"I had to see it to believe it," she spoke, her dark eyes narrowing on me.
My eyes fluttered on the familiar face.
"Chandra...?" I stuttered. "What are you doing here-"
"I know!" she spat out, her arms crossing on her chest, her scowl even more intense now. "The company put me in charge of reviewing confidential material... I couldn't believe it when I realized..."
Her angry eyes dragged all over my figure, with a disgusted expression on her face.
"You're a machina," she uttered, as if to confirm it to herself. "And you've been lying to him-"
"No."
Immediately, I walked up to her, my hands coming on her arms to pull her to a more discreet place to talk, but she pushed me away.
"Don't touch me!"
Chandra's voice cracked as she stepped back, palms up.
"You lied to me-and to Dionne-"
"He knows!"
Chandra froze, pupils shuddering on me.
"He knows...?" she slowly repeated, her eyes still furious at me.
I nodded with pleading eyes, hoping she would listen to me.
"Yes. He knows I'm a machina," I lied over another lie. "He's the one who asked for one. He used the funds of his research."
Her anger suddenly deflated as if someone had let the air out of a balloon. She blinked, then frowned, struggling to fit this new piece of information into her mind.
"What... What about you being a botanist...?" she frowned and shook her head as if trying to make sense of it.
"We made it up," I admitted. "So I could use the work library."
"Why would he do that?" she asked, recoiling a little as if she'd been struck.
"I like to learn," I said with a shrug.
She studied me, struggling to reconcile the facts with whatever story she'd built in her head. At last, she sank on a seat, some wild hair escaping her braid, her stare still troubled.
"I'm sorry," she said, closing her eyes.
When she spoke again, her voice was small.
"It's personal for me, I apologize, I didn't mean to..."
"I know. V is your friend," I acknowledged her feelings.
"No. It's not just that," she looked at the ground, as if she was gathering her thoughts. "You know... I used to be married to a man."
It was my turn to have my face recoil on my neck. Dionne and Chandra looked like such a perfect couple, it was hard to imagine either of them with someone else.
"That was back in Azaristan. I was very young..." she continued, licking her lips and closing her eyes for a second, a flash of pain on her face. "This man... He was my best friend. A good man. And I lied to him. I lied to myself for so many years..."
I caught what she had projected onto me, and it stung because it wasn't entirely false.
I was an imposter.
Just not the one she thought I was.
"I always loved women," she shook her head, a twisted smile on her face. "But I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth... Or even to admit it to myself, at first. I was miserable. And I made him miserable. I hurt him more than anyone... with all my lies. He didn't deserve any of this."
My hands came around hers, and I slowly nodded to show her I understood.
Chandra's deep black eyes looked back at me.
"Anything built on a lie is bound to fail," she spoke slowly, in a way that showed she had paid the price herself.
Her words electrified me.
We looked at each other for a long time.
"I'm sorry... I only wanted to protect him," she finally spoke.
"I know. I want to protect him, too."
She looked away, ashamed.
"Please... Don't mention any of this to him. He already doubts my intellect enough," she added with a small chortle, looking away.
"I won't," I promised.
Then, I hesitated.
I realized a solution had appeared in front of my eyes. Literally and figuratively.
"But, Chandra..."
"Tell me?" she sniffed, looking at me.
It struck me then how much Chandra's friendship had been so impactful in V's life.
She was the one who had given him the idea to try another path in his research... And that was how he got a Love Machina.
She was the one who helped him push the deadline away, giving me more time with him.
And now, after V had lost his research project, she was the one who had offered to help him find a new one.
With new funds.
And I already knew what V would do with these funds.
"If you've seen the information related to my contract..." I began, and Chandra's expression shifted, showing she knew what I was talking about. "You might know my contract will be up soon."
I took in a deep inhale, gathering my courage.
"You have to know... He used his research funds for personal use."
My words faltered for a second before I forced them out.
"Is there any way you could make sure this doesn't happen again...?"
Chandra didn't answer right away. Her black eyes studied me in silence.
For a heartbeat, I thought she might dismiss me entirely.
"Do you mean... making sure he can't renew your contract?" she asked, her tone cautious, as if she already knew the answer but wanted me to say it out loud.
I hesitated, my throat tightening.
There would be no more contract with me, but that was something she couldn't know. Love Machina Inc had no more use for me.
But another Love Machina, identical to me, could take my place tomorrow.
The same voice. The same gestures. The same face that he'd come to love.
And that would only trap him deeper, confirming his worst fear that loving me meant loving something less than human. That his feelings were proof of his own incompleteness.
"Yes," I confirmed to her.
Unless I made sure he'd have a chance to see the truth on his own.
"I believe you are right. As you said, anything built on a lie..." I couldn't repeat it all, too afraid to admit it myself. "I... I want to protect him. And that includes protecting him... from himself."
Understanding flashed in Chandra's wise eyes.
She was one of the smartest women I knew after all.
"I see," she simply answered.
"He deserves better," I spoke aloud my intentions. "Better than... a machina."
Better than a liar, a cheater, a dupe.
And even if I weren't all these things... I could never be with him. My contract wanted me out of the City tomorrow. We had no future together.
Then Chandra spoke what I had wished for all along.
"Then... I'll make sure V will not be able to get another machina."
She spoke these words with careful eyes on me, as if waiting to see my reaction.
I slowly nodded.
I had done my part to make sure V would be out of suspicion regarding the spy mission of Tardigrad. Now I had to make sure he was taken care of and on the right path to find happiness for himself.
He deserved it.
"When I leave... Could you please look after him?"
Chandra's eyebrows came together, her arms falling limp by her sides.
"Sade... Of course. He's my best friend."
That was enough for me.
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. For the first time that day, something felt like it could be put right.
🌳
I texted V and we decided to meet again at the Tree of Unity.
The same place that, a few weeks ago, I thought he would tell me goodbye.
And here we were today.
I arrived before him and watched him walk to me through the crowd.
His demeanor was so gentle. He never forced his way through.
Instead, he shifted to the side, giving space to the passersby, accommodating everyone.
The moment he was close enough, I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"I missed you," I whispered.
And I will miss you so much.
"I missed you more," he whispered back, his lips curved into a smile.
And I will miss you even more.
I sighed, resting my head in the crook of his neck, letting his arms fold around me. With my eyes closed, I tried to memorize his presence, the steadiness of him, the safety and comfort he showed me.
"Is there anything you'd like us to do today?"
I looked up, meeting the kindest, saddest eyes, watching me as if I were the most precious thing in the whole world.
I thought of Kira's replacement at the machina meeting. The City was probably monitoring the way I was looking at him right now. The way my arms hugged him. The way I removed his glasses to kiss him.
And as we spoke, a robot was being trained to imitate it all.
Except, and if Chandra kept her promise, it wouldn't be allowed to enter V's life.
There was only one place I knew of, where every word, every touch, could still belong to us alone.
I brushed a strand of hair behind his ear, letting my fingers linger against his skin.
"Bring me back to our oasis."
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