Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Furious with myself, I yank out my back-up tunic and shove it over my head.
"Bridge?"
Before I can even shove my head out of the neckhole, Flor is there. I cringe inwardly, because there's no way to hide the constant drumbeat of my khui. It's so loud it feels as if a horse is galloping in my chest. I try anyhow, though. I finish pulling my second tunic over my body and offer her a wan smile. "W-what's up?"
Her eyes are wide as she moves forward. Behind her, I see Angie exiting out of the cave and I hope against hopes that she's not going to go tell everyone that I'm resonating. It'll be all over camp by the morning and then I'll never get any peace. Not that I'm getting any peace right now. Flor has a shocked look on her face and she taps her breastbone. "Are you…"
"No?"
As if my khui can hear that, it thrums even harder and totally makes a liar out of me.
I grimace. "Okay, maybe."
"Oh my god," she whisper-hisses, dropping to her knees beside my bunk. "Who is it? Not I'rec, is it? Ugh. Or O'jek?" Her eyes narrow. "Is it R'jaal?"
"It's A'tam." When she nearly shrieks, I grab her hands and shake my head at her. "Don't say fucking anything! I don't want anyone to know!"
"Why not?" Flor looks confused. "Aren't you sneaking out to be with him every night?"
I bite my lip. Shit. That's right. Everyone thinks that when I sneak away to my pottery cave, I'm hooking up with A'tam again. I wanted to leave the lie in place until I got my pottery all worked out, but that's taking longer than I anticipated. It's either confess the truth and sound like an idiot or keep on lying. "I know," I say, which is a non-answer. "It's just…complicated."
"Well, this is exciting!" Flor grabs my hands, grinning. "It's what you wanted, right? Even if you're a little uncertain. You'll be a great mom. I promise." She squeezes my hands and looks so envious. "It couldn't have worked out better for you if you tried."
"I know, right?" I manage a wobbly smile. "It's just…kinda new. And overwhelming."
"I've got just the thing for a wedding night!" Flor gives an excited little shimmy. "Wait here!"
Oh god.
She heads over to her bunk and digs through the craft basket at the foot of her furs. A moment later, she returns to my side, beaming, and holds a pink bundle out to me. "This is for you."
"Oh," I say, and take it from her. Even if it makes me cringe to get a wedding present, I'm still touched by my friend's thoughtfulness. Clothing is a fuckton harder to come by here than it is back home. At home you can just show up to the nearest store, peruse the racks, and walk away with perfectly fitting jeans and a variety of tops after an hour of searching. Here, you have to scrape your hides, soften them into leather, dye them, cut them, sew them (and make sinew thread), and lord help you if you mess up a step along the way. It is an absolute beast of a process and a gift like clothing is absolutely touching. "Oh Flor, you shouldn't have. I…oh."
I lift up one of the pieces of clothing. It's the world's smallest, puffiest pink skirt.
She giggles and claps her hands. "It's from a dye experiment! Devi and Brooke were trying for red and it didn't stick. I liked the pink, though, so I asked for it. Check out the bra, too!"
I pull out the second piece. It's darker, thicker leather with no fur, and just a pink hint to the brown. It looks like a real bra, too, for all that it's made of leather. The straps across the shoulders are tiny and flirty, and it fastens in the front with a big leather knot. It won't hold my tits up for shit, but for sexy lingerie? It'll absolutely do the trick.
"Oh wow. Flor, you're so sweet." I clutch the clothing to my chest, utterly touched. "I don't know if A'tam is worth all this trouble, but I'm so impressed."
"Even if he's not, you are." She smiles at me. "After all the shit we've been through, we just all deserve a little bit of happiness, you know?"
"I absolutely agree." I just wish mine didn't seem so determined to be complicated.
25
BRIDGET
After I talk with Flor for a little, I make an excuse that I need some time to myself. I head out in the direction of the camp toilets, at the far end of one of the narrow canyons, and then take a long, winding path around to my pottery cave. I'll light a fire, throw on a few candles, eat some of the snacks I have stored there, and work on a new pot while I try to figure out the mess inside my head.