Love on the Red Planet (COMPLETED)

Chapter 8

He was beautiful and for a moment there was no one else on the planet. There was just me and Cade Chase.

"Excuse me, lovies..." An older woman was waiting for us to move.

"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry, Ma'am!" I was snapped back to reality.

"No. No. You two are obviously sweet on each other. I hate to get in the middle of young love." She smiled and walked up the row of books behind us.

"Hmm...are you sweet on me, Emily?"

"I'll show you where the Mars books are." His wicked smile told me he was definitely enjoying making me blush

We found ourselves in a small nook with a window seat bench that overlooked the promenade.

I handed him a few books and he flipped through them quickly.

"I understand what you mean..." He said looking at me.

I was browsing another book and his voice snapped me out of the trance I was in. I always got sucked into stories. The world could disappear around me. I had read every medical book there was in the library and thousands more from the data storage.

"What's that?"

"I think I'd rather hear it from you. I want you to tell me about Mars." He said sincerely.

"Really?"

"Yes, Emily."

"Ok, well, where do you want me to start?" I asked.

"You were born here?" He asked.

"Yes. I had a surrogate."

"You say that like it's so impersonal. She carried you in her body for nine months. You don't feel anything for her?" He asked in shock.

"I don't know who she is."

"So far, you're not convincing me that this planet isn't dead. Don't you ever want to leave the colony? There are other colonies. Can you go there?" He asked.

"Not easily. That type of travel is only used if necessary. Once an Earth-year the President might travel but not regular people like me." I smiled shyly.

"So, you can't just go over to France's colony or Germany? I think that would be fantastic!" He spoke with a newfound child-like excitement.

"In emergencies, some doctors may travel to the other colonies but that's about it, buddy."

"The people of France, Germany or of any country will have brought their customs and culture. It's beautiful how different people are." He said.

"I don't think even the President's son could score a trip to another colony but if you do, you better take me with you." He looked me in the eyes and put his good hand out.

"I promise." I shook his hand.

"That's if we're not already busted by George." I said sadly, remembering George's hand around my wrist.

"He would have had twenty men after us within seconds. Maybe it was something else." He suggested.

"Something that felt like a had around my wrist?"

"A tree branch or you bumped into something?" He asked.

"I don't know, Cade. I'm almost positive it was George. Why would he have let me go?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"We don't have much time left. Do you want to go anywhere else?"

"Let's get that glass of wine...but just one!"