Thane and I barely spoke as we crossed the barren, dusty planes of Terminus again and arrived back at the Terminal. As I stepped into the port, I said, "I'm going to need a really good excuse for why I was out this long."
He looked me in the eye and moved into the port with me. "School project," he said. "It's not unlikely."
"Are you a practiced liar?" I asked, eyeing him.
"I escaped a prison." He pushed the button to start the port moving and took a step back, rolling his eyes. "What do you think?"
As the port began its ascent, I thought about the trip down, when I had been afraid to stand too close, afraid to let go. Now I stood a slightly greater distance away, one hand on the glass, no hands on Thane.
He seemed to notice, because he glanced at me and remarked, "Not hanging on for
