Page 29 of Stardusted
He looked as serious as ever as he studied my face, like he was trying to read something in it.
I folded my arms across my chest, irritation flickering to life. “I already told you last night. It was nothing. I only caught a glimpse. It was an animal or something. Ball lightning.”
“Ball lightning,” he said, his dubious tone making it clear what he thought of my theory.
I pursed my lips, scoffing. “God, Sky. It wasn’t a—” I stopped. I couldn’t bring myself to sayspaceship.Not with all the ears around us. But I refused to look away.
His dark eyes held mine. This close, I could see shards of silvery gray and inky black inside the sapphire.
And because I’d already made a mess of things, I went ahead and said what I was thinking.
“I can’t believe you’refalling for this ridiculous conspiracy. Aliens? Really?”
“You said it. Not me.” His hands stayed in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. “I just wondered…”
He trailed off as he glanced behind me again. I heard the subtle shuffle of shoes as the rest of the crew drifted closer.
His gaze flitted back to me, and when he spoke next, his voice was significantly more casual. “How are you feeling today? How’s your car?”
The shift in topic caught me off guard.
“My car? Oh. Right.” I rubbed the side of my neck. “I’m fine. It’s fine. My brother said it was the battery.” Toying with the end of my braid, I peeked up at him. “Thanks again. For the ride and everything. You didn’t have to do all that.”
“It was no problem.”
“I mean it.” I transferred my weight from foot to foot. “You really helped me out. I appreciate it.”
“No problem,” he repeated, offering a polite smile. His eyes flicked away from mine.
That spark I’d glimpsed earlier faded. He looked…distant now. Guarded. Back to the same cool demeanor he wore behind the bar.
I hated how much that bugged me.
But then I remembered that look from last night—the one he’d given me right after I told him I didn’t want his number. Maybe he was being distant and guarded because I’d come just shy of flipping him off after he’d offered me his digits. It checked out.
Sky opened his mouth, hesitated, then closed it, studying the floor. When he looked up again, there were too many thoughts churning in the pensive stare he gave me. I couldn’t decipher a single one.
An even heavier silence stretched between us until I gave up and jabbed a thumb over my shoulder.
“Well, I should go check on my people.” I gestured vaguely behind me, at the mostly empty tables. “My, um, section.”
He eyed me. “Sure. Yeah.” He stepped back toward the bar. If I didn’t know better, I’d think the slow movement was reluctant. “Catch you later, Raven.”
With another ghost of a practiced smile, he turned away, slipped behind the counter, and rounded the corner. He didn’t look back. I frowned after him until he was out of sight. The whole thing left me unsettled.
Why did it feel like he’d had more to say?
I had only a second to process before Emily and Kelly swarmed me.
“Since when are you and Skyfriends?” Emily asked, her voice hushed and reverent.
Were we? I glanced back, but he was gone. I didn’t think we qualified as friends. He’d only avoided running me over. That didn’t make us friends…did it?
Kelly zeroed in, her mental wheels clearly turning. “What did you mean,thanks for the ride?”
I sighed. Loudly. “We’renotfriends, Em. And it’s nothing. I had some car trouble after work, and he happened to be driving by. He gave me a ride home.”
“Car trouble? Last night?” Kelly’s grin turned predatory. “You mean,during the time the UFOs were spotted?”
