Chapter 15

“Don’t ‘Rina, let’s talk’ me! You fucked her!” Rina spat, pacing the small confines of her quarters like a caged animal. The room was sparse, exactly like the girl who occupied it. A narrow bunk bolted to the wall, a small desk cluttered with star charts, a single shelf with nothing personal on it except a worn leather flask that was currently missing from its spot because it was in Rina’s hand. She took a swig and pointed at him with the same hand. “You sat in that booth and fucked Zlara while I sat at the bar watching some green girl suck a man’s dick under a tablecloth. Do you have any idea how that felt?”

“Rina, it wasn’t—”

“Wasn’t what?” She whipped around, her golden eyes blazing, her cheeks flushed from the whiskey she’d been drinking since they got back. The golden outfit she’d complained about all day still clung to her body, her hair was a mess from running her hands through it repeatedly, and she looked furious and heartbroken and stunning all at once. “Wasn’t planned? Wasn’t personal? Because from where I was sitting, it looked pretty fucking personal, Kayden. Your cock was inside the woman you told me you were going to settle down with. The woman you chose over me.”

“That’s what I’m trying to explain if you’d stop yelling for five seconds.” He said, leaning against her closed door, his arms at his sides, making himself as non-threatening as possible. He knew better than to cross his arms with Rina. She’d read it as defensive, and defensive meant hiding something, and hiding something meant she’d escalate.

“Oh, you want me to stop yelling? In my quarters? This is my space, just like on my bridge. Where I’m in charge.” She took another swig. “You’ve got some fucking nerve.”

“You’re right. I do.” He said simply. That caught her off guard. Her pacing stuttered for half a step before she resumed, but the fire in her eyes flickered with confusion.

“What happened in that booth was a goodbye, Rina.” He said. “The last time. I ended it with Zlara.” Rina stopped pacing. She didn’t turn around, but her shoulders tensed.

“You what?” She said, her voice quieter now but no less dangerous.

“I made my choice.” He said. “I chose you. Not Zlara. You.”

“Don’t you dare say that to me just because I’m angry.” She turned around slowly, her golden eyes narrowed, searching his face for the lie she was certain she’d find. “You told me in that changing room, to my face, while your cock was inside me, that Zlara was the one. That she was your ‘after it all’ girl. That you were going to settle down with her. You said those exact words, Kayden. And now I’m supposed to believe you changed your mind?”

“I was wrong.” He said. “I was wrong about a lot of things. I thought what I felt for Zlara was the kind of love you build a life on. She’s safe, she’s steady, she’s patient. She would have waited for me forever and never complained. And for a while, I convinced myself that’s what I needed. Someone easy. Someone who wouldn’t challenge me.” He held her gaze. “But that’s not what I need. That’s what a coward would choose, and I’m done being a coward.”

“So what, I’m the difficult option? Gee, thanks.” Rina scoffed, but her voice wavered.

“You’re the right option.” He said. “You’re the one who calls me on my shit. The one who doesn’t let me hide behind charm or excuses. The one who makes me actually want to be better, not because you ask me to, but because you deserve someone who is.” He took a step toward her. “Zlara would have loved me no matter what. She would have accepted every flaw, every mistake, every selfish decision I made. And that sounds nice in theory, but it would have made me complacent. It would have made me lazy. You don’t let me be lazy, Rina. You never have.”