Warmth flowed in her chest. She smiled shyly up at him. He returned it, not embarrassed in the slightest, and straightened after a long beat. The distance pulled a nagging thought to the fore. He was still holding her hand. She held up their clasped hands.

“Won’t Tina mind this?” she asked.

Surprise lit his face. “Why would she?”

Romy stared at the dancers. “Someone told me you two were involved. I don’t want to cause a rift.” She desperately wanted to cause a rift. Her feelings were now involved well past the point of decency. She was a horrible person, she’d decided.

“We were involved. It’s over. It was never anything serious,” he explained.

Jealousy flared. So there was history there. She knew it. And despite his assurances, she didn’t believe Tina was as okay with the end of the relationship as he was. After listening to Nancy and her gang gossip, Romy was aware of the type of relationships that occurred in the settlement.

“And what about Thrym?” Atlas asked, drawing her back.

Romy stiffened as she realised what he’d said.

“What? You can ask about mine, but I can’t ask about yours?”

She fidgeted. “That’s because there hasn’t been anyone. And . . . Thrym. He’s just my friend. My best friend.”

“He wants more than that.”

“I know. It’s just a phase.”

Atlas hummed, and she didn’t know what to make of the sound.

“I don’t feel that way about him,” she added, turning towards the band.

Phobos was on the dance floor, jabbing his elbows in jerky motions.

“And what about Deimos?”

Romy crossed her arms. “No. And not Phobos either. They’re like my brothers, Atlas.” She stepped out of his embrace. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

The mysterious man reached out and uncrossed her arms. Romy let him. Damn his handsome face.

His eyes slid to the dance area and he raised an eyebrow in question.

She looked at the dance floor and felt the drumming beat of the music. Smiling in permission, she followed Atlas into the throng of Earth humans.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

A few swaying couples remained on the dance floor, but the majority of the settlement was drifting off to their bungalows, worn out from hours of eating and talking. Knot 27 sat at their table along with Nancy and Eddie, not making much conversation, just relaxing in that stupor between wake and sleep.

A loud honking noise disrupted the peace. Thrym groaned, blinking sleepily.

“He does this every festival,” Nancy grumbled.

Romy winced at another squeaking shrill in the air.

Houston had his mouth to a long wooden instrument. The band had actually trailed to a stop behind him, but the doctor didn’t seem to care. Romy giggled, watching as Atlas made his way to intercept the drunken doctor. Though the rest of them looked half asleep, Atlas remained alert and upright.