Chapter Sixteen
December 23, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Apartment of Erik Blackwell
Erik exited the shower, the steam from his long time inside dense in the room, just as he liked it. He grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his waist.
He’d not seen much of Jia that day. She’d decided to get some time with her friends before Alina sent them off on an errand that would end with an explosion.
For his part, Erik took the time to trim his penjing plants. He’d grown increasingly uneasy when he wasn’t around Jia, but between her friends and her pilot training, she had more to do when they weren’t on a mission.
There were a lot of potential explanations for his feelings, but he didn’t want to face any of them.
No matter what he felt for the woman, it didn’t matter until the
