Abducted | Book 1 | Vreekar

fourteen |

His eyes averted from mine, "I understand that youth is more attractive on your planet."

I shrugged, "That's subjective." 

I coughed, then, with a small smile, I put my hand on his arm and squeezed, "You can still feel that excitement no matter what age you are. You just have to let yourself." 

There was more silence, and to my surprise, he spoke again, "You are twenty-six, correct?"

I snorted, then burst out laughing, "I'm twenty-two." His eyes peeled away from the view of space and looked at me. I recalled how I told my roommate Marbie what felt like centuries ago that I may or may not have put the wrong age on my drafting papers. I guess I did.

Suddenly, something tugged at my heart, and I felt my face drop. I looked back at the stars and realized that somewhere out there was Earth. My home. Then, I was overcome with an overwhelming sadness knowing that I'd never see it again. Without warning, I felt a tear spill onto my cheek. Then another. Then another. 

Vree seemed to tense at the sight of me crying, and carefully said, "I did not mean to offend you by thinking you were older than you are- you do look very youthful, it is just I was informed that you are-" 

I let out a pitiful laugh, something sad that tried to disguise itself as humor. "No thats not it." I said quickly. When I reached to wipe my tears my hand slammed against my helmet, and I didn't know wether to laugh or cry, so I did both. 

Vree silently reached over, and with a click he took off my helemt, then his. He took dismantled the hands from his own space suit, and reached over to wipe my tears for me. It only made me cry even more, and I felt terrible for spoiling such a moment. I turned away from him, resuming to the position I was in with my back to him.

I felt his hand freeze and tense, and he pulled away, and I silently cursed at myself, wondering if I somehow rejected him with that small gesture. 

"I just miss it." Was all I said through sniffles, trying desperately to make my voice small and less sad sounding. That failed when I let out a sob, "I miss my cat." 

"Your. . cat?" He asked cautiously.

"His name is Wednesday." He probably didn't know what a cat was. I sobbed again, my shoulders heaving.

He seemed outright confused, "Like the day of week?"

I ignored him and continued to sob, "I told him I'd come back that day I was taken. I never did. He's- he's probably so confused." More tears spilled onto the space suit. 

I cried and cried, and over all of it Vree began to speak, his tone a bit softer, "Since we are a warrior race, we find it rude to allow people to console us if we cry. We hardly do. . ." He paused, "I know on your planet, in some places, when people are in pain, and are crying, they like to be held. . ." His voice trailed. He seemed to struggle with finding the right type of words to say. 

I felt my face heat, I stared at the dashboard. I assumed he was asking if he could hold me, but Vree never seemed like that type of person. I hesitated to imply that meaning, but I figured I was already sobbing and looked enough like an idiot that I might as well ask. "If- If you're asking if you can hold me. ." 

He cleared his throat. He sounded, awkward, "If you would like." 

I felt my voice shake, "I- I think I would like that. A lot- actually." 

Without pausing, I felt his arms, hard and lean, wrap around my waist, and pull me back again him. My lip trembled, and I felt the strong urge to disappear. To get lost. So I simply shifted to my side, and shoved my face in his chest, curled up into myself, into him, and cried.