Brightly Burning(67)

“What happens now? Same as before, but with more kissing?”

Hugo took a break from exploring the expanse of my neck to look quizzically up at me. “Is that what you want?”

“To be a secret? Not really, no.”

“Good. I wasn’t planning on keeping you a secret anyhow.”

“Oh, really? What kind of plans did you have in mind?” I teased.

“I’ll show you.” Nudging me off his lap and standing, he slid his fingers through mine, then tugged. “Come with me.”

I tripped along behind him, following without protest, if a bit confused. Our destination was the bridge, where he deposited me before the bank of windows and screens with a breathless flourish.

“I want you to have this.”

“I don’t understand.”

Hugo grabbed my hands in his. They were sweaty. He bit his lip, a rare nervous expression passing over his features. “Well, technically I want to share it. My ship. Captaining it. As my wife.”

I stumbled back, hitting the edge of the captain’s chair. “As your what?”

“My wife. I was hoping you’d marry me.”

I gave it a second, letting the concept roll around my brain. No, it still sounded wrong.

“You look surprised. I figured it would be obvious.”

It most definitely was not. “Why?”

“Well, I was going to marry Bianca.”

“She had a ship; it was an arrangement,” I protested. “I have nothing to offer, none of the traditional barters for inter-ship marriages.”

“You don’t have to offer me anything. A marriage to Bianca would have been a trade deal, one I’d long thought I had no control over. But now I see I have other choices. Better choices. I don’t want to marry you because it’s a good business arrangement. You’re my equal, Stella. All you have to bring is yourself. I love you.”

“Say that again,” I practically whispered.

“I love you,” he obliged, but I shook my head.

“No, the other thing,” I insisted.

“What?” Hugo replied with genuine confusion.

“That I’m your equal.” It was like music, the crescendo to a symphony. It was something I’d felt, many times before, but to hear it from him?

“You’re my equal,” Hugo repeated.

Magic.

“Then I will marry you,” I said.

This time, when we kissed, I let him try the tongue thing again. And it wasn’t half bad.


Breakfast was crowded, every seat at the table occupied for once—?me, Xiao, Poole, Orion, Jessa, Hanada, Albert, and the surprise additions of Sergei and Hugo. Hugo was at the head of the table, while I sat to his immediate left; not my usual spot, but he’d insisted I sit close so he could hold my hand under the table. We blinked around the table at one another, Xiao darting eyes to Hugo, then to me, back to Hugo; Hugo staring intently at Hanada; and everyone unfamiliar with my favorite shuttle captain throwing confused glances his way.

“Sergei, are you extending your stay?” I finally asked.

“Da, I need some rest, and Iris was kind enough to find me a bed.”

I caught Xiao blushing, which made my own cheeks heat. Seemed more than one of us had found romance on board. Hugo saw that as his in.

“Well, I have good news.” He paused for effect. My heart thumped so violently in my chest, it threatened to burst out and flop onto the table. “Stella and I are getting married.”

Hanada barked a laugh, while Poole sputtered her coffee and Jessa broke into a whoop.

“No more Bianca! Yes!”

Orion, Albert, and Sergei offered hearty congratulations. Xiao just stared, mouth set in a firm line.

“Do you really think that’s wise, sir?” She addressed Hugo, avoiding my gaze. My stomach twisted. Hanada piled on.

“Seriously. I mean, you’ve known each other, what, three months?”

“Four,” Hugo corrected tightly.

Had it been? My sense of time was warped. It felt like a year, but Hanada’s estimation felt closer to accurate. Three months wasn’t a very long time. Or four.

“You’re only nineteen, and she’s not even eighteen,” Xiao kept on.

“My birthday is next month,” I offered uselessly.

Hugo squared his shoulders and set his mouth in a hard line. “Age is no matter. I’ve been captain since I was fourteen. I can make my own decisions.”

“You know my objection. My concern.” Xiao’s reply was clipped.

I shoved a piece of bacon into my mouth, focusing on the crunch of it under my teeth, the bright, salty flavor as it washed over my tongue. Anything to keep from agonizing. Was it that I wasn’t good enough for him? That I couldn’t offer a ship for scrap like the Ingrams could? Worst of all, Hugo didn’t say anything else. Didn’t defend me, or himself. He simply got up and left the table. Left me. I stared at my plate to avoid the gazes of everyone remaining. The rush of air at my back and the sound of the door opening once, twice more after Hugo’s departure made it clear there’d been an exodus.

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. It squeezed, the pressure reassuring. “I’m happy for you.” It was Orion, who leaned close and kept his voice low. “Don’t listen to them. We should all be so lucky, to find someone to love on a ship this small. That’s fate right there.”