Cresswell: The Lunar Chronicles

Chapter Thirty

Cress wouldn't eat anything for breakfast, despite Iko whipping up her and Thorne an amazing gourmet spreading of food. Instead she spent the first few hours of the morning wandering aimlessly around the ship and tidying things up that were already clean. Thorne tried several times to get her to eat but she said she wasn't hungry. He hated how wound up she was getting over this stupid lunch.

"How do you feel? You know... sick-wise."

"Fine, I think." She almost laughed, pacing behind the sofa and nibbling her thumbnail. "It's hard to tell. I think I'm just nervous."

Thorne leaned his head back so he could look at her upside down. "I wish you would calm down—I hate they're working you up this much."

"It's not them it's me." Cress shook her head.

Thorne reached behind him and took her hand, shifting so he could look at her better. "Cress—"

"I don't want to embarrass you or make them think less of you or—"

"Whoa, hold on. Cress there is nothing you could do that would embarrass me, okay? Nothing. I'm serious." It was on the tip of his tongue to add that of course his parents would love her and they would be crazy not to, but he knew there were few people they "loved" and his girlfriend, however really and truly amazing she was, probably wouldn't make the cut.

Cress chewed her lip.

"Hey." Thorne lightly jerked her arm. "I'm serious." He pushed himself to his knees, inwardly smirking. He was still taller than her even kneeling on the couch. "I love how much you want to meet them and how hard you and Iko have been working and planning for the past two days. For what it's worth, it means a lot to me and I love you so much more for it."

This time when Cress smiled he could tell it was genuine.

He winked at her, pulling the collar of her shirt and kissing her. "Come on, eat something."

Cress hesitated.

"Eat something and then you can go on pacing."

Cress caved, moving around the sofa and sitting beside him. She helped herself to a plate of pancakes and sausage, still steaming hot.

By the time eleven rolled around, after Thorne and Iko played three games of Royals with Cress, Iko stood up and announced it was time to start getting ready. She shoved Thorne toward his room, telling him to get lost and keep himself occupied.

Thorne winked at Cress before she was yanked into her room. He quickly showered and brushed his teeth before running a towel through his hair and shaking out as much of the moisture as he could.

"Sometimes simple is better." Thorne heard Iko say from the next room as he was buttoning up a crisp white shirt. "But only sometimes."

"Um, Iko, you know there's stuff in this purse?" Cress asked.

"Yeah, I threw some random things in there I thought you might like. Your sunglass case is inside too."

Thorne smirked to himself, rolling his sleeves up to mid-forearm.

Cress didn't say anything.

"Okay, I won't make you more nervous by saying anything other than you look amazing and I'm sure everything will go perfectly!"

"Thanks."

Thorne stepped into the corridor and leaned against the wall opposite Cress's room. The door was partially open and he could see Cress sitting on the bed with Iko behind her using one of her 8,000,000 hair tools to gives her waves a smoother, shinier texture.