Page 94 of Bound By Stars

“Okay…”

Reve pivots and marches back, stopping inches from my face and snatching up my hands a little too hard.

I frown at his thumbs pressing into my palms.

“I’m really sorry, Wes.” The bright hall lights shimmer in his dark eyes, and he turns and rushes down the hall.

On the opposite end of the hall, Jupiter and his friends are rounding a corner.

Asha’s waiting for me. “What was that about?”

“I literally have no idea.” I watch as Reve disappears around a bend, rubbing my hand where the pressure of his fingers is still fading. I haven’t seen him look that serious since we were kids and my mom was sewing up my bleeding hand.

In the next hall, Asha stops at the elevator midway between the stairways to the upper levels.

I eye the silver doors, mentally calculating the amount of oxygen in a space that small. “I’m not hungry. I’m going to my room until I have to meet Reve.”

“How sad. I know I’m biased, but I was Team Jupe.”

I furrow my eyebrows. “There are teams?”

“Classic love triangle. Now you’re going to meet Reve instead of forgiving Jupiter.” She sighs heavily as the elevator doors part. “I’m still holding out hope that this isn’t your final choice.”

“There’s no triangle. My friend asked me to meet him. That’s all.”

“Your friend who kissed you the last time you two were in the escape pod bay.” She shrugs and steps into the metal box.

I back down the hall, calling through the closing doors. “Why did I tell you that?”

“I’m a fabulous listener. You should try it sometime!” she sings right before the doors seal like punctuation on her sentence.

Someone behind me clears their throat.

I whip around, hitting the brakes in the middle of the hall. Nearly running into Sabine Dalloway, I jump aside to let her pass.

She presses the button for the elevator, watching the numbers climb. Back straight. Hands folded together in front of her. Like I’m not here. Invisible. Below even seeing. Pulling back her gauzy white sleeve, she checks the time.

I squeeze my hands into fists. What is Jupiter’s mother doing on the sublevels? Probably checking on her illicit inventory, rubbing her hands together, and laughing maniacally at the thought of ripping me off. I glare as if daring her to notice me, challenge me, give me a reason to let her know how I really feel about her and her horrible company.

“Do you have something to say, or did you never learn that staring is considered rude among civilized humans?” Her dark eyes stay glued to the numbers above the elevator, lighting in a descending order now.

“Where do you get off?” The words slip between my clenched teeth.

“I’m sorry?” There’s a laugh in her voice. A spark that ignites a fire in me.

I step toward her. “How do you live with yourself? Making the people around you miserable. Looking down on everyone. Stea—”

“I see you’re as adept at greetings as you are exits. You know, one is generally expected to thank their hosts before leaving a dining table.”

“The ambush was a little distracting.”

“It’s an honor to witness such an announcement. Mergers of this magnitude within the Alliance are historic.”

“Wow. You talk about your son’s future with less feeling than my bot reporting the weather.” The one whose design you stole.

Her expression stays blank. The doors part.

“Figures. If you’ll use your own son as collateral to expand your company, you’d steal a bot design from a teenager without thinking twice.”

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