Exposed Wires | | Bayverse | | Book 3

Prologue

"Trust is a double edged blade; it goes both ways with the ability to do damage if misused."

★★★★★★★★★

The city buzzes with activity, cars and buses traversing the many streets in the late afternoon rush hour. People walk up and down sidewalks, dressed in casual slacks to unimaginably expensive designer brands. Some hold coffees, others hold teas. Several hold the hands of small children, or leashes hooked onto the collars of rat-sized dogs. Others carry bags filled with a day's worth of shopping, while their partners bear the weight of items of actual importance.

Two people, both worn from walking and dressed in shorts and t-shirts, rest in the shade of a cafe umbrella, cold drinks in hand. They bear similar grins of content glee, twinned in their glittering eyes. Any stray eye would likely mistake the two as a couple at first, but a closer inspection tells more of their relationship than one might think — judging by the expressions both carry upon their features.

There is a saying, that the eyes are the windows to the soul. It could not be so true as it is displayed in the glistening shades that they forever bear; their past, present, and future all written out within them. But only one of them has the slightest idea of how future days are to unfold, and she has seen a universe of possibilities in the eyes of a Creator.

"So, you gonna spend the rest of the day with Ron?" the young woman with fiery hair queries casually, taking a long sip from her glass.

Her companion smiles, shrugging his shoulders while he cradles his own glass of ginger ale. "Probably. Depends on when they get back, though."

"True," the woman agrees. She looks around them with a bored curiosity, adjusting the baseball cap she wears with stiff fingers.

"Let's pray that your uncle is able to handle Akk this time," her friend muses quietly, taking a drink.

She hums in question as she turns her gaze back to him, not processing his words properly. "Oh. Primus, no. I didn't give him to Robert this time 'round."

He makes a small sound of understanding, retreating back to his cold soda. "That's understandable. Especially after last time."

The woman groans dramatically, falling back against her chair. "I don't even understand how he managed to lose Aquarius for a whole hour. Even with Piston watching."

"Don't forget that he was still in the same room as when you left him," he points out. "Akk never left."

"Precisely," she sighs. "That's why Lee's now in charge of babysitting duty."

"Good idea," the man agrees smoothly before having a quick drink.

His friend stares at him for a few moments, thoughts swirling about her head as her gaze lingers. Perhaps it's shock, or perhaps it's just the fact that she missed her morning coffee, but what she's seeing doesn't quite click.

He hides his fluttery grin in his glass, watching the woman with blossoming amusement. His eyes sparkle the longer the moment stretches, the giddy grin on his lips getting harder to fight as cogs turn and click in her head. He can easily see the shocked thought process in her expression, her lips parted and brows creased while her eyes widen comically.

"What the frag?!" she cries, practically jumping over the table to grab his hand. "He proposed?!"

The young man bursts out laughing, cheeks flushed red as he grins.

"And neither of you told me?!" she shouts in outrage, biting down on a knuckle to keep herself from screaming in glee. "When did this happen? Tell me!"

"Calm down, Gears," he tries with a nervous laugh, holding his hands up to resist her. "It was only this morning."

"This morning?!" she bellows in both glee and horror as she grabs the man's wrists. "Why the hell didn't you say anything?! Do you have any idea how crucial it is to tell your best friend these things?"

He flushes a deep scarlet under the critical gaze of his friend, ducking his head with minor embarrassment. "We were gonna tell everyone at once."

"That's no excuse." The woman waggles a finger at him, grinning all the while. "If not you, he should have told me. I need to be updated on these things, lest I go ballistic."

"Okay, well, he didn't want you to know just yet!" he proclaims, dramatically throwing his hands up in teasing exasperation. "He said he wanted to watch your reaction for himself!"

She raises a brow, an amused smirk on her lips. With a soft chuckle, she shakes her head and brushes back a loose strand of hair. "Well, that's just terrible planning. He should have proposed today if he knew we were already going into the city. I was bound to find out."

"Yeah, but you know what he's like." The man waves a hand in the air. "Impulsive and direct. Apparently he couldn't help himself."

"I wouldn't be able to either, if I had you as a partner." She grins broadly at her blushing friend. "To be honest, though, I'm not overly surprised that he's proposed. It was always gonna be him."

"Oi!" he protests, smacking her with a hand. "I was going to get a ring!"

"Really? When?" Her words shut him up immediately. "Where from? Which one?"

"Shut up," he grumbles in embarrassment, falling back against his chair.

"Nah." She shakes her head. "See? It was gonna be him."

The young man frowns at her in mock betrayal, attempting to make her pity him. But the longer he stares at her and her smug grin, the harder it is to keep a straight face — not to say that he is straight. Eventually, he simply can't hold it anymore and releases the giddy grin he was fighting, earning a bark of laughter from his friend.

"'Sides, I don't think you mind at all," she chuckles at him. "Just make sure the wedding is in Canada, all right?"

"I don't think we'd have it anywhere else."

★★★★★★★★★

Sorry for the delay! My end of year is coming up, so I'm swamped with all the schoolwork I never finished. Fingers crossed this goes well.

Hope you enjoyed and continue to do so!