Pain Bringer (The Constant War Book 2) by J.E. Mac

Author:J.E. Mac [Mac, J.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2024-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Fairhaven hung her head. She lurched forward, fighting nausea. Next to her, a white brick wall came up to her thigh. It protruded half a meter from the building, containing a trough of dirt. Presumably, flowers had been arranged in this bed at some point in semi-recent history, but now the surface was crusted over.

Behind her, she heard the butt of Wilkins’ M97B scuff against brick. His hand found her back, and gently caressed her in small circles.

She twisted, shrugging off his touch. “I’m fine.”

His pressure suit scrunched as he readjusted his position. “How are you feeling?”

“I said I’m fine.”

“Yeah. Okay. Except you don’t seem fine is all.”

Fairhaven glared at him, a predatory thing. She wanted him to back down. To stop asking questions. To stop being so damn concerned about her wellbeing. She could take care of herself. But he held her gaze, unflinching. She couldn’t help herself. She felt a half-smile emerge. “My head’s still spinning a little.”

His eyes narrowed to slits. He leaned forward, nudging the edge of his pressure suit’s mask.

She squinted, her half smile returning to full snarl. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Wilkins forced a cough, then cleared his throat. “Char thinks it’s like before.”

“Before what?”

“Like before, you know, on their space station thing.”

“Back when we went…”

“Yeah. That.”

“So?”

Wilkins bobbed his head to the left. “I think she may be right. On the Sindarhe mission, I was sorta, you know.”

“You?”

Wilkins nodded. “I felt it.”

“Wait, last time you felt it, didn’t you and Char⁠—”

“No!”

“Yes, you did.”

“I mean, that didn’t happen this time.”

“You felt the same effects as the last time you slept with Char, but this time, for completely inexplicable reasons, you didn’t actually sleep with Char?”

“I distinctly remember you and Quon getting more than friendly under the effects of Sindarhe. You don’t hear me making a big deal about it. That wasn’t us. We weren’t in control.”

“Quon…” Fairhaven whispered.

“Yes, Quon,” said Wilkins. “So stop it with this jealousy rigmarole. I told you, you’re the only one for me. You and the baby.”

“Right. The baby.” Absent-mindedly, she caressed her belly.

“Either you trust me or we should end it, right here, right now.”

Maybe he had a point? Maybe ending it was for the better? For starters, she wouldn’t have to tell him that the baby wasn’t his.

Easiest way to solve that problem.

But she didn’t want to end things. Especially not like that.

And there was a part of her that liked Wilkins’ notion of family, as corny as it was. Archaic and dated even, but it felt warm, welcoming. She wasn’t completely opposed to the idea of settling down. Of having a family.

But she wasn’t sure she was ready to settle down this very second. There was so much she still wanted to do. Parts of her career that felt unfinished.

Wilkins was watching her like a wounded animal watches a circling lion.

Fairhaven bit her lower lip. “So what happened on Sindarhe?”

“Don’t start⁠—”

“I’m not. I believe you. You say nothing happened between you and Char, then nothing happened between you and Char.

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