15. Iris

FIFTEEN

Iwoke to the rumble of vehicles on the road. So many. Was the army moving into this area of town?

The army...

Opening my eyes, I jerked upright on the sofa. I pawed at the cushions where Lordek would be, finding him gone.

"Lordek," I whimpered.

I already knew where he was. He'd left me while I was asleep. He planned to draw them away from me. If he could get his ship's engines going, he'd blaze over them. They'd follow before he shot toward the stars. He'd leave, and they'd never find him.

They'd question me. No doubt about it. But I could pretend I didn't know he was here. He must've been hiding in my barn, officer. Truly. A green-skinned alien? Didn't see him.

No, but I'd loved him. I couldn't tell them that.

I choked back a sob and rose from the sofa. After grabbing my pants, I tugged them on, yanking a t-shirt over my head.

I'd started toward the back door, determined to stuff my feet into my boots and race after him when I turned to face the room.

Yes, that was right.

I raced to my bedroom closet and pulled out a bag, stuffing a few outfits into it, plus the pictures of my parents and grandparents I'd displayed on the bureau. What else?

In the kitchen, I grabbed two boxes of protein bars. The only bag of coffee I had. Should I take water? His ship must have it, though I wasn't sure how. We'd share. Please let there be enough to share.

My three favorite books.

What else?!

Katie, of course. Was there anything like kitty litter in space? I'd grab what I had, plus an empty bin, and we'd figure what we'd do with the dirty later. I stuffed cans of wet food and a bag of dry into my bag, hoping the device on his ship could create something she could eat when this was gone.

She stared at me, blinking quickly, while I opened her crate, and for the first time, she didn't protest when I eased her inside.

I couldn't think of anything else. Actually, I could barely think. Fear had taken over my lungs, making it impossible to breathe.

Who cared about material possessions when the guy I loved was leaving?

Before I stepped outside, I glanced around one last time. Oh, yes...

After lowering Katie's crate to the floor, I ran to the kitchen table, grabbed a pen and paper, and wrote a will. Would such a thing be taken seriously if I wasn't dead but had left the planet forever? I hoped so.

I bequeath all my worldly possessions to Tessa Mayfair. I've left Earth with the alien in his ship and I won't be coming back.

You work hard, Tessa, and I hope you'll enjoy living in the farmhouse. Sell it and buy something else if you don't want it. Sell the bookstore while you're at it, because that's yours too. I'll create a new one or something like it when I reach my new home. None of this can replace your beloved Robert, but whoever said money doesn't make life better was born wealthy.

Love you. Thanks for being my friend. I'm going to miss you!

Iris.

With one last look around, I whispered. "By Grannie. Grampie. Thank you for all you did for me. You gave me a new chance at life when times were tough, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that. I'm taking you with me in my heart."

Katie meowed as I grabbed her crate and my bag. I raced out the side door and ran to the barn.

The government vehicles were loud on the road; they must be near. Hopefully, the huge maple trees lining the driveway would block the house and barn from the road long enough for us to escape. They couldn't know to come to my house first. They'd ride by slowly, looking everywhere before stopping and investigating each house.

I ripped open the barn door and stepped inside the cool darkness.

"Lordek?"

When I flicked the light switch, I found the barn empty.