Page 88 of I Think I’m in Love with an Alien

Seeker: Truth often remains unspoken until the right frequency tunes into it. I am grateful to have intercepted your signal. You’re special. Unique. Necessary.

Jeneticist: I can’t express how much this means to me. Really. You’re one of a kind too.

Seeker: We’re both singular. Let’s be extraordinary together. ❤️

31

Jennette

I’m tempted to make a joke to lighten the tension, but that’s the wrong move.

This isn’t my moment. Jaz started this, but Ravik and Seeker should weigh in too. I glance at him, but he’s quiet for now. Poppy studies Ravik closely, eyes glittering in the firelight. If I know her a fraction as well as I think I do, it’s sheer giddy excitement.

“We’re not abducting you,” Ravik says to Tad. “If that’s what you’re worried about. None of us even have ships.”

Poppy’s eyes widen. “Wait, really?”

I know that Seeker is stranded. I had no clue about Jaz and Ravik’s situations, however. It occurs to me that if there are three aliens quietly living on Earth, there are probably more, ones who weren’t tempted by the irony of joining a site called Aliens Among Us.

Jaz stares at the fire, voice quiet and resigned. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but it’s exhausting. Hiding all the time. I’m tired of keeping secrets, always looking over my shoulder. I want to trust the three of you—out of the billions of humans on this planet—and share who I am with people who matter to me.”

That open admission seems to shake Tad out of his suspicion. His posture softens and he appears to fight the urge to give her a reassuring pat. “Well, now I feel like an asshole. I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know how I’m supposed to react. I still kinda feel like you’re pranking us.”

Poppy sighs. “They wouldn’t do that. And I’ll be honest, I’ve been thinking that your cosplay is too advanced, but I told myself you’re probably all rich so you can afford sophisticated stuff that isn’t in my budget.”

“This is simply how we look,” Seeker replies.

Tad is frowning. “But you looked human before.”

Ravik explains about tech camo, though each of them has a different iteration. I’m a little confused as to how the devices work, however. “It seems like you looked human to each other, too. Because otherwise you would have known from the beginning, right?”

Jaz glances at Ravik, then says, “We did know about Seeker. Our devices are more adaptive.”

“I thought I had improved on the older versions, but instead I made something worse.” He seems quite unhappy with himself over this.

I recall what he said about disappointing his family and change the subject, not wanting to linger on what he likely perceives as a personal failing. “Now that everything is out in the open, I need to share something too.”

“Please tell me you’re not an alien,” Tad begs.

I laugh. “Nope. Fully human. But something happened today at the con. This guy started pestering Seeker. Someone who thought his ‘costume’ was incredible. He was obsessed, asking all these questions, and he even tried to follow us.”

“Because it was too realistic?” Poppy guesses.

“Exactly.” I squeeze Seeker’s hand, wondering how many close calls we’ve skirted without even knowing it. “He couldn’t believe something so…authentic wasn’t created by some huge Hollywood studio.”

“That could be a problem,” Jaz says.

“Yeah. That’s why I mentioned it. You might want to use tech camo for the rest of the con. I hope if the guy sees Seeker with me again, but he looks human, it’ll make the dude rethink his perceptions.” Thank goodness I can stop pretending that I don’t know.

“Thank you for the warning,” Ravik says. “I’ll be wary.”

Tad rubs his temples. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around this. You’re serious? All three of you.”

Jaz shifts toward him, but he moves back. That must sting because I had the impression Tad was nursing a bit of a crush on Jaz. She stills, returning to her original pose, but that absolute dearth of body language speaks somehow of deep hurt.

“Yes,” she answers. “I didn’t come to this decision lightly. I believed we could trust you. All of you.”

“You can,” I assure her.