“Shall I ask her to change?”
“No,” he said. “It’s fine.”
“I would ask for you, Caleb.”
“Thank you, but it’s nice to see her, even if she’s not my grandmother.”
For the rest of the session, I stayed quiet, except for when Caleb talked. Instead of listening to Seth and NAID converse as they apparently did on a weekly basis, everyone was more focused on Caleb and how to reprogram the sensors to perceive him. I didn’t know if Wyn and NAID would succeed, but I hoped they did. Caleb deserved to be seen and heard by others.
Though, perversely, I craved to keep him all to myself. I liked his focus being entirely on me because mine was certainly on him. Every bounce, smile, and word drew me in. He was like a star that I was helpless to orbit.
Chapter 13
Soul types are odd.
I sat on one of the many tables in the greenhouse as my Sunshine puttered around. He was quiet today, which wasn’t odd in itself—he was always quiet. But this silence was heavier than usual, and I didn’t know why. Maybe he was finally growing tired of my endless chatter. It had only been a couple of days, and I had alotmore words stored up.
With as much control as I possessed, I shut my mouth and stared at the plethora of plants around me. Colors ranged from pale greens, pinks, and blues to vibrant reds, purples, and oranges. Plants floated above me. The air had to be humid because of the beads of liquid gathering on Fyn’s scales and the plant leaves.
“Why did you stop talking?” Fyn asked as he skillfully transferred a snapping, biting plant to another pot without a single scratch.
“Hmm?”
Fyn faced me, tail flicking faster. I swear their tails were like barometers for their emotions. “Caleb, are you alright?” He abandoned his plant, stopping more than an arm length away. I wanted to hook my legs around his hips and draw him flush against me. I suppressed a lurch of sadness. It was what it was. No point in being upset.
“I’m fine,” I said, sitting criss-cross-applesauce, knees disappearing into several plants. “I was giving you a break from my talking.”
“I don’t mind it. I quite enjoy it.”
“You do?”
“It’s soothing.”
“Soothing?” I asked.
“Like the sound of wind in the trees or the crash of the waves.”
White noise. He thought my talking was like white noise. How complementary. It’s what every dude wanted to hear from their crush: you sound like white noise.
The smallest quirk tugged at the corner of Fyn’s lips before he tilted his head down and his silky hair covered him.
“You're teasing me,” I shouted, leaping down and crowding him. “Sunshine, you’re teasing me.”
He grinned. An actual fucking smile. A tooth bearing smile. Sultry heat slid down my spine like fingers whispering over me. So faint. So barely there. But it was enough to sear me.
His expression softened the longer I stared at him. I shifted closer, unable to help it. What was it about him? Why now? Why after wandering for so long did I feel something?
The door opened, and we both jumped. Seth peeked in, expression tight and face pale.
Fyn tensed. “Seth.”
“Hey,” Seth said, voice soft.
Where was Kal? He rarely left Seth alone. Like ever. Though Ihadseen Seth the last couple times without Kal, which was weird. The dude was obsessed, like obsessedobsessed.
“Be nice,” I admonished. “He’s obviously upset.”
“How am I to know? He's the first human I’ve met,” he said back.
