Stars, Stripes, & Strange Blinking Lights

7

Bailey pushed the bike around the side of her apartment building. As exciting as the night had been, exhaustion was finally creeping in. She waved at Zarin, who stood awkwardly near the pool gate.

She paused, "Hey, You're covered in mud, and I doubt you wanna sleep like that. I've got some spare clothes you can borrow."

Zarin blinked, looking confused. "Spare clothes?"

Bailey nodded, chuckling to herself. "Yeah, you know clothes? The thing you wear on your body?"

Zarin hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Thank you."

She smirked and made her way up the stairs to her apartment. The place wasn't fancy, just a simple one-bedroom she had made cozy, but it was home, and right now, home felt like heaven.

She made a beeline for her dresser, pulling out an old pair of sweatpants and a faded T-shirt Luke had left behind on one of those random nights he'd crashed at her place.

Grabbing the bundle, she headed back downstairs and tossed the clothes to Zarin. "Here you go."

Zarin took the clothes, his expression unreadable. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"No problem." They stood for a moment looking at each other before she waved and turned back on her heel heading back upstairs.

Kicking off her boots by the door, she stretched her arms overhead, releasing the tension that had built up from running through fields in the dead of night. She pulled off her jacket, tossing it onto the couch, then wandered into the bathroom to splash some water on her face. The cool water was refreshing, but it didn't stop her mind from racing. The entire night had been a whirlwind—first, the crash, then Zarin, then the ship.

As she brushed her teeth, Bailey's thoughts kept circling back to Zarin. There was no denying he was weird. He'd been cagey all night, avoiding basic questions like where he was from. The more she thought about it, the more curious she became.

After rinsing her mouth, she wandered into her bedroom and glanced out the window. Her apartment overlooked the pool area, and curiosity got the better of her. She pulled the curtains aside and peered down, half expecting to see Zarin sprawled out on one of the lounge chairs, passed out.

But nope.

Instead, Zarin was still wandering around the pool, his every movement slow and deliberate. Bailey squinted, leaning against the window as she watched him. He was inspecting everything—walking in circles around the pool, bending down to touch the ground like he was checking for something she couldn't understand. He'd pause every now and then, looking up at the sky or gazing across the complex like he was trying to figure out his surroundings.

"What the hell are you up to?" she muttered to herself, a small smile creeping onto her face.

Zarin moved toward one of the lounge chairs, but instead of sitting down like any normal person would, he crouched beside it and poked at the fabric, as if he wasn't sure it was real. He pressed his hand down a few times, testing it like it might break. After a few moments, he stood up, circled the chair again, and cautiously sat down, his body stiff as if he didn't trust the thing not to collapse under him.

Bailey shook her head, chuckling softly. What a weirdo, she thought, amused by his bizarre behavior. It was like he'd never seen a lounge chair before in his life. Hell, the way he acted, it was like he was trying to figure out how the whole concept of sitting worked. She crossed her arms and continued to watch as he shifted uncomfortably in the chair, then glanced around the pool area again, his eyes darting from corner to corner.

And then, to her surprise, Zarin began undressing—right there by the pool. Bailey's eyes widened in shock as he casually pulled off his shirt, revealing more of his slim but toned frame than she expected. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she found herself watching for just a second longer than she should have.

Okay, so he's kinda cute, she thought, her face flushing slightly. Not in a traditional way—more in that awkward, clueless sort of way. The way he moved, like everything was foreign to him, somehow made him more intriguing.

Her cheeks warmed as she realized she was still watching, her gaze lingering a little too long. Zarin was now unbuckling his pants, completely unfazed by the fact that he was half-naked in the middle of an apartment complex.

"Whoa, okay," Bailey muttered, quickly pulling the curtain closed and stepping back from the window, her heart racing slightly.

She shook her head, trying to shake off the moment. Feeling flustered, she flicked off the lights and climbed into bed, but sleep didn't come right away. Her mind kept wandering back to Zarin and his odd behavior—and that awkward kind of charm he seemed to have, even if he didn't realize it.

Just to be safe, Bailey got up and double-locked the door. After a moment's thought, she grabbed a chair and wedged it under the doorknob. Zarin didn't seem dangerous, but better safe than sorry.