Stars Dancing [Dreams-To-Lovers Romance]

SLYDAR

The tests didn't go well. Stage III. Cancer in his lymph nodes. Surgery wouldn't just be taking his foot, it would be the lower leg and the lymph nodes too. Chemical therapy for months afterwards.

Muller didn't want to do any of it. He was ready to be done, but Slick wasn't letting him give up. Things were tense in the hotel room as me and my siblings tried to convince dad to schedule the surgery.

"I know it's excruciating pain to go through, Daddy, but Lottie is only two. Don't you wanna see your granddaughter grow up?"

My sister, Beace, thought guilt would work. Maybe it would.

Muller rolled his eyes.

Nope, too smart. Guilt not working. Dad just sat there letting everyone get it out of their systems.

"Do you want to go home to Dliptonia, Muller? How do you want this to go?" Rory asked.

My stomach fell on the floor. What was she talking about?

Muller's eyes softened, and I felt his emotions rise. Relief.

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My heart cracked. What. The. Fuck.

I left the room, mental shield like stone, and didn't stop there. Dammit, why didn't I have a skateboard? I fled on two feet, running down the street and kept going.

What was Rory doing? Shipping my dad home to die after we'd just gotten here two days ago? Didn't she know how hard it had been to get my family to Five Spheres? We needed to stay. We needed to be on the planet of special people, not back home, off grid, living like mice cowering in a burrow.

I felt pounding at my mind. I only hardened my shield. I ran for an hour, no idea where I was, then collapsed into a quiet diner as the sky darkened. I got a coffee and a piece of cinnamon pie.

"Refill?"

I nodded to the boy serving, well, he was probably my age, but he was a skinny pale kid with a pocked face. I tried to smile at him.

"Bad day?"

"The worst."

"Girlfriend? Boyfriend?"

"She's not the problem. It's me."

He sat down in the booth 'cuz there was no one else in the diner, laughing. "Well, if you've figured that out, what're you doin' here?"

I smiled into my coffee. "Hidin' like the damn fool I am."

"She put up with that?"

I sat the coffee down and ran my hands over my dreads, but I nodded. "Name's Slydar."

"Brick."

"Hah! Really? Or is that a handle?"

"Really."

"You skate, Brick?"

"Skate?"

"You got hoverboards on Uno?"

Nodding.

"Got any that have wheels on the bottom?"

Shrugging.

"What do you do for a good time?"

Eyebrow quirk.

I let my mental shield soften a bit. His mind was there, but more closed than the average person.

"You know any special people, Brick?"

Both eyebrows raised, mouth quirked.

Laughter from me.

"You're quite a flirt for a skinny kid. I take it you got a man? That's who you do for fun?"

Smug look.

Hells, he was practically Dliptonian.

"Where you from, Brick?"

"Nineton born and raised."

"You ever get a chance to go to Maglen Galaxy, stop over in Dliptonia. You'd fit in. Thanks. I got a woman to apologize to."

"Grovel. You probly deserve it."

Laughter as I ran into the dark, cold night.