Page 32 of Uprooted
“You’re not going to lose your job. That’s a convenient excuse,” she says. “I’m just saying, he’s clearly interested, and I think you could use a little diversion.”
“When we have a pollination solution, then I can think about a potential relationship. Until then, I’ve got to stay focused on work.”
“You know that you’re allowed to have a personal life,” Bri says.
“I can have a life once we fix the giant mess that’s waiting for us on Earth.”
“Can you hear yourself right now? It’s preposterous that you feel like you have to put your life on hold, and single-handedly save humanity. It’s a pretty narrow view of success—you don’t have to achieve everything to earn happiness.”
Bri’s eyes don’t let go of mine. She is dead serious. She wants me to truly hear what she’s saying. Intellectually I know she’s right.
“You aren’t ready to hear any of that yet. The last thing I’ll say—I just hope you realize that I’m right before it’s too late.”
“I hear you, and I’ll think about it. I promise.”
If I didn’t love Bri so much, she would irritate the shit out of me. Not only does she command the main character energy I’ve lacked my whole life, now she has the gall to go and be insightful and emotionally intelligent.
“I’ll be eating dinner in the mess hall tonight, like a normal person. When you’re ready to stop hiding, you can find me there,” she says with a teasing glint in her eye and heads to her workstation.
Is it ego that has convinced me I have to be the one to figure this all out? Every day, people balance a personal life with their professional one. I've put this limitation on myself that I can’t do both. The idea of letting go of a tiny bit of control to see where things could go with Aro sends anxiety through my entire body.
20
Aro
There she is, sitting there casually slurping noodles as if she hasn’t been in hiding for an agonizing nine days.
I put my tray down in front of her and stand for a moment with my chest thrusted out proudly. I feel like I won some unspoken game we’ve been playing. She finally looks up, her gaze sweeping over me until her eyes meet mine.
“Good morning,” I say, like she hasn’t been evading me for over a week, and that I haven’t been desperate to track her down.
“Good morning,” she says and goes back to her yuriOS.
“Look who came out of hiding.”
“I don’t know that it’s possible to truly hide in a muradome,” she says sweetly. I see right through her innocent act. She’s been avoiding me.
“That’s true...” I say and fill my mouth with noodles.
“Yet here I am, hiding in plain sight.” A blush creeps up her chest and neck when we make fleeting eye contact.
“Well, I’m glad you’re back,” I say, smiling broadly.
“Let’s just say it was observed that I haven’t been as… available. Accusations were made, and I’m proving the point that I’m not hiding from anyone.”
“Translation: Bri pointed out that you’re avoiding me, and you don’t want to seem scared. Are you going to eat all your meals here now?”
She smiles at me, and I could die from happiness.
“Can I fix those noodles for you?” I ask, “Can I fix those noodles for you?” I ask, letting it slide. I won’t make her answer the question.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
“I was worried you wouldn’t approve of my little act of rebellion,” I say mixing in the seasonings. I move slowly a small act of retribution for her hiding from me. I can feel the impatience radiating off her. I go even slower.
“What rebellion?” she asks, curiosity piqued.
“The spices. I was supposed to get rid of them before you all got here.”
