29. Carter

TWENTY-NINE

CARTER

Chapter 29

I sat across from Liara in a dimly lit corner of the Stardust Lounge, nursing a glass of Glimner whiskey. The ice clinked against the sides as I swirled the amber liquid, my eyes never leaving her face.

"So, Carter," she said, leaning forward with a familiar tilt of her head. "What brought you to this vacation planet?"

I nearly choked on my drink. It was the exact same way Arael used to lean in when she was curious about something.

"Oh, you know," I coughed, trying to regain my composure. "Just needed a bit of quiet."

Liara raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into a half-smile. "Right. Because Glimner is such a quiet place."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, you got me. Let's just say I'm here on... extended vacation."

"Mmm," she hummed, taking a sip of her drink. The way her fingers curled around the glass, delicate yet purposeful, sent a jolt through my system. It was so achingly familiar.

"What about you?" I asked, desperate to shift the focus. "What's your story?"

Liara's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, I'm just a simple girl trying to make her way in the universe."

I snorted. "Yeah, and I'm the Emperor of the Alliance."

She laughed, the sound light and melodic. It was different from Arael's laugh, but the way her eyes crinkled at the corners was identical.

"Okay, okay," she conceded, holding up her hands. "I'm actually here on a research project. Studying the local flora and fauna."

I leaned back, eyeing her skeptically. "A xenobiologist, huh? Funny, you don't strike me as the science type."

"And what type do I strike you as, Mr. Reed?" she asked, her voice dropping to a low, almost sultry tone.

I swallowed hard, memories of Arael flooding my mind. The way she used to look at me across the dinner table, the quiet strength in her eyes, the unwavering support...

"You strike me as... someone I've known for a very long time," I said softly, surprising myself with the honesty.

Liara's expression shifted, a flicker of something—recognition? confusion?—passing over her features. "That's... an odd thing to say to someone you've just met."

I shrugged, trying to play it off. "Maybe. Or maybe it's just the whiskey talking."

She laughed again, but this time it sounded forced. "Well, in that case, perhaps we should call it a night before you start professing your undying love."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. How many times had Arael teased me with those exact words?

I chuckled, trying to mask the ache in my chest. "Undying love? Now that's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

Liara's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Oh please, I've seen the way you've been looking at me all night. Like a lost puppy who's found his way home."

The words hit closer to home than she could possibly know. I leaned forward, unable to resist the pull of familiarity. "And how exactly have I been looking at you?"

She mirrored my posture, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Like you've seen a ghost. Or maybe... like you've found something you thought was lost forever."

My breath caught in my throat. For a moment, I saw Arael superimposed over Liara's features, the same knowing smile playing on her lips.

"Maybe I have," I murmured, more to myself than to her.

Liara's brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion passing over her face. "You know, it's the strangest thing. I feel like I've known you forever, but we've only just met."

I nodded, my heart racing. "I know exactly what you mean."

She laughed, but it was tinged with nervousness. "God, what are we doing? This is crazy, right?"

"Completely bonkers," I agreed, grinning despite myself.

"And yet..." she trailed off, her eyes searching mine.

"And yet," I echoed, feeling the weight of unspoken words between us.

Liara shook her head, as if trying to clear it. "I'm sorry, I don't usually... This isn't like me at all."

"What isn't?" I asked, leaning in closer.

"This... connection. It's like..." she paused, struggling to find the words.

"Like coming home?" I supplied, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her eyes widened, a spark of recognition igniting in their depths. "Yes, exactly. How did you-"

"Beloved," I breathed, the word slipping out before I could stop it. Fuck, where did that come from?

Liara gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. In that instant, I saw it all - the recognition, the shock, the flood of memories washing over her. Her eyes filled with tears as she whispered, "Gro?"

My heart hammered in my chest, a mix of elation and panic coursing through my veins. Fuck, I hadn't meant to say that. How could she know? And yet, there was no mistaking the look in her eyes. She knew me - not as Carter, but as someone else entirely.

"How..." I started, my voice cracking. I cleared my throat and tried again. "How do you know that name?"

Liara's hand trembled as she reached out, her fingertips barely grazing my cheek. The touch sent a jolt through me, awakening memories I didn't even know I had. "It's really you, isn't it?" she breathed, her voice a mixture of wonder and disbelief.

The world around us seemed to fade away as we stared at each other, centuries of shared memories crashing over us like a goddamn tidal wave. My heart pounded in my chest, threatening to burst out. I reached out, my hand trembling like a leaf in a storm as I cupped her cheek.

"Arael," I choked out, my vision blurring with unshed tears. "It's really you." My mind reeled, trying to make sense of the impossible. How could she be here? How could I remember a life I'd never lived? My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat echoing in my ears. I felt dizzy, overwhelmed by the flood of memories - our first meeting, our bonding ceremony, the birth of our children. But none of it had actually happened to me. Had it? I reached out, my fingers trembling as they hovered inches from her face, afraid that if I touched her, she'd disappear like a mirage. "I don't understand," I whispered, my voice cracking. "How the fuck is this possible?"

Liara's eyes shimmered with tears as she clasped my hands in hers. "Gro, my beloved," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "I will never leave you again. We're together at last."

My heart thundered in my chest, a mixture of elation and confusion swirling through me. "Arael," I breathed, the name feeling both foreign and achingly familiar on my tongue. "How is this possible? I don't... I don't understand."

She smiled, a radiant expression that lit up her entire face. "Billions of years, Gro. We've waited billions of years for this moment. Our souls, intertwined across the cosmos, finally reunited."

I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all. "But I'm Carter. I'm human. How can I be Gro?"

Liara - no, Arael - reached up to cup my face, her touch sending sparks through my skin. "You are Carter, yes. But you're also Gro. Our essences, our very beings, have been searching for each other across lifetimes."

"Fuck," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "This is... a lot to process."

She laughed, the sound as melodious as I remembered from my time as... Gro? "I know, my love. Trust me, I know. But we're here now, together. That's all that matters."

I looked into her eyes, searching for any hint of deception or madness. But all I saw was love - pure, unadulterated love that seemed to span eons. "So what now?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Arael's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Now? Now we make up for lost time."

She took my hand in hers and gently kissed me on the cheek.

"You're home, Gro," she said. "We are reunited at last."

I chuckled at her jest as we walked toward the casino exit and to our lives that we were about to live again.

If the Precursors were watching, I had a mental message for them.

You bunch of god damn showoffs.