Theea
True is false, who is who?
I smile back at Sunjata, feeling my pulse still a little quicker than I’d like under the weight of his easy charisma. ’You… knew Vai, right?” I ask, voice soft but hopeful. ”My Nonna.” There’s a flutter in my chest just saying it aloud—half pride, half nerves—before my attention is pulled toward Flora as Sunjata conjures her a perfectly chilled glass of water like it’s the easiest thing in the world.Flora’s grin and her answer catch me completely off guard. ”Wait—you lived on the Ark?” My brows shoot up, and I can’t help the laugh in my voice. ”That’s how I got to Torchline—working on the Ark.” I take a long drink from my glass, the sweet-citrus heat sliding down my throat.
And then she says it.
I almost inhale my drink, coughing once as my eyes go wide. ”Jack was your stupid boyfriend? I blurt, instantly flashing back to our first meeting when she’d teased me about my taste. ”I’ve talked to him a few times since I hitched a ride on his ship—I had no idea it was you he dated.” My voice tips toward disbelief, then softens into a crooked, nervous smile. ”Does this mean I’m considered some kind of traitor to the family now for associating with him?” I joke, though there’s a flicker of genuine nerves under it.
curl of lip, swirl of gown
