The Space Between Us

He's bred to be the perfect human. Cunning, alert, strong.

She's natural, soft, forgotten along with the rest of humanity.

But when these two worlds collide, destroying everything they thought they knew about each others race- there's a shift.

His behaviours change, he's intrigued, addicted.

She's afraid, but undeniably drawn to him.

Can two people so different love each other even when their worlds tell them not to?

________

"My brother knows." I blurted.

His usually composed expression broke, showing a slight amount of panic I would've expected to see from one of us ground dwellers.

"What?"

"He figured out I must've been seeing someone in secret, and I slipped up... he knows you're from the sky, he knows I see you often to talk, he knows I helped you." I admitted, shame flowing through me.

He took a deep breath and glanced towards the house behind me. "And what did he say?"

I did the same, letting air fill my lungs entirely until I was ready to admit it. "He said that because you saved my life... he wouldn't mention it to anybody else. But that I'm not to see you anymore a-and,"

He watched me so intensely, like his whole identity revolved around this moment.

"...And?"

"And that I am to marry William r-right away." I stuttered over the truth knowing it was impossibly hard for both of us to accept.

Adrian only stared back, sadness washing over his eyes like a fog, some of the purest emotion I've ever seen from him.

"Do you... want to marry him?"

This time I paused.

I didn't want to, no. But how would telling him that help us in any way?

"He- he's strong," I defended William in an effort to stop this conversation from going any further.

But Adrian's brow creased. "I'm stronger."

I was taken aback at how quickly he defended himself, but the thing is he isn't wrong.

He is stronger.