Jessica Morrison's POV (Present Year: 2023)

Laura Thompson...

How could she just refuse the role of Command so easily? She's a very capable young woman!

I bet her male counterpart forced her to give it up.

Like they always do.

I sigh, lighting a cigarette as I pace around the dimly lit sidewalk that circles the Crew Quarters building.

Sure, it was wrong of me to sabotage her suit like that.

But, it's not like I figured things would've turned so serious so fast.

It was a simple wrist connector.

The divers should've caught the mistake.

In fact, it should've began leaking even before she descended.

"Not my issue," I mumble, watching the smoke from my mouth rise into the dark sky. "She didn't die. No harm done."

Do I feel guilty for my actions?

Yes.

No.

No.

No, I don't.

Thompson's time is running out.

The clock is winding down.

Launch day comes closer with every passing minute.

T-368 days left on the countdown clock.

There's no way she'll be prepared.

And I have to make sure she realizes just how unprepared she and everyone else actually is.

"Why am I like this?" I murmur once more, rounding the back of the building, surprise chorusing through me as I light yet another cigarette, tossing the other one aside.

It's a bright white Tesla Roadster.

There's only one person who's rich enough 'round here to have that type of vehicle.

Well, maybe two.

Though I don't think Mr. Administrator is anywhere around here this evening.

However, 'Commander' Elon Musk certainly is.

"Huh," I muse aloud, shrinking back into the shadows of the nearby foliage, admiring the vehicle in front of me from a distance.

It's a nice looking car, that's for sure.

"Now... Where's your owner?" I hum lowly, the sound of rapid, yet distant sounding, footsteps filling my ears.

Peering past the vehicle in front of me, I allow my gaze to scan what had been the bare sidewalk moments ago.

Now, there's a woman standing there.

Her strawberry blonde hair is down, freely blowing in the light breeze.

She wears a fairly fancy looking black jumpsuit, which is only held up by two thin looking straps over her shoulders, along with a pair of matching black flats.

Staring her down, I struggle to match a name to her face.

My mind is lagging.

It's almost like some sort of fog is filling it, blotting out any non-essential information.

"That can't be Thompson. It can't be... She looks too... Dressed up."

However, my mind is soon preoccupied once more as another, this time taller, figure emerges from the shadow of the building, startling me slightly.

"Surprise?" The taller one, a man by the sounds of it, speaks.

His tone carries an air of humor.

"I'm assuming this is why you wouldn't let me follow you earlier?" The woman replies, a teasing in her tone as they move closer to each other.

A sudden wave of realization falls over me as I shrink even deeper into the shadows, my mind finally sorting the pieces together.

The two people in front of me are Laura Thompson and Elon Musk.

'Commander' and 'Pilot.'

"Obviously something more than that, too." I hum, my gaze wandering back to the couple once more.

They're facing me now, hand in hand, as he guides her towards the passenger door.

Silently, I continue to watch, slipping my phone from my pocket and opening the camera app.

"This oughta be good."

Neither of them notice me as I snap a picture from afar.

Snickering, I enlarge the picture as the sound of the vehicle driving away reaches me.

Everything is perfectly illuminated.

There's no way anyone can mistake the duo in the picture.

"Musk isn't gonna go unnoticed if they're going anywhere real populated... There's gonna be a Twitter outrage."

And all I've gotta do is wait 'till the right time to post the picture.

So much for keeping things a secret, 'Commander.'

Your Starship plans and your relationship status.

Both going to be exposed to the world.

"And you ain't flyin' under the radar anymore, Thompson."

Taking one last look at the now empty parking spot, I ignore the pang of guilt that ripples through me.

No room for that.

The clock continues to tick away.

Elon Musk's POV (Present Year: 2023)

"Yes, hello?" I mutter aloud, shoving my grogginess aside as I practically shove myself out of bed, picking up and silencing the device that had awoken me.

"Elon, it's urgent." The voice on the other end of the call states plainly, a tone of distaste in his voice.

Confused, I lower the phone from my ear, glancing at the caller ID.

California number... Nothing else.

"Can I ask who's speaking?" I inquire, putting the device on speakerphone and setting it aside as I stare blankly at the four walls surrounding me.

"It's Hudson O'connor. The assistant you just up and left almost everything to?" The caller explains, his tone filling with an urgency. "But that's besides the point here. Look, I need you to check your Twitter feed. ASAP."

"What? Why?" I protest, my mind filling with even more uncertainty. "What's going on, Hudson?"

"I should be the one asking you that question," He mutters before continuing. "People are going nuts online. All over that photo someone managed to snag of you and your new girlfriend out for dinner last night."

Alarm blazes through me, though I push it aside for the time being.

I've got to sort through this first...

"I'll inform you that the woman I took to dinner last night has no romantic relationship with me," I start, a pang of guilt gnawing at me as the feeling of her lips on mine runs through me.

I shouldn't have to lie about everything in my life just to avoid speculation...

"She is a friend, a Co-worker and my Second in Command. I simply invited her to dinner so we could discuss various topics... From Starship progress to the upcoming Tesla software upgrade announcement. In a sense, it was a business meeting."

The man on the opposite end of the call just laughs.

"If you say so, but I don't think the Press will buy that excuse."

"It's not an excuse, it's the-"

"Just check your Twitter feed, Elon."

And with that, the line goes dead.

Slightly dumbfounded, I pick up the phone beside me, unlocking it and heading over to the Twitter app, as Hudson suggested.

"I swear these people get stealthier every time something like this happens," I mutter, watching the small screen in front of me as the app loads in, numerous notifications bombarding the interface.

"Damn it."

Silently muttering other various profanities beneath my breath, I open the top notification, a somehow incredibly crisp image loading in seconds later.

'Nice gal you got there, Musk!' The post reads, the words sounding familiar in a way.

"Isn't that what that guy behind us last night shouted?" I murmur, examining the picture attached to the post a bit closer.

It's been taken from a side angle.

A few tree branches frame the shot, both Laura and I practically stalking away from the bunch of rowdy people back at the restaurant, hand in hand, a shared expression of annoyance written across both of our features.

I can't help but chuckle.

"It's amazing how similar we both are."

In all honesty, Laura Thompson is just an all around amazing woman.

Everything from her knowledge about practically everything anyone could ever want to know, to her crazy determined work ethic, to her stunning looks...

The girl has it all.

"And I'm lucky enough to be her's."

Smiling slightly to myself, I leave the original post, scrolling back through the notifications, my gaze skimming the usernames and their comments.

'Ooh! Musk's got himself another girlfriend yet again?'

'I wonder what the story is here...'

'Guys, why is Elon in Houston, Texas? I think that's what we need to be narrowing in on, not his relationship status!'

My grin almost instantly vanishes as I continue on down the list.

'Yeah! JSC is in Houston...'

'That restaurant in the background of the original photo is in Downtown Houston...'

"Geez, they're quick to pinpoint location!" I exclaim, curiosity pricking my headspace. "Wait, original photo?"

Hastily, I continue to scroll, looking for another comment with an image attached to it.

My thoughts scramble to a halt as my thumb hovers over one notification in particular.

Username: JessMore

Comment: 'Look at these two... Somehow I managed to snag a photo... Oh, and Commander;'

I stop reading, focusing solely on the image below the post.

Again, it's an image of Lori and I, though this time, the location is clearly different.

"That was taken in the back parking lot last night!" I sigh aloud, confirming the fact as I enlarge the image, the bit of a yellow parking line as well as my Roadster's tire gracing the edge of the frame.

'You should probably fess up your deal with this girl, or your plans that are currently secret, ain't gonna be so secret anymore.'

A wave of fear washes over me.

How does this person even know about-

But my brain already scrambles to a conclusion as Laura's soft voice from our conversation after her NBL incident echoes through my thoughts.

"It's Jessica Morrison. Vivian's instructor..."

There's no way...

Shaking my head, I quickly tap on the poster's username, bringing up their profile.

And sure enough...

"That's got to be the same person. Posts about Geology and Space? Along with the username 'JessMore?' How much more obvious can you be?" I hum lowly as I go back to her post, my gaze scanning it over once more.

'Oh, and Commander; You should probably fess up your deal with this girl, or your plans that are currently secret, ain't gonna be so secret anymore.'

Yet another wave of panic choruses through me, though I shove it aside.

She's probably just one of those people who make threats on the daily, no need for the panic.

But my logical thoughts disagree.

If she was the one behind Laura's faulty suit seal... She could be one to act on her threats.

Sighing heavily once again, I begin to get ready for the day ahead, throwing on a fresh pair of clothes all while grabbing the papers I'll need to review the Tesla software upgrades that are supposed to be rolling out soon.

"I've got to at least make it look like that's what we did last night..." I mutter, shoving the papers into my laptop bag in a rather haphazardly fashion before running a now stressed hand through my hair.

Why, of all times, does all of this have to begin to unfold?

Laura Thompson's POV (Present Year: 2023)

Sleep is such a wonderful thing.

Especially when it's uninterrupted.

But, as with all good things, it's not like things ever go the way anyone wants them to.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Buzz...

I roll onto my side with a groan, my eyes squinting as they gradually open to the rather harsh light coming through the window of my room.

"It feels like it's still midnight or something," I mutter, silencing the device to which had awoken me.

But no, it's almost 10 AM, the latest I've slept in over a year.

With a sigh, I pull myself to a sitting position, wincing at a slight pang of pain in my lower back.

What the heck?

However, my confusion is soon cleared by last night's memories flooding back to meet me, giving me chills.

The ocean... The stars... The breeze... The feeling of our sides pressed together as we laid on the Pier, our gazes wandering the heavens...

Him...

The way he spoke so openly... So softly...

The feeling of his lips on mine, surrounded by the faint smell of his cologne...

A shiver runs through me as I smile, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, my feet touching the cold floor.

Everything about that man - Elon Musk - is just so... addictive, in a sense...

Suddenly wide awake, I jump out of bed, cuing up some music before heading towards the small bathroom.

Humming along with the song, Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top, my mind can't help but wander back to my boyfriend once more.

He looked so good last night, but imagine him in a full suit!

I feel my face heat up at the thought as I splash some cold water on my face, a part of my regular morning routine.

"'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man." I giggle, giddiness running through me as I look myself over in the mirror.

"You look absolutely beautiful, no matter what. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Elon's warm voice from last night echoes through my thoughts, causing a grin to tug at my lips.

"Maybe he's right after all," I murmur, my usual displeased gaze now full of admiration as my eyes wander myself over.

I do look pretty darn good, even in sweatpants and an over sized t-shirt.

Laughing to myself once more, I leave my reflection behind and begin to get ready for the day.

"I wonder what Flight Sims we're working on today... Everything's been such a mess lately..."

Tugging on my Flightsuit and beginning to lace up my boots, a sharp rap at the front door startles me.

Maybe it's Vivian checking to see why I slept in so late... But she should already be in Training for the day...

A grin finds it's way to my lips once again as realization falls over me.

I almost guarantee it's Elon.

"He did threaten to drag me out of bed, kicking and screaming," I chuckle as I near the door, tossing it open.

Indeed, the man on the opposite side of the door is my Flight Partner, however, instead of our usual blue jumpsuits, he wears much more casual clothes.

Jeans and a SpaceX t-shirt.

Incredibly casual.

"Well, someone's all ready for a work day that doesn't exist," He laughs, flashing his trademark smile.

"What do you mean- oh yeah... We're off today," I trail off, shaking my head with a light chuckle as I turn on my heel, heading back into my room, Elon hot on my heels as the door closes behind us with a soft click.

"I can't really say I take days off, but for you, this must be a nice reprieve," He nods, sitting down in my office chair as I gather another pair of clothes before heading once more to the bathroom.

"You need to get better at that!" I scold teasingly as I shed my Flightsuit and slip into my typical pair of cargo pants and random shirt I had picked up off the floor earlier.

"At what?" My boyfriend shouts back, confusion laced in his tone.

I roll my eyes at myself in the mirror, mentally face-palming on behalf of the cluelessly overworked man on the other side of the wall.

"Taking days off!" I reply, my tone no longer carrying a tease to it as I leave the bathroom behind, sitting across from him on the end of my bed. "You work yourself too hard, Elon."

At this, he sighs heavily, his now clearly evidently exhausted gaze meeting mine.

"Love, we've already talked about this."

"I know," I nod, frowning slightly. "But just try and take breaks every once and awhile, why don't ya?"

"I do take breaks!" He protests, sounding almost like a child before his tone turns serious once more. "But today, there is work to be done."

"And I'll help you as best I can," I grin as Elon just stares blankly past me, lost in yet another one of his thought processes.

Something's bothering him.

"E," I gently urge, nudging him slightly. "You here?"

Startled, he blinks a few times before zoning back in on me, forcing a small smile.

"Yeah, yeah."

I simply raise an eyebrow questioningly, doubt running through me.

"Okay," He sighs heavily, running a suddenly stressed hand through his hair. "Make that a 'no, no.'"

We both share a small laugh before turning serious again.

"You need to see something," The man in front of me murmurs, reaching into his pocket and grabbing his phone.

"Okay?..."

Wordlessly, he taps a few times and does some scrolling before handing it to me.

Peering at the device's small screen, confusion runs through my mind as I lift my gaze to meet his.

"It's a Twitter post?"

"Just take a look," My Partner urges once again, a tone of distaste laced in his voice.

Nodding, I allow my gaze to drift back to the phone in my grasp, quickly scanning the post.

'Nice gal you got there, Musk!' The post reads, the words resonating with me slightly.

"Isn't that what that guy behind us-" I murmur, examining the picture attached to the post a bit closer.

Elon nods, his expression rather dark.

"Yelled at us last night? I thought the same thing."

"Huh," I breathe, examining the photo closer.

It's a picture of Elon and I, hand in hand, taken when we were leaving the restaurant last night.

"Now, how would someone have managed to pull off snagging such a clear photo? I mean, it's not that clear, but still clear enough anyone who looks at it is gonna be like, 'Hey! That's Elon Musk!' ya know?"

My boyfriend silently nods.

"Best I can figure, they were in a parked car as we passed."

"That makes the most sense."

"Wait, there's something else. Just let me find it here..."

My stomach instantly begins to twist itself into knots of nervousness as I pass the device back to him.

"How far spread is this?" I ask, a tone of nervousness creeping into my voice as Elon once more resumes scrolling, his eyes darting back and fourth between what I can only assume would be usernames and comments.

"Articles from small, independent publishers who usually keep an eye on me have already got some articles up," Comes the reply, followed by a huff of annoyance. "Why can't I seem to find it..."

"It hasn't reached the larger Media outlets?"

"Not to my knowledge, but it'll get there eventually... Ah. Here it is."

Once more, he hands the phone back to me.

Cradling it in my hands, my gaze wanders the screen, eyes flying wide in surprise as I read the post.

'Oh, and Commander; You should probably fess up your deal with this girl, or your plans that are currently secret, ain't gonna be so secret anymore.'

"They've got to be bluffing," I hum, eyes wandering to the image below the post. "No one except a handful of people at both NASA and SpaceX even know about what we're doing..."

"Look at the username," Elon urges, a hint of aggression falling into his tone.

"'JessMore?' What kind of wacky username is that... Oh my gosh."

The phone I'm holding nearly clatters to the ground as an icy wave of realization cascades over me.

"There's no way Jessica would just openly threaten you like that! Or maybe she would..."

I sigh, my head finding it's way to my hands.

"I don't know what to think anymore."

Gently, I feel a pair of warm hands grasp my shoulders.

"We'll figure this out; together," The man in front of me coos, his tone carrying an air of playfulness. "But why don't we focus on what needs to be done today, hm?"

I lift my head to meet his gaze, smirking slightly.

"And what's on your agenda today, Mr. Musk?"

At this, Elon chuckles, the sound giving me goosebumps as his hands leave my shoulders.

"Just some Tesla work," He explains with a light sigh. "I've just got to finish up the final touches on this software upgrade announcement, that's about it."

"Well, how can I help?" I grin, watching as my boyfriend makes his way to his feet and heads towards the door. "I'm great with moral support."

"I'm sure you are," He smirks as I join him at his side, slipping into my shoes. "But I have a feeling if you decided to chatter away, I'd get nothing done."

"Ha ha," I reply sarcastically, rolling my eyes as we leave my room behind, heading towards the Common Area, our cadences syncing. "But seriously, I'll help you in any way I can."

"I know," He gently sighs as we round the corner into the Living/Dining Room, bee-lining towards the large table. "And I thank you for that. But for now,"

The man now sitting across from me grins once more as a laptop and a few rather scrumped papers are placed on the table in front of us.

"For now, what?"

"If you could get me a Coffee, that would be amazing."

At this, I smile, leaving my chair and wrapping Elon in an embrace from behind.

"I can certainly do that. Especially because you look like that's the only way you'll manage to get this all done," I murmur, pecking his cheek lightly.

"Caffeine can certainly do wonders," He hums as I back away and head to the Kitchen.

Let's see if I can recall how to make a pot of Coffee.

****

"I just don't understand why she would so openly threaten you like that!" I murmur, glancing up at the man across from me who stops his rushed typing, our gazes meeting. "I mean, she's basically given herself away by doing so! And if she did spill the mission plans to the Public, isn't that a confidentiality breach? She could get herself fired just by doing that, without even mentioning she could have been the one who nearly killed me!"

"Laura," Elon starts, voice firm yet comforting. "Calm down... You're overthinking this."

"No I'm not!" I argue, a sudden flame of defensiveness igniting within me. "I'm not gonna let her waltz around here making threats to people she just doesn't agree with. You said yourself; one more incident and then you're going straight to the Administrator! Surely this counts as an 'incident!'"

My boyfriend sighs heavily, clicking a few keys on his keyboard before looking back up at me once more.

"We have to approach this with caution," He explains slowly, his thoughts likely running a mile a minute. "Let's face it; our relationship is no longer secret, except maybe to the few people around here that are too busy to keep up with the outside world, but that's about it. Everybody knows about us now, but for them, it's just speculation, until either of us 'officially' declare what we are."

"Right..."

"So, either way, we don't win, in a sense. I acknowledge and comply with Jessica's threat, she confirms our relationship to the world, using my own words against me. The mission plans still get spread around, because that's what usually happens anyways. We lose either way."

"Why don't we just deny it as long as we can? Use the same line of 'we're just Flight Partners?'"

"The Press are incredibly nosy people. In fact, they'll likely be crashing down the main gate here within the next few days to try and talk to either of us. They won't stop until they get the truth or something close enough to it."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, shaking my head.

"I don't think I'm ready to handle all of this at once," I mutter, sinking in my chair, my eyes finding their way to the tabletop in front of me. "All because of some pictures and a woman, who's probably clinically insane, making threats..."

"I know it's a lot to handle, but you'll be fine," Elon assures, grasping my hand gently in his across the table, squeezing slightly before he lets go. "Like you said before; we'll work through it together."

I lift my head slightly, forcing a small smile.

"Yeah, you're right."

But one thing still isn't sitting right with me.

The idea that this Jessica Morrison is working alongside Vivian while actively making threats towards Elon and I...

That's not right.

Something has to be done.

"E," I start once more, a sudden blaze of determination filling me as I meet his gaze from behind his laptop screen.

"Yes?"

"I'm gonna deal with Jessica."

At this, the man across from me smirks, his eyes alighting with a gleam of... admiration?

"Go for it. I've got your back."

Now it's my turn to smirk.

"I know you do."

A silence falls between us, well, other than the hum of the air conditioning and the clicking of keys.

As the silence wears on, my mind begins to wander.

If I'm going to use the NBL accident against her, I'll need proof...

Which I don't have...

But there is the threat she made back at the Lab...

And now this one against E...

Which, I think, is definitely a confidentiality breach or something...

That's got to be enough reason to see out some sort of reprimandment from NASA.

I wonder if anything's gone on with Vivi and Jessica...

That would be even more-

"Hey hey! Wassup teamies?" A sudden enthusiastic tone erupts from the entrance of the Common Area, startling both Elon and I equally as we turn to see what all the commotion is about.

It's just Mark being, well, Mark.

"Hey, Marko!" I laugh, high-fiving the younger man who is practically like the brother I never had as he passes by me on his way to the Kitchen.

"Is Chang not with you?" My Flight Partner calls after the young mechanic as he disappears around the corner, his work momentarily forgotten.

"Nope! Vivian's just running late a bit. Had to finish up some sort of medical procedure training or something like that." Comes the reply, followed by a fairly loud crash.

I wince.

"What was that?" I yell, a tone of humor in my voice.

"Oh, uh, just some stuff from the Pantry!"

I laugh, shaking my head.

"You're still in one piece, right?"

"That I am!" Mark grins as he appears once more, a handful of pre-packaged snacks in his arms. "You know, I should really suggest to Mary that they don't pack the Pantry so full! Makes it hard to decide what exactly you want!"

"Only you would have that issue, Marko. You know that, right?" I chuckle as he pulls out the chair across from me, beside Elon, quickly taking a seat.

I smile slightly.

Mark seems to have warmed up to him after all.

"Sure! You know, there was this one time... Oh hey, Vivian!"

Sure enough, I turn towards the entrance and there stands Vivi, looking absolutely exhausted and rather angry.

"Hey, Vivi!" I cheer, pulling out the chair next to me.

However, she simply nods her head in response, practically stalking into the Kitchen.

Confused, I hastily turn back to both men across from me.

"Am I missing something here?"

"No idea. Bad day, maybe?" The younger of the two suggests as the sound of rushed and heavy footsteps reach me once more.

"Vivian?" I call once more, attempting to get my friend's attention, only with no success yet again as she just continues on her way, leaving the three of us behind.

A pang of concern runs through me as I quickly leave my seat behind, saying a brief goodbye to the other two in the room before dashing down the hallway after the younger woman.

"Vivian!"

My pace carries an urgency as I follow her from behind, watching as she reaches the door to her room before stopping and turning to face me.

"What's wrong?" I call out once more, coming to a stop in front of her, out of breath slightly. "Something seems to be bugging you... Wanna talk?"

"A lot of things are bugging me, Laura," She fumes, unlocking the door in front of us before rather forcefully ushering me inside.

"Okay..." I murmur, taking a seat in her office chair identical to mine while she stands in front of me, almost staring me down. "Let's talk about it then."

"You don't get it, do you?"

Confusion pricks my brain.

"Get what?"

Vivian sighs, sounding annoyed, before continuing.

"Answer me this in all honesty,"

My heart begins to hammer in my chest as my thoughts begin to run rampant.

She's suspected something between Elon and I since day one...

Did she see the photos on Twitter?

"Okay?..."

"Enlighten me on what's going on between you and Elon Musk."

I mentally grimace as I begin the scramble for words.

"What do you mean?"

Shaking her head, the woman across from me continues, "You have to be close. Close enough, I'd say, to maybe even be dating? Hm?"

Once more I scramble for words, fighting a blush off my cheeks.

"Vivi!" I chuckle, practically praying I don't sound guilty of what my friend is pressing me for. "We're just friends! Co-workers! Flight partners! Comrades! What makes you think we'd be dating! That sounds crazy!"

"These pictures pretty much sum it up," Vivian states, her tone steely as she pulls her phone from the pocket of her Flightsuit, handing it to me with a rather disappointed expression written across her features.

Of course she managed to find the photos.

Why wouldn't she have?!

"Listen," I start with a heavy sigh, eyeing the device's screen warily before passing it back to the woman in front of me. "I can explain..."

"Explain what, Lori?!" My friend exclaims, a trace of anger laced in her tone. "That you're dating the CEO of the company you happen to work for and who also just so happens to be a billionaire?!"

My thoughts instantly scramble to a halt as a wave of realization washes over me.

I completely forgot about how prominent Elon is...

That doesn't change anything.

Elon is still the man I've gotten to know so well over the past while.

No amount of social status or monetary worth can change that.

Sighing once more, I make my way to my feet, gently placing my hands on Vivian's shoulders as a sign of reassurance.

"We're not dating, Vivian." I state, my voice on the verge of cracking.

"Well then what's all this hand-holding stuff?! Why on Earth did he take you out to dinner?!"

"First off, he took me to dinner so we could discuss the details of his Tesla software upgrade announcement that's coming up later this month." I explain, using his work today as a reasonable excuse. "He needed a second opinion, so he asked if I could provide that. I agreed and turns out, we discussed it over dinner. As for the hand holding..."

The woman in front of me simply raises an eyebrow questioningly, clearly not buying it.

"Elon is a gentleman. It was dark and there were quite a few drunks around. Guess he wanted to keep me close enough so nothing could happen." I chuckle lightly, a blush threatening to dust my cheeks as I desperately push my emotions aside.

At this, Vivian just laughs, shaking her head.

"If you say so," She chuckles before continuing, tone turning serious. "But seriously, Laura. Those pictures have reached every Media outlet known to man by now. They're gonna track the both of you down, looking for answers. And the answer you just gave me ain't gonna appease them for very long."

"I know, I know..." I sigh heavily, heading towards the door. "But, it's the answer they'll get from either of us, so no point in digging any deeper."

My friend rolls her eyes, flopping back onto her bed with a breathy chuckle.

"You're dealing with the Press. They're gonna dig as deep as they can..." She trails off, raising her head to meet my gaze. "Have a good night, Lori."

I inwardly sigh as I nod, my hand grasping the cool metal of the door handle.

"You too. Rest up."

With that, I yank open the door and practically stumble into the hallway, struggling to process everything going on.

How can things get so out of hand so easily?

All because I'm in love with a man who just so happens to have some monetary worth attached to his name...

With yet another heavy sigh, I unlock my own door, kicking it open and face-planting onto my own bed.

A twinge of understanding and pity tugs at my heart as I roll onto my back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Oh, Elon..." I murmur aloud, a stray tear somehow rolling down my cheek in the dark. "How do you manage to live like this?"