“Dreary and lifeless?”
Laughter bubbled up from deep within his belly. Gods, her rudeness astounded him sometimes. “I suppose it would seem that way to you.” He glanced at Cara, whose cheeks flushed even more deeply than before. It was hard to believe her red face belonged to the same body as those long, fair legs.
“Sorry, I guess beauty’s subjective, huh?” She grinned sheepishly.
“Well, I guess we both . . .” He trailed off, trying to remember the human expression he’d heard on the television yesterday. “Eat our feet sometimes.”
Judging by the puzzled expression on Cara’s face, he didn’t get it quite right. After a few seconds of reflection, she burst out laughing. “Oh! You mean ‘put your foot in your mouth.’”
“That’s it.” What an odd description for verbally embarrassing oneself. “Where did that expression originate, anyway?”
“No idea, but come on.” Still laughing, she gestured toward the house. “We’ll Google it.”
They both rolled to their feet. “It’s too hot out here any . . .”
Aelyx trailed off as Cara accidentally brushed the inside crook of his arm, a touch that was barely a touch at all, and stunned him into silence. If the sunlight in her hair overloaded his senses, it was nothing compared to her casual contact. This time the feeling wasn’t altogether unpleasant, but he chafed one hand over the spot as he strode behind her to the back door.
Four hours and one Google search later, the doorbell rang and he introduced himself to Cara’s prospective mate, Eric. When they shook hands, Eric’s grip was tighter than necessary, his thin lips pressing together in a scowl.
Aelyx studied the human Cara found so enchanting. Eric stood tall for a male of his age, with the sturdy build of an athlete. He seemed intelligent but not on her level. And like Cara, his eyes were blue, but less vivid and much less friendly. Aside from his physical attractiveness, what could have drawn her to a boy like this?
“So.” Eric slid an arm around Cara’s waist and pulled her tightly against him. “How do you like Earth so far?”
Aelyx smirked and wished he could answer truthfully. I loathe your pathetic planet, and I don’t like you any more than you like me. “This is my first experience with interplanetary travel, so it’s a shock, but so far I’m enjoying myself.”
“That’s great,” Eric said, clearly lying. “I’ll see you around school this week. We have a lot of classes together.” In other words, I’ll be watching you.
Suddenly, the front door swung open and a dark, petite female entered, dropping her handbag onto the wood floor. Without offering a greeting or even closing the door behind her, she strode to Cara’s side and locked eyes with Aelyx. Her narrowed gaze swept over him for several awkward seconds before she finally said, “So you’re him.”
“This is Tori.” Cara cleared her throat. “My really rude best friend.”
Now Aelyx understood Cara’s reluctance to celebrate her birthday—all her companions despised him. An unexpected swell of compassion stretched his rib cage as he watched her face blanch. His peers would undoubtedly object in a similar way if he’d brought her to one of their social gatherings, and like Cara, he’d feel torn between his duty to her and loyalty to his friends.
Maybe he could help. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tori. Cara’s told me—”
“Save it.” She rolled her dark eyes. “We’re cool, but I’ve got a lot of questions for you.”
“Who wants cake?” Cara asked in an unnaturally high-pitched voice. “Red velvet!”
“Which reminds me.” Aelyx played along, reaching into his back pocket. “I have a present for you.” He handed her the silvery pouch with the necklace inside. “Happy birthday.”
She tilted her head while her mouth formed a perfect oval. “You didn’t have to do this.” Her smile sent an unexpected ripple of pleasure through his belly, definitely worth the thirteen credits he’d spent.
When she opened the drawstring and lifted the black cord from inside, her eyes widened. “Is this from L’eihr?”
“Yes, it’s called an ahib. A common gem in the same ‘dreary and lifeless’ colors of my home.” He flashed a teasing grin, darting a glance at Eric, whose jaw clenched so tightly he’d probably just cracked several molars.
“There’s nothing dreary about this.” She held the cord to the light, watching the dangling stone cast gray and beige sparkles across the back of her hand. “It’s amazing. I love it.” She unfastened the clasp and started to put it on.
“Yowza.” Tori bounced back and punched Eric in the shoulder. “What’d you get her?”
Eric grabbed Cara’s wrist, halting her movement. “She can’t keep that.”
“What?” As Cara froze in place, the dangling pendant swung to and fro, throwing tan prisms against the wall. She jerked from his grip. “I sure as hell can!”
“Dude, what’s your problem?” he asked Aelyx. “You don’t buy jewelry for someone else’s girlfriend!”
Aelyx shrugged and glanced from person to person for guidance. Finding none, he asked Cara, “Do you like it?”
“Yes,” she declared, almost defiantly.
“Then I don’t see the problem,” he told Eric. “The fact that you purchased an inferior gift hardly seems like any failing on my part. It’s common knowledge that shiny rocks are preferred among human females.”
That rendered everyone speechless. While Aelyx stood there wondering if he’d put his foot in his mouth again, Eric cupped his palm over Cara’s lower back and guided her to the opposite side of the small living room.
Eric glared at him in silence as if waiting for something.
“Would you like some privacy?” Aelyx asked.
“Nah,” Eric drawled. “Why don’t you come closer so you can watch?”
“I’d prefer not to.” He glanced at Cara.
“It’s fine. Just give us a minute, okay?”
“Of course.” Aelyx joined Tori in studying the black-framed photos peppering the wall, but faces and landscapes blurred into obscurity as his attention remained focused on the argument brewing six feet away.
“I said I’d give it a try,” Eric whispered harshly, “and I did. I’m not putting up with him for the rest of the year. He’s gotta go.”
“Well, you didn’t try very hard.”
“He’s. Gotta. Go.”
“Maybe you should go.” Was it his imagination, or did Cara’s voice tremble on the last word?
A soft rustling of fabric sounded from behind, and when Aelyx turned, it was just in time to watch Cara disappear down the hallway with Eric towing her by the shirtsleeve in a rough manner. Before he thought better of it, he started after them, but Tori brought him to his senses with a quick tug of his own T-shirt.
“Don’t.” She chewed the end of her braid and stood on tiptoe, darting a glance around his shoulder toward Cara’s bedroom. “Maybe she’ll really do it this time.”
“Do what?”
“Dump the pendejo.”
Aelyx hadn’t studied Spanish as thoroughly as English, so he didn’t understand her last word. However, the sentiment behind it was clear. The narrowed glares Tori had fired at Eric showed she loathed the insufferable dolt even more than he did.
Several minutes of silence passed between them before Eric tore into the hallway and continued straight out the front door, slamming it behind him without a backward glance.
When Cara padded silently into the living room blotting her eyes with a tissue, Tori bolted across the room to embrace her. Arms encircled waists in a tangle of contrasting dark and ivory limbs as the girls clung to each other. Aelyx felt he should contribute in some way, but he knew nothing about the emotional distress of human females.