To Serix, Cassie’s voice rang with as much uncertainty as his own. But maybe that was his fault. Her discomfort was probably caused by his reaction to the kiss. He hoped he hadn’t offended her in any way. They were finally getting along so well. He didn’t want to ruin that by putting more distance between them again. If anything, he wanted to close the gap completely. But what exactly did that mean for their relationship?

Serix felt his heartrate pick up. If he was honest with himself, it almost seemed like he wanted her to be his _mate_. He hadn’t really thought about it before, but leaving the rest of his people meant he was also leaving their customs… prearranged relationships included. He could make his own decisions about who he wanted as a mate. The newfound freedom made him ecstatic, but it also left a weight in the pit of his stomach. Even if he chose Cassie, would she do the same for him? The freedom of choice went both ways, after all. She had every right to refuse him.

…But what about her kiss? It definitely seemed like she cared for him in the same way that he did for her. Or maybe he was just seeing it how he wanted. Maybe she really was just showing her gratitude and he was overthinking the whole thing… but there was always a chance it was something more. He wished he had a way to confirm her feelings.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the lights came back on and the door slid open. Cassie wasted no time in getting out of the small room. She leaned heavily against the wall and turned to look at him with a smile weak with relief, **“We did it. We’re out.”**

“_‘We’_ did it?” Serix echoed incredulously as he stepped out of the room. “I didn’t do anything. You were the one who fixed the wires.” He shrugged, busying himself by looking through some more old boxes in the larger room. “If you ask me, I think I was pretty useless— oh?” Among all of the junk in the containers, he found a strange looking machine. He pulled it out and set it on the floor, looking curiously back at Cassie. “What’s this?”