Page 17 of Bound By Stars

I almost respond, catching myself as my lips part. Better not to give away one of my hiding places.

“I toured it as soon as we boarded. There’s something about plants grown on Earth. Is it just me, or are they more fragrant?” My father sounds legitimately fascinated.

My mother sighs loudly, shaking her head. “Wouldn’t lab-grown be safer?”

“It’s all perfectly healthy. I personally oversaw the development,” Skye’s mother assures her.

I bite my lips to hide my smirk. The misstep is unlike my mother. But her hatred of everything Earth is stronger than her love of etiquette. The Dupont family runs the majority of agricultural operations on Mars and Earth. They aren’t a Big Six company. I wish. Then Skye and my betrothal would be illegal. But they’re powerful enough for my mother’s standards. Everything from produce to the plants in every Mars garden comes from their labs and greenhouses.

“Of course, it’s comforting to know the installation was in such capable hands.” My mother forces a smile.

Dad turns to me. “You’ll love it, Jupe. One of our teams programmed the weather patterns in the room. It’s almost like being back on Earth.”

“Imagine what we’ll be able to create together once our companies are united.” Of course my mom finds a way to bring the conversation back to the impending arrangement.

“Maybe you two can take a walk after dinner to see it.” Simone nods at her daughter.

Skye catches my attention, peeking between the sprigs of holographic foliage in the middle of the table and rolling her eyes.

She is beautiful. Smart as hell and one of the coolest people I’ve ever known. Everyone in our year or even close who’s into girls has had a thing for her at some point in time. Except for me. That would’ve been too weird. We’ve been friends as far back as my memory goes. Skye is family. A fixture in my life as permanent as my sister was.

If Andi were still here, I would be practically invisible. I could stay on Earth or disappear in a stolen escape pod, and no one would care. That’s the life I was raised for. Until everything changed two years ago. It was supposed to be Andi she was matched with. They were in love. But I am not my sister. And I feel that constant disappointment from everyone around me. My parents. Skye. Even myself.

Andi’s face flashes over reality. Her gold-brown eyes, just like mine, pleading for help. The muted sounds of pounding on glass are hollow and my arms move too slowly like I’m in water.

“Jupiter.” My mother snaps me back to the present. All eyes are on me like I’m expected to impress them all.

My pulse races. I tug at my shirt collar, fighting to get a full breath. The air feels too thick around me, like it’s caging me in.

It’s all there in front of me. I’ll train by her side until she turns over the whole company. For the rest of my life, I’ll make every decision with the company in mind. Always in the spotlight. A replica of my mother’s life and the lives of all the company heads before her. I feel like I’m being launched out into space with no controls. Not steering my own way.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. This isn’tmylife. It’s Andi’s.

“Excuse me.” I slide my chair back, chair legs squealing against the polished floor. “I…I need a minute.” But I’m too far for the people at the table to hear half my sentence, darting through the room and bursting out the doors. Halfway to the top of the wide, curved staircase, I spot Gianna following. I break into a sprint, but she’s quick. Past the numbered doors, I hear her heavy footsteps echoing up the hall behind me.

A set of thick doors part in front of me, opening to a dim, curved hallway, lined with rows of lights in the floor and a series of gray doors, smaller and closer together than the living quarters with slender windows between them. The pattern continues around the bend. The escape pod bay. How fitting. And useless. I don’t have access to them and where would I go if I did?

At the sound of the thick doors opening again behind me, I move faster. Footsteps echo around the bend in the hall, and I run again, gaining distance. I can’t let her drag me back. I need a minute alone. Why is that always too much to ask?

Ahead, there’s an open door. In the middle of locked escape pods, the maintenance airlock is open across from an unlit hallway off the backside of the pod bay. I peer inside and then down the dark hall, listening to Gianna’s approaching footsteps. Two options: run or hide.

I step inside and softly latch the airlock shut, sliding down the inside of the door and out of view from the small porthole window. My lungs burn for more air, but I press my eyes closed and take shallow, quiet breaths.

Softer footsteps approach outside the door and stop.

My heart pounds in my ears.

Aclickvibrates in the door at my back. A lock? No. Can’t be. Is Gianna trying to get in? But the light footsteps recede, replaced by the heavy pounding of boots.

Rising to my feet, I peek out of the roundglass to see a hooded figure slip into the shadows, unnoticed by Gianna, disappearing around the curve. My shoulders soften and I inhale cold air deep into my chest.

I can go back the way we came. She’ll never think to backtrack. With both hands, I pull the latch left, but it doesn’t move. Fighting a spike of panic, I brace myself and push with all my weight. Nothing. Ice races up my back.

It’s locked.

Chapter Eight

Weslie

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