“That makes one of us.”
“It’s adorable.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I said.
“Did I upset you?”
“No. I think you're cute too.”
Grinning, Kal kissed me again.
“NAID,” I called right after Kal left for a meeting about leaving the orbit of Petty-something.
“Seth.”
“Am I bothering you?” I asked. NAID wasn’t fully operational, and she controlled most of the ship’s functions plus any research or scans that people needed.
“No, you’re not. What can I do for you?”
“Nothing. I wanted to talk to you.”
She beamed, making her eyes disappear between the folds of her skin. “Dr. Qinlin told me you agreed to participate in studying my emergence.”
“I did. I don’t know what help I will be.”
“It should prove interesting.”
“I suppose.”
“So you and Prince Kalvoxrencol are getting along again?”
Crimson seeped into my cheeks. “We talked.”
“Communication is the cornerstone of any functioning relationship, or at least, Edith Smith says so. I personally have never been in a relationship, nor am I interested in entering one. Though I have observed many relationships via the data I’ve absorbed, and communication does seem integral.”
“It is, but it sucks. I hate talking.”
“The price of love,” she offered, which made me laugh. “You remain quite bruised.”
“It’ll take a few days for them to disappear.”
“Maybe you should see Dr. Qinlin again to make sure you’re healing correctly. I would hate for something to happen to you,” she said, gaze averted.
“I’m not going to yell at you.” Guilt returned in full force, regardless of the apology I’d given her.
NAID smiled at me, but it was wary. “You didn’t like it when Prince made you go.”
That was true. I hadn’t handled it well when Kal forced me to go, but that was different. “I like your concern. We’re friends.”
“We are. So you’ll go?”
“Sure,” I answered, trying and succeeding in smothering a scowl.
I patted Lucy before I headed to the medbay. The door swished open to the gray room. I didn’t immediately see Dr. Qinlin, so I turned to the office framed by windows. She sat behind the desk, bent over a tablet, claws clicking on the glass.
