Dark Expanse (Bright Beyond Prequel)
Page 2
Blissfully grinning, my lips still red from our kiss and with Thomas’ arm around my waist, we made our way over to Nathan and Harvey.
“’Bout time,” said Harvey.
“Interesting timing,” said Nathan.
Thomas dropped his shoulders and hung his head. “I know Nate. You know how it is with him… I couldn’t do this before now.” He turned to me and smiled softly. “But I’ve been wanting to for ages.”
Harvey rolled his eyes. “We all knew it was coming. You best be good to our girl though Tommy.”
Another smile for me. “I will.”
Then we sat, the four of us together for the last time in what would be over two years, laughing and joking for the rest of the evening. Thomas and I didn’t spend any time discussing how we were going to make us work, just left our relationship with the declaration and the kiss and assumed we could make it through anything. Before I stumbled off to bed, I saw Nathan and Thomas in a heated discussion. It ended with a handshake and a man hug, so I figured they must have worked out whatever it was.
The next morning Nathan, Harvey and I shipped off to boot camp on Urias, a varied terrain on which we’d be run ragged for the next six months and on which there were only rudimentary communications set up. Thomas wasn’t able to come say goodbye in person. He simply sent a group vidmail to the three of us, wishing us well and telling us to be safe. No special message for me, no declarations of love, but he did remind Nathan to ‘take care of our girl.’
I wouldn’t see Thomas again for almost a year.
4- Now
I take a step backward. “Your father? I thought you were done with him. What would he have to do with this?”
“He must have intercepted the message. He…wouldn’t have wanted me to get it. Dammit!” Thomas’ fist flies into the wall and he curses again. “Why can’t I just live my life!”
Pulling his hand to me, I examine his reddened knuckles and then press my lips to them. “I’m sorry…”
“No no no.” He places a hand on either side of my face and shakes his head. “Not you. Not the baby. I’m just angry with my father.”
“But—”
The hard press of his lips silences me. Not exactly a kiss of passion, more born from determination. He pulls away much too soon and locks his eyes with mine. “I know what you’re thinking, but I’m thrilled about the baby Eva. I’ve never wanted anything else but to marry you and have you be the mother of my children. The timing isn’t great and it’s not going to be easy but… I couldn’t be happier.”
I can’t help the tear that leaks from my eyes and trails down my cheek. I’ve been crying too much lately, but this single tear is one of joy, very different from the soggy, snotty mess I left on Nathan’s shirt a couple days ago. “You’re sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” A mischievous glint enters his eyes. “In fact, I didn’t come here just to see your commendation.” Thomas releases my face and fumbles around in his pocket. When he pulls out a small, black box and lowers to one knee, my heartbeat speeds up and a lump starts climbing up my throat.
“Eva Braebel, you introduced yourself to me by breaking my nose and though that was painful, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It showed me your spunk and your strength, the two things I admire the most about you. For years I watched you, waiting for the day I could make you mine, but when the time came, it was you who claimed me. But you claimed my heart long before that first kiss and, if you would have me, I’d love nothing more than to be your husband. . .,” he reverently places one hand on my stomach, “. . .and a father to our children.” He opens the box to reveal a gleaming ring. “Will you marry me?”
Before I can answer, there’s a loud whoop from behind me and a couple seconds later, I’m lifted into the air from behind and swung around in a circle.
“Congratulations!” says Harvey. “When’s it happening?”
“Harv, you haven’t even given me a chance to answer him.”
Like an eager puppy, he nods. “But of course you’re going to say yes, right?”
I laugh at the glare Thomas is sending at our friend and push his cheek so he’s looking at me instead. “Yes. I’m saying yes.”
It’s Thomas’ turn to pick me up and spin me around. He doesn’t stop at once, though, just keeps going around and around until the hallway is a blur around me.
My stomach lurches and I slap at his back. “Thomas! Stop spinning the pregnant lady, morning sickness isn’t just in the morning.”
He immediately stops and sets me on the ground, using his hands to steady my shoulders. “Sorry.”
“Pregnant!” I’d completely forgotten that Harvey didn’t know yet.
I nod and Thomas pulls me into his side, a large grin spreading across his face.
Harvey whoops again then looks over our shoulders. “Nathan! Have you heard! We’re gonna be uncles! Well, honorary ones at least, right guys?” He gives us an exaggerated glare, but can’t hold it for very long before he smiles again.
“I’d heard,” says Nathan simply.
A jolt of tension goes through Thomas and he glances down at me. “You told Nathan?”
“He’s my best friend, of course I told him.”
Clueless to our whispered conversation Harvey continues talking. “And do you know what else? We’ve got a wedding to plan!”
Loud chants from the mess hall prevent Nathan from responding.
I grab Thomas’ hand and pull him back to the mess hall. “They’re calling my name. Time for you to dirty up that pretty white suit of yours. No ghosts allowed at a pilot party.”
Harvey trots into the room ahead of us and announces me while Nathan follows behind silently.
5- Then
The four of us may have all joined the corps at the same time, but Thomas was put on the fast track for a command position. With his father a General, he could pretty much write his own career with very little effort. After graduation, Thomas was part of a completely different world. While Nathan, Harvey and I went to boot camp, Thomas sat in classrooms to learn strategy. While we slogged through the jungle and roasted in the desert, Thomas sat at fancy tables with other commanders.
The six months of boot camp were some of the hardest of my life. There weren’t many females willing to enlist and my size and gender caught me a lot of flack. I don’t know if I could have made it without the support of Harvey and Nathan. When I wanted to quit, Harvey gave me encouragement. When the other guys hassled me, Nathan’s fists shut them up. And Thomas… except for the occasional vidmail I barely heard from him. Could have been the crappy communications system, though.
As soon as I completed boot camp, I put in for a flight school position. It was a long shot. The program was tough to get into, but I’d always dreamed of being a pilot. Nathan and Harvey applied too, but it was Nathan who made me promise to go without them if need be.
While awaiting a decision, I was stationed with Harvey on Epyson, a newly settled planet in the Panatra Quadrant. Basically, we were glorified guards and gofers. When we weren’t standing outside the mayor’s office, we were patrolling the streets of its only city. Occasionally we were asked to go fetch supplies from the off planet station, but overall it was a fairly easy and low-risk assignment.
Nathan was sent to the front. The Greesal, large insect-like aliens the corps had been fighting off for decades, had advanced into the Orea Quadrant and even taken a few of the planets there. He spent three months on Ibia playing tug of war with territory lines until an injury got him sent to a medical facility near me in Panatra. I was a nervous wreck for weeks until I finally got word he would recover though his right leg would be more metal than flesh.
My flight school acceptance letter came about the same time, along with Nathan’s and, surprisingly, Harvey’s. Our little trio would be together again.
My communications with Thomas had picked up after boot camp and we exchanged vidmail a few times a week, neither one of us men
tioning our, at that time, seemingly failed attempt at a relationship. I was just happy we were still friends. Experience had changed me and I didn’t think Thomas would have any part in my new life. I thought he felt the same. It was three days before I was to leave Epyson to head to flight school when Thomas popped back into my life, over a year since I’d last seen him.
Harvey dragged me to the launch pad with the promise of a surprise. I didn’t expect much, he’d never been very good at keeping secrets and if it were something big, he’d have already blurted it out.
“This better be worth it Harv. I could be sleeping right now.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure you’ll find this much better than sleep,” he said with a wink.
I rolled my eyes. “After a sixteen-hour shift, there’s nothing better than sleep.”
A voice spoke up from right behind me, his breath caressing the back of my neck. “What about a visit from an old friend?”
I jumped and spun around. “Thomas!”
His hair was longer, at least a day’s growth of pale blond stubble lined his face and he was dressed like a civvy. Except for the twinkle in his eyes, he looked exhausted. But he was still my Thomas and I jumped into his open arms without hesitation.
He buried his face in my hair. “It is so good to see you, Eva.” A throat cleared behind us. “And you too Harvey.”
Once Thomas set me down, I whirled on Harvey and punched his shoulder. “You bastard. You could have at least warned me to take a shower or something.”
“Violent as always I see.” Thomas laughed. “I wasn’t even sure I was going to be able to make it until two hours ago. I told him not to get your hopes up. I knew there’s only so much secrecy Harv can handle.”
Harvey sighed and all three of us cracked up. It was just like old times, minus Nathan of course.
We headed to a local restaurant for dinner and spent hours just laughing and catching up. When Harvey begged off further drinks and said he wanted to head back to the barracks to sleep, Thomas grabbed my hand and begged me to stay. I agreed.
Three drinks later, we stumbled out of the restaurant and were walking under the star-dusted sky in a nearby park. Thomas grabbed my hand and led me to a secluded spot under the low-hanging branches of a tree. Even when we sat down on the grass, he didn’t let go.
“I’ve missed you,” he said softly. “It’s been lonely.”
“Try sleeping in the barracks with twenty snoring men, then talk to me about how horrible it is to be lonely. Speaking of the barracks, I gotta get back so I can sleep.” I moved to stand up, but he pulled me back down and I ended up in his lap.
“You’re drunk.” Goosebumps rose on my arms when his alcohol-scented breath brushed my ear.
I tilted my head back until I was looking up at him. “So are you.”
“You’re beautiful.”
With one hand I patted his scruffy cheek. “So are you.”
He burst out laughing and the next thing I knew his mouth was on mine. Gently at first and then pressing harder, until I parted my lips for him and his tongue slipped past them. I held tight to the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer until there was not even the slightest space between us. His arms moved down to wrap around my waist and his hands rested just above my ass for a moment before gliding down and adjusting my legs until I was straddling him. A groan, his or mine I’m not sure, vibrated against my lips as I ground my hips down. Thomas met me with a thrust of his own and that time I knew it was my gasping moan that sounded in the night.
He took the sound as an invitation and moved his mouth down to my neck, running soft, short kisses along the entire length while his hand worked at the zipper to my uniform, inching it down until just the top of my bra was exposed. Heat shot through me with each subtle movement he made. The rhythmic pulsing of his hips and his tongue slipping down between my breasts almost had me falling apart right there. None of my few previous sexual experiences even came close to making me feel like Thomas could and that was with our clothes still on.
He slid the zipper down until it was at my waist and then ran his hand over my stomach and around to my bare back. The other hand pulled down one cup of my bra and when his mouth hit bare skin there, a shudder worked its way up my body. His face moved back to my neck as I trembled and he said my name, half curse, half prayer, and then leaned his head back against the tree when my hands went to his pants. I got them unbuttoned and was about to pull the zipper when he stopped me. He covered my hands with his and pulled them up to his mouth, kissing the tips of my fingers. “Not here. Come back to my room with me.”
And that’s what I did. We spent the night in a cocoon of bliss, promises and declarations of love. Thomas told me his father was still pulling the strings in his career but that once I graduated from flight school, we could be together openly. We’d already waited one year so another one didn’t sound so bad. We’d have vidmail and he would try to get out to see me as often as he could. I went to sleep cuddled against his bare chest and content in his arms.
Hours later, I woke alone, no sign of Thomas except for a note on the nightstand.
I love you, Eva. Always.
6- Now
Harvey stands on the table with his cup raised. “A toast! To Eva Braebel,” he coughs into his fist something that sounds suspiciously like Markham before continuing, “The best pilot in the past…uh… the best pilot ever!” Tequila doesn’t help his eloquence either.
Shouts of ‘hear, hear’ sound throughout the room and every cup in the room goes up while I sidle closer to Thomas. He puts his arm around me and pulls me even closer, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of my head.
After the toast, a constant stream of faces stroll past my table some stopping to chat, some just patting me on the back and heading out. More than a few of them eye Thomas and then slide their gaze to me and then Nathan. He shrugs and I ignore it. Thomas’ jaw clenches every time. These men, my training class will make up my unit and I will be their leader. Harvey wasn’t kidding when he said I was the best of the best. I’d had the highest training scores in decades and I’m the only female to ever achieve the rank of squadron leader straight out of flight school.
It’s not like boot camp, though, these men respect me and I’d trust any one of them with my life.
Still a little on edge, Thomas smiles around at the other pilots offering their congratulations to me. This is probably a younger and more boisterous group than he’s used to, but he’s fitting in well enough despite the extreme gap in rank. The other pilots are warming up to him. Probably more because of the support of Nathan and Harvey and the fact that he’s got his arms around me, their golden girl, than any other reason, but I’ll take what I can get.
It’s down to around ten of us sitting around the mess hall when someone suggests moving the party down to the multi-room. Arms filled with bottles, Harvey runs ahead and beats everyone there while Nathan and Thomas walk with me.
When we get there, I know why Harvey ran ahead. The multi-room has been set to shuffle between scenes of M-Station, Urias, Epyson, and the star-filled sky of the simulators. Nathan catches up with Harvey and leans down to say something in his ear. Minutes later, the M-Station gymnasium, chem lab, and med station have been put into the rotation.
The remaining pilots stand side by side in front of me and throw their arms out to the side, half of them nearly falling over in the process. “Squadron Leader Spitfire, welcome to your life!”
They circle around me and each one gives me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. My face can hardly contain the grin that spreads across it. The guys must have been planning this for ages. I can’t believe Harvey didn’t let something slip and I tell him so when he reaches me.
Harvey actually blushes. “They didn’t tell me until about an hour ago.”
I laugh and place my palm on his cheek. “And you did a great job keeping quiet for that hour.” He hugs me harder and I have to blink back the tears in my eyes. Blasted hormones.
“You did this.” I shake my head slowly. “It’s wonderful. Thank you.”
“Anything for my little spitfire.”
I pull back and wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. “I’m like a leaky faucet these days.”
Nathan’s gaze goes over my shoulder and then returns to me. “Are you positive that this is what you want?”
“What? A squadron leader position? It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
He closes his eyes and pushes a breath out through pursed lips. “No, I mean Thomas. Marriage…everything. I just don’t want to see that man hurt you again.”
“Are you talking about Thomas or his father?”
He thinks for a moment before replying, “Both.”
7- Then
Flight school was everything I’d hoped and more. It wasn’t even half as hectic as boot camp and there were only twenty people in my class. At first, as the only female, I had a little trouble, but once the others realized that not only was I competent and smart but that I was practically one of the guys, we all got along. It was a lot like high school actually, parties and late nights in between classes and exams. Of course, these classes were quite a bit harder. To everyone’s surprise, including my own, I excelled at everything. I’d always wanted to be a pilot and it turned out I had great instincts and a natural skill that had me at the top of the class throughout my entire time there.
The second half of the program meant a return to space. We were quartered on a small station on the edge of the Orea Quadrant. There were still simulations, but what I really enjoyed was the real time flying we got to do. Practicing maneuvers and formations was my drug. Even better, though remote, the station has a great communications array and I was able to keep in near-constant contact with Thomas.
About a month after I entered the on-site phase of training, Thomas let me know he was off to training of his own and would be out of touch for a while. Although a little disappointed I wouldn’t get to see his face in a daily vidmail, I told him I loved him and I’d be there waiting on the other end. Just like he’d always done for me.