Page 11 of Until the Stars Fall

“I didn’t know any better! What was I supposed to do, with a ton of open flames in an engine room?”

“Oh Gemma.” She sighed. “We have to teach you a few things. He was probably just worried. I promise he’s the biggest softy, nicest guy ever. And he can’t not like you. I mean, look at you!” She came up and took me by the arms, gently pushing hair from my forehead. “Beautiful face, beautiful figure. I love your skirt, by the way. And I don’t know how you get your brows so perfect. I wish you’d stop straightening your hair though. You know I’m jealous of your curls.”

I sighed at her familiar lament. “Your hair’s curly.”

“My hair’s wavy,” she corrected. “It’s totally different. In fact, I know he thinks you’re cute. Do you know what he said when he first saw your picture at our house? He said, and I quote, ‘Well, shit.’ And it was the good kind of ‘well, shit,’ definitely not the bad kind. Then he immediately asked who you were.”

“This is the same guy you’ve been trying to talk me into for years?”

She grabbed a box and disappeared into the kitchenette. “Maybe.”

“He’s so not my type,” I said, dropping a box of shoes on the floor.

“How is brilliant and gorgeous not your type? Not to mention, as I said, that he’s the sweetest guy ever?”

“If he’s so wonderful, why isn’t he taken?” A valid point. But also, witches preferred to be with other witches. That’s how their community was, Zola and my brother being one of the few exceptions. “That beautiful raven-haired witch seems more his type. Seriously, she’s gorgeous. She’d probably hex me if I looked at him the wrong way.”

Hannah rolled her eyes. “Eyre is his oldest friend, and believe me when I say she is no competition for you.”

“She’s not competition because I’m not competing.”

“Come on! You need to put yourself out there! I haven’t heard anything about you dating in years.”

“All I want is time alone. I’m not looking for a relationship right now.” My ex-boss came to mind. His thick dark hair and sexy smile...his look of terror when I tore his office apart with my magic.

“But Beck is—”

“Brilliant and beautiful, I know, you’ve told me. Look, I’m sure he’d be very nice if he ever smiled. And okay, so he’s pretty easy on the eyes.”

She leaned her head back, laughing. “I told you so.”

I talked over her, louder. “He’s just a nice view on the way to Gaia, okay? That’s all.”

Hannah narrowed her eyes at me, mollified for now. She glanced at her watch. “Alright. Well, it’s been a long day, but at least it’s time to eat. Eyre’s got a late lunch-slash-dinner planned on the Star Deck. Our little first-night-in-space celebration. You’ll come, won’t you?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll meet you there after I freshen up.”

She smiled. “Sure.” She pushed the now-empty cart out of the room ahead of her and closed the door.

I took a deep breath, turning into my suite. It was much smaller than my old apartment, but it was far quieter, and my family was near. Honestly, the longer I was away from San Francisco, the more relieved I was.

Except that I still had to get through dinner with the coven. But first I desperately needed the restroom. I walked past the row of drawn curtains that I didn’t have the stomach to peer through, lest these windows be sealed with duct tape too, and flicked on the bathroom light.

A massive clawfoot tub buoyed a little bubble of joy in my chest. Adding that to the list for tonight. My heels made soft clicks on the green penny-tile floors as I availed myself of the amenities, washed my hands in the bronze sink, and studied my hair and makeup. What a mess.

Everything was a mess.

CHAPTER FOUR

The ship-hotel’s hand-carved wooden directional signs still hung at every juncture and elevator, all the way up to the top level of the ship. When the central elevator doors opened on the Star Deck, a grand room surrounded me on three sides. The expanse of star-speckled space sat cold on the other side of the windows stretching up the walls and part of the ceiling. According to the sign, the mezzanine behind me had a swimming pool and a hot tub.

Just one dinner to get through, and I could be alone.

I followed voices around the corner to my right. Hannah and the raven-haired witch—had they called her Air?—bustled around a table covered with retro metal lunch boxes in the middle of a worn parquet dance floor. Behind them, a plum-curtained stage sat empty except for a cardboard box overflowing with rolled-up papers.

This room must’ve really been something in the ship’s heyday. Couples in suits and cocktail gowns must’ve danced among the stars while servers in crisp white uniforms brought steaming platters of delicacies to tables decorated with linen tablecloths and fine bone china. The vast room was empty now save for the food table and a cozy area of floor cushions and pillows tossed on a variety of mismatched rugs just beyond the dance floor.

I sat on a green velvet pouf in the cozy area and studied my nails to wait for whatever this was going to be. A friendly brown-and-black tabby cat approached me, sniffing the fingers I held out, then rubbing its nose across them. I smiled and petted him, delighted when he began to purr.

---