Page 58 of Bound By Stars
“Exactly.”
“What isthatlike?” She lays her head down, keeping her eyes on me. “I mean, I know the standard lore. You’re inheriting your family’s company. You’re basically Elysian royalty. But what does that actually mean?”
“For the next decade, I’ll shadow my mother. Obey orders.” Everything I have to give up flashes through my mind, and I swallow back the frustration. “And then, when she retires, I’ll be the one on top, shaking hands, giving speeches, putting out corporate fires.” I’m not really even considered a person anymore. I’m a commodity.
“So they basically control every part of your life, then?” Weslie frowns, lowering herself back to the water, watching me closely.
I want to tell her. About the betrothal. About Skye. About Andi. I want to tell her how much I want to throw it all back in my mom’s face and run back to Earth. Just disappear. But that’s too much to put on her. “Basically.”
“That’s…” She scrutinizes my face.
I stare into the black water and brace for a classic Weslie insult.Poor little rich boy. Must be tough to be so taken care of, Big Six.
Her fingers brush my chin, and I meet her eyes, unguarded and sympathetic. “…really sad.”
Should I tell her the rest? The full scope of it. How every detail of my existence will be dictated by a corporation. What I say. Where I live. Every interaction. Every relationship. And if I give it up, if they let me go, I’ll disappoint my parents and hand my sister’s legacy to Hale, of all people.
Her hand falls away, but I can still feel the ghost of her touch lingering on my skin.
“Come on.” She pushes off the side again, expertly treading water and holding out her palm on the surface. “I wanted to show you my version of zero gravity.”
“Technically there’s no such thing as zero gravity. Everything has a gravitational pull.” I repeat her words back to her, remembering how she flushed even in the cold of the cargo hold. There’s no stopping the smirk that tugs at the edges of my mouth.
She winces, covering her face with her hand. “Can we forget I said that, please?”
“Said what?” I peel it away, letting go of the wall. “Now, what are we doing?”
“Take a deep breath and follow me.” Sucking in air, she dives underwater.
It takes me an extra second to gather up the courage and the oxygen, but I follow.
Under the surface, the world is muted. My heart beats loudly in my ears over the muffled sounds of moving water. Weak light barely highlights the ripples above as I sink into darkness.
A stream of bubbles tickles my skin, trailing up my stomach to my neck. Underneath me, there’s a mild current in the wake of Weslie’s movements. Her hands find mine, fingers weaving together. She drags me along, like a siren from Greek mythology, luring me to my death. And I give in, gliding with her in the tranquil quiet, ignoring my burning lungs.
When I’m with her, I feel like it would be worth it. Giving it all up. That Andi would understand. That even if I can’t stop being an heir, if she felt a fraction of what I feel for her, I would fight for the chance to see where this might be going. Even if it means blowing up my entire life.
We slowly drift back up. Breaking the surface, we both gasp for breath and grab hold of the wall.
“You should be more careful. What if I was trying to assassinate you by drowning, Big Six?”
“Not a chance. I trust you.” I move closer, my gaze flicking to her mouth.
She closes more of the distance, cautiously placing a hand over my pounding heart, and my skin ignites under her touch. Her eyes explore my face like she’s searching for something I haven’t said hidden at the edge of my lips or the curve of my jaw.
A loud clattering bounces off the water.
Weslie pulls her hand away and I jerk to attention.
“Jupiter!” Gianna’s voice booms through the cavernous room.
I press my eyes shut.
She’s moving fast tonight. This has to be one of the last places she looked.
The lights come on overhead, momentarily blinding me. I squint across the pool, plastering on a fake grin. “Gianna, you found me! Your turn to hide.”
“Out of the water.”
