Breaking Sky(84)

“No, I’m not all right,” Chase admitted, feeling oddly relieved by the truth. “But I’m still here. Although I’m a little worried Sylph has decided to become my bosom buddy.” Chase hadn’t expected herself to joke, and it brought a goofy grin to Riot’s face.

She said good-bye to him and shut the door, a little bit stunned.

“I know my RIO.” Sylph put her feet on the bunk above and stretched her calves. “He doesn’t really love you. He just gets crazy jealous of you and Arrow.”

“Whatever you say, Sylph. I don’t make a whole lot of sense out of love to begin with. You’re the expert, with your airman boyfriend.”

Sylph smiled a rare, secretive look. “You are the only one who knows about Liam. It actually makes me like you a little. I keep thinking that—” Another loud knock cut Sylph off. “Who is it now?”

Chase opened the door. It was Tanner. His eyes were centered on her as though he was getting ready to fire, but he pulled her into a hug first. Then he held her shoulders in both hands.

“Tell me it’s not true. Tell me you don’t know General Tourn.”

“I don’t know him.” The truth came easily. “Not really. But he is my father. He made me take a DNA test twice just to be sure.”

Chase’s overshare caused Tanner to pause and stare her down even harder.

Sylph sat up in bed, making the springs creak. “Shove off, Arctic. We need sleep. I have a hop in a few hours.”

Chase stepped into the quiet, red-lit hall and shut the door. “Apparently I’m bunking with Staff Sergeant Sylph.”

Tanner scowled. “How’d that happen?”

“Luck of the Irish.”

He almost smiled, and she almost felt like herself.

“Riot told me about your father,” Tanner said.

For the second time, Chase felt herself trying to be cold and dismissive. But it didn’t work. In fact, it was so much more work than just being true.

“It’s as terrible as it seems,” she owned up. “He doesn’t want anything to do with me, and that’s harder to swallow than it should be.”

She watched Tanner weigh his next words.

“My grandfather was Filipino, Chase.”

“I know.” The minute he had told her that, she’d run so far that she was pretty sure something inside was still trekking. “I can’t apologize for him. I’m not responsible for what he did. He isn’t even responsible to be honest.”

Tanner shook his head. “I would never have dropped that bomb. I would have said no, lost my commission, and been discharged.”

Chase looked away. “I could have guessed that much about you.”

“I’m telling you because you need to know what I think about him. And you need to know the truth about your dad doesn’t change what I think about you.”

“Oh, right. I’m a love vampire.” Her hurt came with more energy than she thought she had left.

Tanner did that overly serious squint that made him look solemnly cute. “I wasn’t mad you broke up with me, Chase. I was mad because I could tell you liked me—even while you were trying to get away from me. It made no sense, and I like things to make sense.” He leveled his shoulders. “You were afraid of getting involved. Once I sorted that out, I wasn’t so angry. I hoped you’d work it out. Preferably with someone other than Riot.”

She surprised herself by feeling relieved. “You and me both.”

When Tanner left, Chase returned to her room feeling stranger than ever. Both Tanner and Riot had seemed genuinely concerned for her. Why? She’d been terrible to them.

“Any more former suitors to worry about?” Sylph asked. “We could put up a sign.”

“There were others, but most of them have graduated,” Chase admitted. “There were a lot of them at one point.”


“The Star’s dirty little sexpot pilot,” Sylph mocked. “I always wondered where you found the energy.”

“Hey. I don’t sleep with them. And I’m not the one who was dry humping a staff sergeant in the hangar.”

“Not dry humping, Chase. We go all the way.”

“Ew. Too much intel, Sylph.”

“You really don’t sleep with those boys who drool after you? Why not?”

Chase climbed onto the top bunk. “Because I don’t love them, and they don’t know me.” It was simple. It was true.

“Virgin.” Sylph chuckled, and it was as unusual as her smile. “That makes all my prior comments about you being STD-riddled rather hilarious.”

“Oh, yes. Look at me. I can’t stop laughing.”

“What about Arrow? You’d sleep with him. I’ve seen the way you two hug on each other. It’s all hips and arms.”

“He knows me,” Chase admitted. “And somehow he still likes me. It’s weird.”

Sylph kicked the bottom of the bunk, making Chase bounce. “He’s a bit of a mess right now. He wants to comfort you. You should let him.”

“I don’t want… How do you know that?”

“Because he told me. Not everyone is a secret wrapped in a lockbox, Nyx. Some of us vent to each other. I’m going to tell him to head over here after he lands. Let him in the room, all right? And now sleep, Nyx, or I will put you to sleep.”