Marika hadn’t meant to fall asleep after Altav had left. She’d meant to doze and then speak to him when he got back in from his shift on the bridge, but when she woke, startled by a sound outside in the corridor, she realized he’d been and gone. The smell of coffee filled the air. Blinking blearily over the guard rail of the upper bunk, she saw a mug steaming on the desk with a plate of cake next to it.
Her stomach grumbled loudly, reminding her she hadn’t eaten properly for the last couple of days, and she clambered out of the bunk. Using the bathroom quickly, she picked up the coffee and breathed in the steam rising from the top of the mug with a small moan. Altav sure knew the way to a girl’s heart. Coffee and… she looked at the plate… chocolate cake in the morning. He might just have
