Her.
I had imagined the moment. Rehearsed my reaction in my mind one thousand times. Even dreamt about it. Yet here, I stood, frozen. What was she doing here? The meeting was tomorrow, not today. She wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't ready for this.
A gentle gust of wind slipped through the hangar and some of her wavy strands danced softly. She wore her hair longer than I remembered, free and wild, with no trace of the unmistakable braid that used to hold it in place. Her gaze bore into me, and my bones shook with nerves. What would she be thinking? Orange light from the rising sun filtered through the windows, bathing her silhouette. She looked gorgeous. Even more than she did before. My memory hadn't done justice to her.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke, which made me think she was surprised to see me too. Even though her harsh gaze didn't change. God, that look. I had never been able to erase it from my memory. Rugged. Raw. Able to shake you in many different ways. Sometimes it felt like a fiery dagger that had struck me down. Others a blast of heat that made my heart quiver. I was once very good at reading thoes eyes. I even felt proud of it. Like if they had their own language and I was the only one who could decipher it. However, now things were different. That gaze looked new to me. No language. No meaning. A wall.
Tanya's words resonated inside me: Keep it professional.
"There's a space reserved for guests. You can park there," I finally said, breaking the silence.
Heather panted, annoyed. "Where?"
"I'll show you. Come."
Heather unplugged the battery, left her helmet on the seat, and dragged the hoverbike following me. My heart pounded loudly as I saw her approach me. We walked in silence, except for the rhythmic knocking of her boots that reminded me she was there, behind me. It wasn't a dream.
We reached the Asthar model, and right next to it, there was plenty of space to park. A silver line on the floor marked off the spots, and a phrase decorated the entrance: "Welcome guests".
"Here." I said.
Heather looked around scanning the area. She gazed at a nearby window, seemingly interested in the sunlight streaming through it. Then, once she seemed to have selected her favorite spot, she dragged her hoverbike and placed it carefully in a shaded area.
"The sun will shine directly there in the evening." I informed her.
"I won't stay that long." She replied while plugging the hoverbike into the energy source.
"Oh," I said realizing it had been silly to assume she would spend the whole day at the Nexus Court. She unzipped her black jacket and took it off. She wore an elegant dark green blazer with a black top underneath. She looked different. Like, not her but also her. I couldn't explain.
"Do you know your way in?" I said, trying not to stare at her wordless blacktop, although my eyes fought fiercely to do it.
"I do."
"Okay, then. So, bye... I guess. Well, bye until tomorrow. I mean, see you later. Not later, tomorrow." Grace, stop talking, please, I thought to myself.
"I'm not coming tomorrow. The first 'bye' was correct," she stated while placing her Reg bracelet into the hoverbike sensor and turning the lights off.
"You are not coming tomorrow?" I repeated like an idiot.
"Nope," she said and then turned to walk towards the gigantic front door of the hangar. She raised a hand without looking back. "Bye, Grace."
Her voice saying my name sent a spark all over my body and I stood there. Still. Watching her disappear in the sunlight that escaped from the semi-opened door. It had happened. And I survived. Good. Yet my bones felt frail. My heart unsteady. What was all of that about her not coming tomorrow? Had the mission changed in the past days?
YOU ARE READING
SILVER EYES (GXG)
Romantik[2024 WATTYS SHORTLIST] Grace had no idea what she would find on the other side of the wall when the gates opened. Even less so that they wouldn't let her brother cross. Why? A blue-eyed and fierce commander, named Heather, holds the answer. She clo...
