The Void Between Stars: Book 4 Of The Orion Series

You Say It's Your Birthday

Christmas came and went with little fanfare. I had spent it in Minnesota. It was nice. It was a good distraction for me.

However, nights still plagued me. I made it a point to stay up as long as I could manage. Most of the time was spent playing video games with John, Seth, and Amy. I would stay up until my eyes felt like sandpaper, and I would thankfully stumble up to the guest bedroom, fall into bed, and go to sleep within minutes.

However, one night, this failsafe failed. We had gone out to eat, and I guess the burrito I had didn't agree with me. I woke up in the middle of the night, running to the bathroom with all the pleasantries that came with acute food poisoning (or at least that was what I could only assume; I was the only one who ordered a burrito, and I was the only one who was getting sick).

When I was done I felt dehydrated and crampy. Unfortunately, no amount of tossing and turning would rock me to sleep. So finally I gave in to insomnia, laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling.

It didn't take long for my brain to do what it does best in these situations, and that was to absolutely fuck me over. I tried to fight it, but found I couldn't. So instead I just closed my eyes, remembering every detail of the Christmas Tristan and I had spent together.

~

"Tristan, you little shit! I told you not to get me anything."

Tristan had given me a withering look. He crossed his arms, staring at me evenly. After a moment of staring at my scowl, he flicked his eyes to the box he had pushed in front of me.

"So, are you planning on opening it, or just stare at it until we're both dead from old age?"

"I didn't get you anything," I had whined at him.

Tristan chuckled, uncrossing his arms. "I know. I didn't want you to."

"I should have," I admonished, feeling genuinely guilty.

"Why?" he asked, and to my annoyance, chuckled. "So you could buy me something perfect that I would have adored, and then you'd feel guilty because it would undoubtedly be expensive, so then you'd worry you were flaunting your wealth at me? And Christmas would be ruined because you'd somehow manage to spiral into an existential crisis, crying over starving puppies or something?"

I merely blinked at him.

Tristan looked smug. "I'm close, right?"

Frowning deeply at him, I snatched the long box in front of me. As I began to open the neatly folded side, I glared at him. "I hate you."

Tristan then did the single cutest thing; he rested his chin in his hands and smiled at me. But it's not just a smile; it's childlike and innocent. There's an astonishing warmth there, one that conveys his deep affection for me. And as I looked at him, and a lump formed in my throat, he told me ever so sweetly, "I know."

Not wanting to cry, I turned my eyes down to the oblong box. I had zero idea what it could be. However, once I removed the sleek black wrapping paper, it dawned on me what it was.

I opened the hinged box, and my breath caught. It was a watch. But not just any watch; it's black on black, and the face of it is the Orion constellation. Bringing a shaking hand to my mouth, I picked it up.

"Turn it over," Tristan instructed, still smiling.

So I did. He had the back engraved with the word Christmas and the year. When I raised my eyes to him, tears had spilled out.

"Do you like it?" Tristan had asked, looking nervous and unsure.

"I love this," I told him honestly, voice shaking.