I felt like a misplaced puzzle piece among these people, my edges not quite fitting with theirs.

Cursing myself silently, I questioned if leaving had been a stupid idea. Yes, I harbored certain feelings for Alec. And yes, I'd known his true nature for some time.

But traveling with his wife, who clearly hated me? And a group of aliens? What the fuck had happened to my life? Just when I thought shit couldn't get any stranger.

Nolan's familiar presence beside me offered a lifeline to sanity. He nudged me gently, his eyes searching my face. "Second thoughts, babe?"

I exhaled heavily, my breath carrying the weight of my doubts. "Kind of."

"Don't stress too much, lovebug. We're doing the right thing. And for the right reasons."

The words caught in my throat. "We don't exactly fit in here..."

Nolan's gaze softened. "Seems like you can fit in just about anywhere if you give it a shot," he said, gesturing towards Martin. The man was at the front of the group, laughing and swapping stories about Alec with Kendall, as if this were just another casual outing.

"I'm not Martin, unfortunately," I muttered. "They all seem to like Martin. It's a little harder when the guy we're trying to save's wife is not really all that keen on my company."

Nolan rolled his eyes, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You fucked him ONE time. I think leaving our cozy little town to travel two hundred miles to save him and the rest of humanity might change her mind."

His grin was infectious, and I felt a smile tugging at my lips despite myself. God, I really did love the doofus.

He took a swig from his water bottle before nudging me again. "Maybe go spend some time with her. Can't hurt. Did seem like you had a few good moments when they first arrived, remember?"

I sighed, knowing he was right. "Gah." I shoved him playfully. "How are you always so dumb, but still so smart?"

"I ain't book smart," he drawled, his eyes twinkling, "but I got them street smarts, sweetheart."

I laughed and pushed him again, then quickened my steps to catch up to Lilly. My heart raced, anxiety clawing at my chest as I approached her.

As I settled in alongside her, matching her pace, she glanced at me, annoyance etched into her features. "Can I help you?"

"Just... Just checking in to see how you're doing," I faltered, my voice betraying my nervousness.

She sniffed, then set her sights ahead towards the hill once more. "I'm fine. What do you care?"

"I..." I fell silent, choosing to say nothing, simply walking beside her.

After a few minutes, she stopped, breathing hard, red faced, and turned to me. Her eyes blazed with barely contained fury. "Did you fuck him?"

"What?" I replied, startled. The abrupt question hit me like a slap to the face.

"Did you fuck my husband?"

"I... I..." My words fumbled, tripping over each other.

"You know, what, don't answer. Why did you come with us?"

I closed my eyes and groaned inwardly. Those were the same question. I pursed my lips, thinking.

"Because I care about him. And because I knew what he was, and I have for a pretty long time now."

Her eyebrows shot up, surprise momentarily replacing her anger.

"How is that possible? How could you have known what he was? Why didn't you report him?"

Jesus Fucking Christ, she just kept asking the same question, even though she wasn't aware of it. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on me.

I remained silent, staring straight ahead over her shoulder, eyes wide, my mind racing for the right words.

She huffed, her breath visible in the chilly mountain air. "Fine. Fuck you too." She spun on her heel, stomping away with her back ramrod straight, each step kicking up dust from the rocky trail.

This bitch.

"Do you want an honest answer?" I called after her, jogging to catch up. Sweat trickled down my spine despite the cool breeze. "I'm not a liar, but I'm not sure what you actually want to know."

Lilly whirled to face me, her eyes blazing. "Yes, yes, I want an honest fucking answer. How could you possibly know what he was?"

Her shout echoed off the nearby cliffs. Heads turned in our direction, conversations dying as our fellow travelers slowed to gawk.

"Tell me!" She lunged forward, invading my personal space.

"Because I fucked him!" I yelled back, throwing my hands up defensively. The words hung in the air between us, sharp and ugly.

Lilly's face contorted, a kaleidoscope of emotions flashing across her features. Shock. Rage. Heartbreak. My admission hit her like a physical blow. She stumbled backward, collapsing to her knees in the dirt.

Regret washed over me. I hadn't wanted to hurt her, but she'd pushed me into a corner. I crouched beside her, hesitantly resting a hand on her trembling back. To my surprise, she didn't shove me away. She just covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.

"I'm really sorry," I said softly. "I... That was a bad delivery..."

"I don't understand how that keyed you into what he was," she said between sniffles. "I don't understand."

I groaned again, this time outwardly, the sound rumbling in my chest. "Do you really want details?"

Lilly stiffened, rising to her feet. She glared at me, eyes red-rimmed and puffy. "Doesn't really matter at this point, would rather have facts than my imagination."

I sighed and leaned back on my heels, looking at the sky. "It was one time. One time. I promise you. Not long after he arrived."

She folded her arms tightly across her chest, fresh tears welling up.

"And when he... You know... His eyes flashed. In the dark. And his skin... There were these lights..."

She held up a hand, palm out. "Fine. Got it. Understood. No more. I was wrong. No more details. Now get away from me."

I backed away slowly before turning and trudging back to where Nolan waited. The weight of Lilly's pain and the group's stares pressed down on me.

"Oof," Nolan said, wincing sympathetically.

"That's a word for it."

"BECAUSE I FUCKED HIM!" he mimicked my earlier shout. "Jeez, babe. For the whole world to hear, too. I know we're open, but I don't wanna look like a cuck, c'mon, now I gotta do damage control. Gonna have to like... Obnoxiously flirt in public so people know I've got side pieces, too."

I glared at him, mortification burning through me. "You heard that?"

"Baby, everyone heard that."

I buried my face in my hands, wishing the ground would swallow me whole. "Gah... Your fault."

"I said to try to talk to her, not get her all riled up."

I peeked through my fingers, watching Lilly's retreating form. The chasm between us seemed insurmountable now. How were we supposed to work together to save Alec when every interaction left us both raw and bleeding?

I sighed and ran my hands up over my face and through my hair. How far of a trip could two hundred miles really be?

I blanched. This was gonna fucking suck. I missed my bed already.