“Are you tired?”
“Exhausted,” he said, wrapping his hand behind her, and pulling her in for another kiss. “You?”
“Maybe not quite that tired.”
She kissed him again, and the rest of the world slipped away. There were no new Colonists. No Earthborns. No Rhodes. Just Sasha. Just their breath. Just their lips.
The camp suddenly felt light-years away, as distant as Earth used to look from the Colony. “You make me feel legitimately crazy. You know that, right?” Wells whispered, running his hand down her back.
“Why? Because I’m seducing you in a tree?”
“Because no matter what else is going on, being with you makes me perfectly happy. It’s crazy, switching gears that fast.” Wells ran his hand along her cheek. “You’re like a drug.”
Sasha smiled. “I think you need to work on your compliments, space boy.”
“I’ve never been the best with words. I’m much better at showing what I mean.”
“Is that so?” Sasha breathed as Wells brought his other hand to her stomach. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.” Wells let his fingers drop a little lower, and she shuddered. “Okay, now you’re the one making me feel crazy.”
“Good,” Wells whispered into her ear, thinking that things on Earth weren’t quite as dire as he’d feared. As long as he had Sasha, it would always feel like home.
CHAPTER 15: Glass
Glass looked around her, feeling genuine awe for the first time since setting foot on the ground. Sunlight filtered through the trees, showering the ground with golden dots of light, like thousands of little gemstones. This was how Earth was supposed to look—peaceful, beautiful, and full of wonder.
Luke took Glass’s hand to steady her as they made their way down a steep slope. There was a narrow stream at the bottom, the water perfectly clear except for the red and yellow leaves dancing in the current. When they reached the bottom, Glass hesitated, turning from side to side as she scanned the bank for the best place to cross. But as she took a hesitant step toward the edge, Luke picked her up with his good arm and crossed the stream with an easy bound, despite the fact that they were both carrying heavy packs.
When they reached the other side, Luke lowered her carefully to the ground, then took her hand again as they continued. At first, they’d kept up nearly constant conversation as they exclaimed and pointed out different trees, and signs of various animal life. But after a while, they’d fallen silent, too overwhelmed by the beauty around them to fumble with the inadequate words they had to express it. Glass almost liked it better that way. She loved watching Luke’s face light up each time his eyes settled on a new wonder.
It had taken a couple of hours for Glass’s heart rate to come down after they’d slipped away from the camp. The quiet had scared her initially. Every snap of a twig or rustling of leaves boomed in her ears and made her jump. She knew it was just a matter of time before Rhodes realized they were gone and sent a search party to hunt them down.
But after a few hours, her stress faded away, and she began to savor the silence, the freedom of being completely alone with Luke. Glass couldn’t believe they’d ever considered staying at camp. The air was fragrant with damp leaves and musky tree bark. It was a riot of sensory input that Glass had never experienced before. She couldn’t have imagined how much brighter and more saturated the colors were on Earth, how much sweeter the air, or how the rich smells would compete for her attention.
They’d walked long into the night and slept for a few hours before setting off again, eager to put as much distance between them and Rhodes as possible before the Vice Chancellor sent a search party after them. Every half hour or so, Luke would stop, fish a compass out of his pocket, and set it on the ground, checking to make sure they were still heading due north. Sasha had told him that the splinter Earthborns, the violent ones, had claimed a vast area to the south of the Colonists’ camp as their territory. It was no guarantee, of course, but heading north at least wouldn’t lead them directly into harm’s way.
The trees grew close together, creating a canopy of leaves so thick it almost blocked the sky. But the amber light spilling through the branches and the rapidly cooling air made it clear that the day was nearly over.
“I think we made it,” Glass said wearily. The fear and adrenaline that had kept her going yesterday had drained away, and exhaustion had set in. “They’re not sending anyone after us, are they?”
“It doesn’t seem like it,” Luke said with a sigh. He reached over and slid Glass’s pack off her shoulder. “Let’s rest for a little bit.”
They dropped the packs and walked toward an enormous, moss-covered tree whose huge, twisty roots stuck out of the ground. Luke raised his arms over his head and stretched before lowering himself onto the root. “Come here,” he said, grabbing Glass’s hand and pulling her onto his lap.
Glass laughed and pressed her hand against his chest. “We have the whole planet to ourselves, and you want to share the same seat.”
“We don’t have the whole planet, you little imperialist,” Luke said, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger. “We have to leave some room for the Earthborns.”
“Oh, right.” Glass nodded with mock gravity. “In that case, we better conserve space.” She smiled and swung her leg over Luke’s so they were facing each other.
“Good plan,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist, closing the narrow distance between them. He kissed her gently on the lips and then brought his mouth down to her chin, her neck. Glass let out a small sigh, and Luke grinned. He kissed the spot where her jaw met her neck and raised his head to whisper in her ear. “It feels good to be selfless, doesn’t it?”
“It has its benefits,” Glass breathed, running her hand down Luke’s back. Their joking aside, it felt incredible to be so alone. On the ship, there were thousands of people packed into a space originally designed for hundreds. There were always ears listening, eyes watching, and bodies brushing up against each other. People knew your name, your family, and your actions. But out here, there was no one watching them. No one judging them.
“Oh, look,” Glass said, pointing over Luke’s shoulder at a cluster of small pink flowers she hadn’t noticed before. He twisted around and extended his arm, reaching for one. But just as his fingers were about to close around the stem, he pulled back and let his hand fall back to his side.
“It doesn’t seem right to pick it,” he said, turning back to Glass with a sheepish expression on his face.
“I agree.” She smiled and placed her hand on the back of his head, bringing his lips back to hers.
“It’s a shame, though,” Luke murmured. “It would’ve looked beautiful in your hair.”
“Better just to imagine it.”
Luke kissed her again, then slid his arm under her and stood up, lifting her into the air. “Luke!” she laughed. “What are you doing?”
He took a few steps and, without a word, lowered her to the ground, laying her gently in the patch of flowers. Glass’s breath quickened as she watched Luke kneel beside her. The playfulness in his face had disappeared, replaced by something closer to reverence. He reached down and ran his fingers through her hair, allowing it to fan out across the pink blossoms.
Glass’s heart was pounding, but she forced herself to stay still as Luke bent down to kiss her, using his good hand to support his weight. She parted her lips slightly, then reached her arms around to pull him closer. She took a deep breath, savoring the heady combination of the flowers, the forest air, and Luke.