Page 78 of Bound By Stars
Weslie pushes off the wall and marches toward us, her eyes glued to Gianna’s fingers tightening around my bicep.
I hold up a hand and she stops, folding her arms together. Her gaze flicks to Gianna like she’s telling me she’s ready to help me break away and run for it.
I spin back to face Gianna. “One hour, then I promise I’ll be there. Mom’s in meetings all day anyway, right? She’ll never know.”
She sighs and shakes her head, her tone softening. “Sorry, Jupiter. Not this time.”
Peering back over my shoulder, I shake my head at Wes, and she nods, heading to find our friends.
It’s like I’m back on Earth, watching everyone else go about their lives, while I’m locked away. This has to end.
I glance back to see Weslie smile, not quite hiding the disappointment in her eyes, before she turns the corner at the end of the hall.
No more putting it off. It’s time my parents and I have that talk.
The holoflames in the hearth crackle, burning yellow and orange. It’s late. My mother paces behind the couch, circling our living room again. On the love seat opposite me, my dad holds an empty glass between his fingertips and swirls the ice cubes around the bottom. The knot in my stomach tightens. After being held hostage in our living quarters through two meals and the better part of a day, I was the one who asked to talk and somehow this has turned into another lecture.
“Jupiter, are you listening?” My mother stands rail straight behind my father, pursing her lips.
“Yes. I’m sorry.” How did this conversation get so completely out of my control?
I had a plan. I would sit down. Present the facts. Tell them what I wanted, except for the part about Weslie. But my mother has barely let me speak. How am I supposed to propose handing over the company to my cousin? Make her understand I’ve thought it through, when she’s dropping words like “disappointed” and “inconsiderate” like they’re swear words?
“It was wholly irresponsible to disappear like that and—”
Dad touches her hand. “But we can understand that you are young and it’s easy to be swept up in a party. And you deserved to enjoy it.”
Mom stares down at him. Her eyes widen and relax. They’ve done this since I was a kid. Conversation through expressions. They won’t disagree with each other out loud, but they fail to consider that I’m not six anymore.
Mom sighs. “Enjoy these events without disappearing in the future. You cannot be permitted to wander around unaccompanied any longer.”
“Come on, I can’t—”
Dad reaches over the coffee table and grabs my knee. “We can’t risk you, Jupiter. Your mother and I only want to keep you safe.” His eyes are sad, the rest of the words hanging in the air between us. They want to keep me safe like they couldn’t keep Andi safe. And that was on Mars, where we were supposed to be protected, not on a ship floating through space with a long list of factors they can’t control.
“Fine.” I stare at my hands, folding them between my knees.
My mother pulls back her sleeve, revealing the thin gold band around her wrist. “I have an early meeting. I’m going to bed.” She glares at me. “No sneaking away in the morning, and you will come straight home after class tomorrow.”
I don’t answer before she marches out of the room. The knot in my stomach twists tighter. I let out all the air in my lungs and drop my head. How am I ever going to bring up Hale if she makes every conversation into an account of what I’ve done wrong?
Dad moves to sit on the cushion next to me. “She really only wants the best for you.”
“As long as the best is her idea.” I meet his stare.
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?”
He drops his eyes to the glass still in his hand. “We noticed you’ve been getting close to the Earther girl, the contest winner…” He snaps his fingers like he’s fishing for her name.
“Weslie.”
He gives an overexaggerated nod. “Your mother and I would like you to bring her to dinner tomorrow. We’ve already requested a place for her at our table.”
I glance at him sideways and then toward the hall where Mom disappeared.
“It was her idea. Jupe, we want to know the people who are important to you.” He pats my knee, placing his glass on the table and standing. The light from the fireplace dances in the melting ice.
