thinking?”
“I heard them threatening you.” Cami had expected the reaction from Tariq, but she didn’t understand Scarlett’s anger.
Staring at Cami through narrowed eyes, Scarlett released her with a disgusted grunt and threw her hands in the air. “So you thought you’d play superhero and save the day?”
“No.” Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Her emotions only made her weak, and they were the reason everyone treated her like some fragile, delicate child who needed constant supervision. “No, I came to make sure you were okay. I came to help my friend.”
Seconds ticked by before either of them spoke again. Finally, Scarlett broke the silence with a tired sigh. “Cami, I—”
Cami held her hand up and turned away. She really didn’t want to hear apologies or excuses, especially empty ones. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Not wanting to start another argument, she stood beside Tariq and nodded. “I’d like to go back to my room.”
“Listen,” he began. “Let me—”
“Please,” she interrupted. Scarlett was right. Cami had tried to help, to play the hero, and so far, she’d only succeeded in making things worse. “Just take me back to the room.”
“Okay, angel.” Gathering her hand in his, Tariq held it loosely as he escorted her out of the atrium. “We’ll try again, tomorrow.”
“No.” She’d do what she should have done in the first place and let the Alliance conduct their investigation without her interference. “You were right. This doesn’t concern me, and I’m finished. I don’t belong here.”
Some days, it felt like she didn’t belong anywhere.
CHAPTER NINE
Cami hadn’t left their quarters in nearly three days, and Tariq had no clue what to say to get through to her. He’d tried apologizing, though he didn’t know what he’d done wrong exactly. She answered pleasantly when he asked her questions, but beyond that, she rarely spoke.
Tariq wouldn’t call it sulking, exactly. While quiet and somewhat detached, Cami didn’t mope or pout. She simply didn’t say anything, as if she’d become so lost in thought she’d forgotten the rest of the station existed. Whatever the case, she’d retreated within herself, and despite all efforts, he couldn’t pull her back.
“Naira asked about you today.”
Curled up in the armchair with a blanket over her lap, Cami looked away from the small, circular window and smiled. “How is she?”
It was the first time she’d showed interest in anything for days. “Come with me to dinner and you can see for yourself.”
Clearly, that had been the wrong thing to suggest, because the smile immediately disappeared, and she went back to staring at the blackness through the window. “I’m not very hungry. Tell her I said hello.”
In his frustration, Tariq slammed his hand down on the tiny end table hard enough to dent the metal. “Get dressed,” he ordered with only slightly more calm. “You’re not hiding in this room any longer. Now, go get ready, because I’m taking you to dinner.”
“Okay.” She rose to her feet and began folding the blanket.
“Damn it, Cami!”
“What?” She appeared genuinely perplexed as she turned toward him. “I thought you wanted me to get ready for dinner?”
“I want you to want to come with me.” With a heavy sigh, Tariq sank into the cushions of the sofa and rubbed both hands over his face. “At this point, I’d settle for you telling me off. Hell, I wouldn’t even care if you cried.”
“There will be no crying,” Cami muttered. “That was one of your rules, right? We also shouldn’t talk,” she added, throwing his own words back at him. “So which is it, Tariq? You can’t have it both ways, so what do you want from me?”
By the gods, he could have it any way he damn well wanted it, even if he had to turn her over his knee and paddle her ass red. “I want you to scream or curse. Throw something. Get mad. Cry.” Tears
“I heard them threatening you.” Cami had expected the reaction from Tariq, but she didn’t understand Scarlett’s anger.
Staring at Cami through narrowed eyes, Scarlett released her with a disgusted grunt and threw her hands in the air. “So you thought you’d play superhero and save the day?”
“No.” Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Her emotions only made her weak, and they were the reason everyone treated her like some fragile, delicate child who needed constant supervision. “No, I came to make sure you were okay. I came to help my friend.”
Seconds ticked by before either of them spoke again. Finally, Scarlett broke the silence with a tired sigh. “Cami, I—”
Cami held her hand up and turned away. She really didn’t want to hear apologies or excuses, especially empty ones. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Not wanting to start another argument, she stood beside Tariq and nodded. “I’d like to go back to my room.”
“Listen,” he began. “Let me—”
“Please,” she interrupted. Scarlett was right. Cami had tried to help, to play the hero, and so far, she’d only succeeded in making things worse. “Just take me back to the room.”
“Okay, angel.” Gathering her hand in his, Tariq held it loosely as he escorted her out of the atrium. “We’ll try again, tomorrow.”
“No.” She’d do what she should have done in the first place and let the Alliance conduct their investigation without her interference. “You were right. This doesn’t concern me, and I’m finished. I don’t belong here.”
Some days, it felt like she didn’t belong anywhere.
CHAPTER NINE
Cami hadn’t left their quarters in nearly three days, and Tariq had no clue what to say to get through to her. He’d tried apologizing, though he didn’t know what he’d done wrong exactly. She answered pleasantly when he asked her questions, but beyond that, she rarely spoke.
Tariq wouldn’t call it sulking, exactly. While quiet and somewhat detached, Cami didn’t mope or pout. She simply didn’t say anything, as if she’d become so lost in thought she’d forgotten the rest of the station existed. Whatever the case, she’d retreated within herself, and despite all efforts, he couldn’t pull her back.
“Naira asked about you today.”
Curled up in the armchair with a blanket over her lap, Cami looked away from the small, circular window and smiled. “How is she?”
It was the first time she’d showed interest in anything for days. “Come with me to dinner and you can see for yourself.”
Clearly, that had been the wrong thing to suggest, because the smile immediately disappeared, and she went back to staring at the blackness through the window. “I’m not very hungry. Tell her I said hello.”
In his frustration, Tariq slammed his hand down on the tiny end table hard enough to dent the metal. “Get dressed,” he ordered with only slightly more calm. “You’re not hiding in this room any longer. Now, go get ready, because I’m taking you to dinner.”
“Okay.” She rose to her feet and began folding the blanket.
“Damn it, Cami!”
“What?” She appeared genuinely perplexed as she turned toward him. “I thought you wanted me to get ready for dinner?”
“I want you to want to come with me.” With a heavy sigh, Tariq sank into the cushions of the sofa and rubbed both hands over his face. “At this point, I’d settle for you telling me off. Hell, I wouldn’t even care if you cried.”
“There will be no crying,” Cami muttered. “That was one of your rules, right? We also shouldn’t talk,” she added, throwing his own words back at him. “So which is it, Tariq? You can’t have it both ways, so what do you want from me?”
By the gods, he could have it any way he damn well wanted it, even if he had to turn her over his knee and paddle her ass red. “I want you to scream or curse. Throw something. Get mad. Cry.” Tears
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