Page 58 of Ahelno
“Would that be so bad?” Leo asked. “I mean, I’m not fond of how he flew off the handle with me, but I get that he’s jealous. That makes guys do stupid shit. But you should have seen him last week, Andie. He was really torn up about your sunburn. It was actually cute. He couldn’t stand the thought of you being hurt, and he asked me all sorts of stuff about humans because he wants to do right by you. That’s good boyfriend material. He cares about you. And have you seen him? He’s definitely hot. Why not go for it?”
“He fucking raped me, Leo.”
“Is it weird to say that he didn’t do it on purpose? It’s weird, I know, sorry. Ok, look. If you guys had just met, and the assault hadn’t happened, would you give him a chance?” Leoasked.
I hadn’t thought about that before. So many of my feelings about Prince Dakleth were wrapped up in how he hurt me, and the aftermath of my own depression and healing journey. How could I just set that aside? But for the sake of the argument, I tried.
“I enjoyed our day at the ruins. He’d be a thoughtful date. He did little things like hold out his hand so I could steady myself at the floating market because it’s so wobbly. And obviously, the sunscreen. Not just that he had it made, but that he uploaded it to my account so I can make more of it myself. I’ve noticed that he’s handsome, which isn’t something I’ve really thought about any of the other Ptexari. I just…never noticed any of them like that.” I sighed. “Yeah, if I had just met him two weeks ago, I would definitely consider dating him,” I admitted.
“So maybe give him a chance?” Leo said. “You know the assault was a miscommunication, and you’ve said several times that you’ve forgiven him. If you really have, then it shouldn’t be holding you back.”
“Damn you and your logic,” I said. I took in a deep breath. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship. Especially with him.”
“That’s valid. Feelings are feelings. For what it’s worth, I’m not pushing you to date him. I just wanted to know where your head’s at,” Leo said.
“It’s all over the place. He’s a good guy, I can see it. It’s just hard to forget the last year. I mean, I’m good now, Leo, but it was awful. I was in a really dark place. I’m just now finding my way back. I don’t think I’m in a good place to start something with anybody, much less the guy I’ve hated allyear. Even if it wasn’t entirely his fault, he was the villain in my story, you know?”
Leo nodded. “I get that. I didn’t go through what you did, but I was a mess the first few months on Coromonn. I wasn’t in a good headspace to be a good partner. I’d already gone through it and was on the other side by the time I met Aldrin and Gafand. And I didn’t have any baggage with them, so we were able to start clean. Look, there’s no rush. Take things slow. If you need to shut things down with him, be honest about it with him. I mean, I can’t promise he’ll understand, but that’s all you can do.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll think about it.” I decided to move on. “Anyway, enough about me. Your guys arrive in two days! You must be so excited!”
“Hell yes, girl! I can’t wait to see them! I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself tomorrow. I can’t just sit around all day, I’m going to be a WRECK!” he was bouncing on his seat with excitement.
“I got you,” I said. “We’ll take a daytrip to the Dumani Cliffs. They’re gorgeous. We can have a picnic and look at the waterfalls. You haven’t done enough sightseeing here. I’ve been a terrible host!”
“First, that sounds amazing. We need to get out of town, and second, shut up. Don’t talk about my bestie like that. You’re already spending almost every hour of every day with me. I couldn’t ask for a better host. ”
“Ok, Ok. Ego sufficiently boosted, thanks!” I laughed. “I need to get home, and I’ll get some things together. I’ll pick you up tomorrow after breakfast.”
“Sounds like a plan,huera. See you tomorrow!”
CHAPTER 47
It was a short drive to the cliffs. They were about fifteen minutes west of the Capital city. M’Pak ran alongside the vehicle. He was a good deal faster than we were, and I could tell he was enjoying opening up to a full gallop on the clear roadway. I’m sure we made quite a sight, six-wheeled vehicle chasing a giant predator down a Ptekennan highway.
We got out and admired the series of small canyons that stretched as far as our eyes could see. The canyons had been carved by the river that fed into Lake Nekali, and several waterfalls dropped between the cliffs into the river below. It was a gorgeous day to visit. I saw a mother and her toddler playing in a shallow pool at the edge of the riverbank deep in the canyon.
We had just laid out our picnic when Leo got a call on his wristband. He wandered off a bit as he took the call, then came back a bit sheepish, but also extra bouncy.
“OMG, you won’t believe it!” he said.
“What happened?” I asked.
“They’re early! The Prime Minister’s ship just arrived. Aldrin and Gafand are here!” he wrapped me in a bear hug and squeezed.
I was so happy for him, but a little disappointed we had tocut our day short. “That’s good news! Don’t worry about it, we can come visit another time. We could bring your partners,” I said, leaning over to pack up.
“No, no! I don’t want to ruin your day,” he said. “They’re sending a car for me. You can stay as long as you like. And we have 15-20 minutes to enjoy the picnic and the scenery together while we wait.”
“That’s sweet, you didn’t have to do that,” I said. “I’m happy to take you back.”
“Ahem, bestie, I’m trying to tell you I need some alone time with my partners first,” he winked at me. “The car will take me to the spaceport, and then I’ve rented a hotel room where we can have some time to ourselves. We’ll be back at the Palace tomorrow.”
I laughed. “Noted!” I said. “You go have a good time with them.”
“We still have time to enjoy lunch while I wait for the car,” he said. “I’m still getting to see the cliffs. They are really gorgeous.”
“Right? I love the waterfalls. Here, I brought a mix of fruit - some from Earth and some from here for you to try.”
