaths."
"I'm really overwhelmed." I choked on a sob as my bottom lip quivered. Wind whipped around us, and I caught the flowerpot that lifted from the balcony floor beside us. "Oh no."
"You're okay. That begonia doesn't mind a gentle hover." She plucked it from my fingers then set it back down. "Let's go inside."
"I'll-I'll make a mess."
"Nalea warned me about your sweeping habits." She motioned to the closed door. "You have to sneak in this way. It only locks from the inside."
"Okay…" I drew in a slow breath before releasing her. She held my gaze as I took a few steps backward, until I closed my eyes.
Ghosting through the glass wasn't difficult, and it took a few seconds before I unlocked the door for her. She rushed over to press her palm to the panel by the front door when the warning voice sounded.
"All good." She flipped the switch and bathed us in the dim light from the kitchen. "No tornado yet."
"I think I'm okay," I said, lowering myself to the sofa with my elbows on my knees. I dropped my head in my hands, then felt the tickle of something around my wrist. "The suit literally just read my mind. It's off me."
"Good. You must feel safe then and it knows." She sat down beside me, but didn't touch me yet. "If I rub your back will it hurt you?"
"Normally, yes…but you never hurt me." I glanced at her before wiping my eyes on my sleeve. "You can try."
"Okay." With caution, she placed her hand on my back as I flinched up a storm. "Okay?"
I nodded when no discomfort followed, then pressed my forehead to her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around me, and we leaned back into the cushions together. As before, everything inside me settled from a raging volcano to mildly agitated river while close to her.
"Do you think it's true?" I asked her after some time.
"Mahrulo has never lied to me…so maybe."
"He calls you Doc. Why?"
"He coined that name when we first met because he thought I seemed smart." She smirked and ran her fingers over my ponytail. "I told him doctors aren't the only smart people and thus earned myself an eternal nickname anyway."
I chuckled and turned on my side to rest my head on her shoulder. "Very true."
"Do you want to find out if what he said was true, Veyda?"
I looked up at her and nodded. "I guess so…yeah."
"Luckily, I'm really good at researching alien civilizations." She smiled and kissed the end of my nose.
"Can we stay here tonight? I really don't want to go to the new house and deal with all of my stuff in boxes from this morning…"
"Of course. The asshole upstairs has been generally quiet…"
"Good." I inhaled slowly then turned to meet her gaze. "I can't believe you bought me this suit, Harlow. It must've been thousands…"
"Protectors need protecting," was all she said, her expression growing serious when she said it. "And I care about your well-being like you care about mine. If I can't save you from things falling from the sky or sonic blasts, at least I can metaphorically wrap myself around you to keep you safe…" She traced her finger over my wrist as we both gaze down at the suit tattooed on my skin. "It really looks like a tattoo."
"It does." I nudged her chin so she'd look at me again. "Thank you."
She nodded, then brushed her lips over mine. We shivered at the same time, and she smiled.
"What do you think about ordering some take out to go with our research tonight?" she asked, her voice soft. "And maybe some ice cream and cookies and whatever other junk food we want to go with our sleep over plans."
I chuckled at her playfulness and nodded. "Maybe a movie while cuddling?"
"You love watching movies with me." She nibbled her bottom lip and smiled. "Can we watch an old-time movie?"
"Like wild west something?"
"Nah. Titanic." She chuckled and gave my ponytail a tug.
"Never seen it." I shrugged then nipped her chin. "I'll watch anything."
"Okay, good."
"But I don't want to move." I nudged her to lie back on the sofa then tucked myself between her and the cushions. "I just want to stay like this."
"You can stay like this as long as you like." Her smile lifted her cheeks and turned them a light pink. "I adore holding you…" She pressed her lips to my forehead while I squeezed her around the middle.
"Me too." A soft sigh escaped me, and I closed my eyes while she toyed with my hair.
We tumbled into quiet again for a few minutes until I broke it.
"Harlow?"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you. I'm really grateful for you…" Tears burned my eyes when I confessed my feelings, and I gripped the edge of her shirt.
She nudged my chin up so I'd look at her and said, "A sentiment I duly return."
A small smile made it to my lips, and I kissed her elbow.
"Let's snuggle for a while." She wrapped her arms around me, her cheek resting atop my head. "Just like this. Not thinking about anyone or anything else. Okay?"
"Yeah." I nodded my agreement and closed my eyes. "Okay."
Harlow came into my life unexpectedly, but in that moment, I couldn't imagine existing without her. It still felt like I'd known her my entire life, and part of me tumbled into astonishment thinking that she hadn't been with me forever. I couldn't make sense of it at all. Right then, none of it mattered. All that mattered was the woman in my arms, and the life we currently shared. I ached to end every night like this, tangled in the warmth of connection and in each other's arms.
Chapter Fifteen
The next few days passed in a whirl of unpacking, shopping, and staring blankly at the vacant spaces in my new place. My voice echoed every time I spoke, and even the sound of my own feet on the floor annoyed me. The new sounds, or lack of sounds, disturbed me. We weren't that far out from the busy parts of Seattle, but my ability to drown out the traffic and congestion of humans became second nature over time. Now, in this new house, I became inundated with every sound the house made. Every stop or start of the heating or cooling system, the two refrigerators, the washer and dryer, and our neighbors. It wasn't nearly as loud as the apartment, but that part made it worse. The voices didn't muddle together, and I picked up on full conversations of a few houses in either direction. I hated it. Hated it all. Nothing smelled the same either. The fresh paint, newly varnished wood floors, and the nature scents from the yard overpowered me. Larger dogs barked in the neighborhood, rather than the quieter cats or small dogs of the apartment building. Sometimes I didn't
think I could take another second of it.
"Veyda." I heard my voice called through the cacophony of nonsense. "Vey."
Nalea swung in front of me, her brows lifted with concern. I lowered my hands from my ears, and she swept forward without warning. I flinched when she placed a thick set of noise cancelling headphones on me. As soon as she released them, the loudness faded to muffled hums.
"Better?" she asked, and I nodded as tears streamed my cheeks. "Come here." She held her arms to me, flicking her fingers to urge me closer. "You're okay."
I moved toward her, and the most cautious arms encircled me in a gentle hug. Snaps of discomfort wriggled over my arms and back, but it wasn't as bad as I expected.
"Come sit." She urged me out of the empty living room and through the open back door.
It took us barely three steps before we made it into her part of the house to find Audra in the kitchen with Elara. The baby sat in her carrier perched on the kitchen table, her eyes trained on Audra as she heated something on the stove. She nibbled her fingers and kicked her feet. Audra turned to us, her expression softening when she saw me.
"Are you making spaghetti and meatless balls?" I asked, accompanied with a mild pout that rarely made it to my face.
"Just for you, ya little bowtie bandit." She winked at me, and I chuckled a bit.
Nalea released me by the table, and I shifted in front of Elara to greet her.
"Hi, my cute little Baby Boo," I said, unable to keep the sadness from me whenever I looked at her. To my surprise, she looked right at me, and her feet kicked faster. "Hi, cutie." I removed the headphones so I could hear all the smaller sounds she made.
Nalea and Audra looked on, both of them wearing matching smiles.
Elara grunted and I tapped the toes of her feet as they bounced against my stomach.
"You're a happy girl today. Look at you." I chuckled and tickled her belly.
The baby's arms lifted, and she opened her mouth. Excitement filled her little face and she cooed before a smile broke out across her lips. I gasped and her parents squeaked at the same time.
"She's smiling," Nalea announced, whipping out her phone. "Oh my God."
"She's smiling at you, Vey." Audra giggled while looking over my shoulder. "Her first smile was for you."
I couldn't stop the happy tears that made it to my eyes while I gazed down at her. "I can't even handle it. Hi, Elara." I leaned a little closer to her, kissing each of her bopping hands. "Look at you go."
She blinked a few times, though her smile remained, and she kicked up a storm. As soon as my hair tumbled over my shoulder, her wild little fist figured out how to grab a handful.
"And we've arrived." I laughed while watching her tug my hair toward her mouth. "Uh oh. She's gonna eat me."
Nalea laughed hard, her phone held out in front of her while she recorded us, I assumed. Audra wasn't far behind as she chuckled, her hands clasped to her chest as she watched.
"Baby Boo, this is an unusual situation." I laughed while she trapped me four inches from her face. "But it's so cute."
"It's ridiculously cute," said Nalea, her voice a pitch higher.
"And she's going for the mouth with those tangled fingers." Audra rushed in to free me, at least enough to lean back a little bit. "Elara, what've we discussed about eating Auntie Vey? We need her in one piece, right? Hair included."
The baby kicked harder when she no longer held my hair, and her brow narrowed, but she kept looking at me.
"She's mad." I snickered and let her grab on to my thumbs. "There ya go. So strong—oh, we're going to eat that, too. Gotcha. Have you fed this kid? What's the deal here?" I teased and Nalea scowled.
"She sucks my wife's nips so raw that I can't even fondle them."
Audra pointed a wooden spoon at Nalea while it still dripped with pasta water. "Fondle your own nips."
I burst out laughing and it only made Elara stare at me more. "You hear that, kid? No fondling happening in this house."
"Only self-fondling," added Audra as she turned back to the stove top.
"I'll self-fondle you." Nalea swung behind her and grabbed her in a feigned rough hug before nibbling her neck. "Feeling okay? I can cook."
"You haven't let me do anything around here at all. Least I can do is boil pasta and heat up the sauce." Audra leaned into her, turning to smooch her cheek.
"They're so gross," I whispered loudly to Elara which only made them laugh. "She stays awake a lot more now and she's alert."
"Yup. She did great at her check-up today, too," said Nalea. "I was more nervous than she was. Her pediatrician is the best. Doctor Fournier is incredible with her. If it wasn't for Jordan, we wouldn't have found such a good doctor."
"Jordan always has all the connections," added Audra.
"I'm glad she's good." I wiggled my fingers at Elara before unfastening her safety belt and scooping her up from her seat. She immediately rubbed her face against my neck and shoulder, and I nearly melted on the spot. "I love when she does that."
"She's a cuddle bug for her auntie." Audra smiled at me while Nalea snapped another round of photos. "She's getting big."
"She is." I sat down at the table and allowed myself to settle into the comfort of their presence.
"How's Harlow doing?"
"Good. She's working a little late tonight, but she'll be over soon."
"I still can't believe she bought you that super suit," Nalea joined me at the table after removing the baby seat. She began setting it for four per usual.
"I know. It's so expensive, Nae…"
"Just…let her, Vey. Let her show you how she feels in her own way. She wouldn't have done it if she couldn't. Trust that."
"I am. I have to. Going to that place was hard."
"How come?" asked Audra as she turned up the heat on the big sauce pot filled with meatballs. "Thank goodness my mother had the sense to cook for us and bring us pots. I still haven't found ours."
"They're in the bedroom," answered Nae like it wasn't unusual.
"The pots…are in the bedroom?" Audra cocked a brow at her.
"No idea. I thought you left them there." Nalea shrugged dramatically.
"Why would I leave pots in the—oh, forget it. Nalea! Bring the pots downstairs."
"Jaysus." Nalea tossed her hands in the air. "So bossy. Fine. But I'm leaving the air fryer in the bathroom. Also, we probably should've vetted the movers a little more closely."
"Blame the Synths, not the people." Audra chuckled and turned around to face us again. "Why was it difficult going to the outpost with Harlow, Vey?"
"The guy who sold us everything dumped a bucket of information on me that I don't think I was ready to hear." I shifted Elara to cradle her in my arms. "I think she's hungry."
"She is. I pumped today if you want to feed her." Audra nodded toward the bottle warmer on the counter. "It should be ready."
"Yeah." I smiled at the thought of it and rose with the baby to pluck up the bottle. I tested the temperature the way Audra showed me, then gazed down at Elara. Her eyes landed on mine immediately as she smacked her lips. "She knows."
"She does. She'll rest her hands on it now." Nalea smiled while watching us.
I returned to my seat, crossed my legs, and rested Elara's rump on my knee. She took to the bottle immediately, and the sudden, intense eye contact that followed brought everything around us to an unusual stillness. The inundating sounds quieted, and I only smelled dinner cooking, and Elara's clean clothes.
When a hint of magnolia made it to my nose, I looked toward the front door at the same time that Harlow opened it. In just the short time we'd been here, she folded neatly into our casual culture. She wore her work clothes today; a pair of black slacks, sleek heels, and a dark blue button down that hung off her shoulders perfectly. With her hair down long in bouncy, manicured curls, I couldn't stop staring at her. Warm greetings met her, followed by cheek kisses from Nae and Audra. Harlow smiled at me as she set her purse down on one of the
chairs as well as the white bakery box she carried.
"A very motherly moment I've stumbled upon," she said, before leaning down to kiss my cheek. "I brought you something."
Her words only broadened my smile as I watched her. "What?"
She opened the bakery box to show me a fruit covered something. "It's a fruit tart from Terra's Tearoom. All whole, real ingredients. I picked it up on my way back from Olympia today."
"It smells so good." I grinned at her then nipped her fingers when she stroked my cheek. "I'm excited. Pastries and fruit are two of my favorite desserts."
She winked at me before setting the box down to pluck out two bottles of wine from her purse. One made it to Audra's hands. "Unwine for you and the other one is for us later."
"You got my favorite Moscato?" I groaned. "You're literally the best."
"She spoils us, and I love it." Audra grinned and hugged the bottle to her chest. "It tastes so real and the placebo works enough to make me think I'm inebriated."
"It's true." Nalea nodded as she headed over to the refrigerator to pull out bottled water. "Anyone want iced tea or soda or anything?"
"Water is good," I said.
"Same for me. Thanks." Harlow sat beside and brushed my hair over my shoulder to gaze down at Elara while she ate. "She's so happy right now."
"Yeah." I smiled while gazing down at her. "So calm."
"How was work today?" she asked, resting her chin on my shoulder.
I leaned my head against hers, tumbling into the solace that she brought with her. "Not too bad now that the internet is working properly. How about you? What brought you to Olympia?"
"Two reasons. I picked up a specimen for the exhibit that I'm working on, then visited the Offlander History Museum down there. They had some books written by Offlanders, but I had to request them in person. They're sending me the digital documents to review."
"What kind of books?"
"About the first Andromedans that arrived on Earth. The first human-Andromedan Hybridians and such. Apparently, there's a lot more out there than I realized," she said, then ran her fingers through my hair. "Not ready to talk about it, honey? Your whole expression dimmed like I turned the lights out in your eyes."
Jawbreaker (Four Point Universe Book 14) Page 25
