Beyond Our Selves (Sequel to Beyond Our Earth)

Chapter 10: Simple

ELIZABETH

Braden stormed into the room, his face red.

"Orange guy told me she was just here and left. Again."

"Pomegranate?" I offered, holding out half the fruit.

"I missed her by two minutes!"

"There're actually really good."

He took the fruit and poked at it's insides before eating some.

"All she wanted was to get off that island. We drove each other insane." Braden sighed.

"You mean you drove her insane." I corrected.

He shook his head. "I wasn't myself there. I was clingy and... I talked way too much."

"We're not meant to live in isolation, Braden. It'll do strange things to you. Like make you start seeing aliens as attractive..."

He smirked and couldn't contain a chuckle.

I sucked my pomegranate, staring at him as his expression went blank again.

"What if she never forgets the man I was on the island? What if she really does hate me?"

I stared at his lips as he spoke. All I wanted to do was lean forward and kiss them. Why did he have to be so obsessed with this Sara?

"Forget about her. Think about something, anything else. Just for a minute. For fuck's sake, do it for her! She'd like it if you were less obsessed."

He looked sad, like he knew I was right.

"What am I supposed to think about?"

Maybe Sara was right. He was enfuriating. Was it really so hard to put her out of his mind?

"Maybe the girl sitting right in front of you?" I leaned closer. Our faces were an inch apart.

He stood up.

"Aliens."

He walked towards the door.

"That'll get my mind off it."

Begrudgingly, I followed Braden into the hallway and down the stairs.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To look at the really weird ones."

"This isn't a zoo, you know. They don't always take well to being stared at. Trust me."

He smirked with half his mouth.

A door opened and revealed a forest habitat. As we walked inside the air became thick with moisture. Trees grew out of a layer of dirt on the ground and creatures of all varieties lurked in the branches.

I stuck close to Braden as he trudged onward into the middle of the large room.

He sat on the ground. I sat next to him.

We both looked up. I didn't know what we were looking for.

"See that?" He whispered.

"What?" I whispered back.

Braden lay down on the dirt and pointed up.

I looked down. The idea of getting my hair in the dirt was't appealing. Instead, I carefully leaned my head on Braden's stomach.

He laughed as I lay down.

"Afraid of a little dirt? Such a city girl."

I rolled my eyes.

"Watch. There's something in that branch right there." He said pointing.

I squinted as something blue flickered above us.

"Are those wings?" I asked.

It moved again. Just for a second a larger part of it was visible.

"It looks like a fairy." I smiled.

"More like a bird" Braden laughed.

"It's a good thing it doesn't speak our language. It would probably be highly offended that you just called it a bird."

I rolled over. I was getting uncomfortable.

I realized I was right on top of Braden and smiled. Things were nice when we forgot about the other girl.

He would see that eventually.