Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Nate’s gaze slides to me, and his mouth curves with a secret smile.
“You’re staring.”
Caught red-handed.
“Yes, out past your window.” I say this like Duh, don’t flatter yourself. “I didn’t realize how beautiful it is here.”
The lie is so smooth he doesn’t call me on it, but who cares about dumb views when I have Nate to stare at?
God. Thoughts like that are going to get me in trouble. I can’t get carried away with this silly crush I have on him. I have to think ahead a week, a month, a year.
Nate glances out the window and nods. “Yeah, this drive is one of my favorites in all of England. The farms and pastures, all the wild vines and trees…”
I smile. “You love it, don’t you? You’d go full primitive if you could. Caveman loincloth and everything.”
He has a hard time stifling his grin. “I do like running water and electricity, but I don’t miss the other stuff, endlessly scrolling on my phone… I guess I just enjoy the quiet.”
Shockingly, I get it. “I thought I’d have a harder time adjusting. I’ve been known to binge a show or two. Andrew and I—” I halt suddenly, like I’ve said something wrong. I didn’t though. I can talk about my life back in the States, and Andrew is a huge part of it.
“Andrew and you?” Nate prompts.
“We like watching reruns of Friends.”
He nods but doesn’t mention anything more. Maybe he’s not a big Friends guy. Maybe he prefers Seinfeld.
If there was a nice atmosphere in the car before now, I just killed it by bringing up Andrew. This is getting complicated. Nate and I should have just talked about all the awkward sexual things the day after our hookup, but now too much time has passed, and if I bring it up, it’ll seem like I’ve been thinking about it nonstop—which of course, I have. There’s barely a five-minute stretch where I don’t recall Nate’s face literally pressed between my legs!
I reach forward and lower the heat. Suddenly, it’s too hot in this car.
“Once we get to Kendal, would you mind dropping me off at a coffee shop while you run errands? I need to send a few emails and stuff.”
“And stuff” mostly involves calling Andrew. We haven’t talked since Tuesday, and I do worry this distance isn’t good for us. Maybe I would be thinking about Nate’s mouth and where I would like to feel it slightly less if I had more reliable communication with Andrew. I do think “out of sight, out of mind” is starting to be a problem, though I refuse to admit that to Nate.
“Sure, yeah. There’s a great place I love. When I first moved to England, I’d try to work there every now and then.”
“No luck?” He looks at me deadpan, and I can’t help but smile. “Come on, it’s not so doom and gloom now, right? We’re plotting! We’re getting somewhere! I might actually convince you to leave Amelia and Marcus alone…”
His hands tighten on the wheel. “Not going to happen. I thought of another scene for her and Julian this morning, a pivotal moment in the book, actually.”
“Really?” I perk up, turning toward him with eagerness. “Something you haven’t told me?”
He glances at me with a gleam in his eyes. “It came to me this morning while I was out walking.”
I scrunch my brow. “You were out walking this morning? It was freezing!” I distinctly remember waking up, feeling the chilly air in my room, and burrowing deeper under my blankets for another half hour of stolen sleep.
“I don’t mind the cold. I had on proper gear.”
I blink and refocus my attention away from his good looks. “So, inspiration struck during your walk? What’d you do, etch your idea into some tree bark?”
He laughs. “I made it back to the cottage in time to write it down. Their fight, I mean.”
“Julian and Amelia?”
“Yes. While the crew is working on Kepler-452b, trying to make it habitable—”
“After they’ve explored the planet and found a few relics from the past civilizations?” I add, to confirm I understand where he’s headed.
“Yes. The crew will detect signals from a nearby star system.”
“Another advanced civilization?”
“They don’t know. It could be a whole host of things. Their telescope array will pick up radio signal activity, meaning the lifeform sending the signal would have to be advanced.”
“What do they do?”
“The crew will be divided, Amelia versus Julian with each of them leading the charge, for or against trying to establish contact.”
“Amelia will want to remain hidden, right? To avoid potential threats.”
He nods. “Yes. She will want to mitigate risk for her crew and avoid interference with their mission.”
“And Julian—adventurous, bold, grab-life-by-the-horns Julian—will want to contact them immediately,” I wager.
“That’s the plan.”
“I like it. More conflict to drive the plot. Will Marcus go head to head with Julian as well or let Amelia fight her own battle?”