The door sprung open, and a man’s hand tucked into the back of my shirt and lifted me effortlessly into the air. I tried to see, but the flashing lights had done terrible things to my vision. I had never seen an alarm so bright before. Before I could think or act, I found myself cradled in the arms of someone less threatening than the monster that invaded my room. He hoisted my ass into his chest and pulled me into the hallway.
“You’re okay,” he whispered maybe five times or more.
Dim emergency lighting strips lined the hallway to show the path toward the exits. But, here, there were no exits. At least, none of the exits were real. I blinked rapidly as pieces of my vision returned. Gradually, I found my sight, but found no sign of any fire whatsoever. In fact, no smoke was present. I clenched my arms around the man, noticing muscular forearms, and the tattoos littering the tanned skin.
Zane...
It didn’t make any sense. I kicked out and away from him, sliding against the wall. The alarms turned off, leaving my hearing ringing and muffled, but I knew who I was looking at. ”How is this possible?” I panted, turning my head rapidly to see any damage caused by a fire. Still nothing. I was soaking wet, but that didn’t matter. The last love of my life, the dirt-bag who left me without a phone call after months was standing in front of me. What the hell could he want?
“Look, there’s a lot I need to tell you,” he said, hands out in a calming gesture.
“You’re... you’re not real,” I said, sliding back farther.
He leaned down and showed me his left forearm. In the center, was the same scar. “If I’m not real, how the fuck do you explain this?”
With extreme caution and pause, I found myself reaching out to touch the scar. “A bug bite? You’re lying, Zane.”
As soon as I touched him with my finger, the hairs around his arm stood up. I pulled back and suddenly could smell his cologne, and then the memories came back. The happiness we felt. The joy of starting something new with someone important. But those memories, as beautiful as they were, didn’t sit well. He tried taking my hand to squeeze three times as he used to in the beginning of our relationship. It was our code, but not anymore.
“You didn’t miss me?” he asked.
I could hardly believe his level of gall. Did I miss him? Hell. No. I pulled away, and started down the hall. “I left because of you.”
He jogged behind me and, suddenly, it was three years back in time. We were walking down a rainy city street. Our first long-distance trip together, and we were fighting like the co-dependents we were.
“You left because you care more about your job than this relationship,” he said.
I felt my pulse quicken. This wasn’t real, right? Closing my eyes, I stabilized myself before I started to cry. “You were cheating on me for two years.”
He stood there as silent as a dog that just got caught peeing on a rug.
“It was with my best friend,” I reminded him.
Again, my reality flashed, but I remained on my feet and moving toward the golden elevator doors. He took hold of my shoulder, but I managed to edge away from him again. “You’re just a memory,” I said. “Leave me alone!”
I ran, but he kept up with me. “I’m not going anywhere. I followed you this far. I’m taking you back home.”
Upon reaching a small hallway with a few buzzing vending machines, I let his words sink in. Back home. Of course. It all made sense. “My mother sent you after me,” I said.
It was a crazy thought. Sending my ex-boyfriend halfway around the world to bring me back to my senses was an elaborate and expensive plan. However, my mother was retired and wealthy. And she loved Zane.
When he hooked up with Madison, they told me to forgive him. A man needed an escape every now and then. To my parents, and especially my father, adultery was a hidden clause in every relationship. To me, it was a definite end marker and sign the person had moved on a long time ago.
Zane frowned and sighed. “Can you blame them? She just wants what’s best for you.”
“Oh, Zane. My mother doesn’t care about my feelings. All they care about is whether or not I will keep the line of kin going. I was lost to them a long time ago,” I said.
“Can you stop focusing on them and start focusing on us? Madison meant nothing,” he stammered.
Rage. Betrayal. Boredom. I would never get back together with Zane, but I wasn’t a complete bitch. If he followed me in here, the least I could do was help him get out. My mission in the zone was to find the mythical stone tablet, but if the beasts found us first, Zane would most likely fuck up my plans by trying to fight. “Look, I’ll help you get out of here, but I’m not going back home. Not with you or anyone else.”
“Addie—”
“I’m not here for you anymore, Zane. I’m just not.”
It was a firm, but much needed statement. And when he replied, he didn’t seem too bummed on my decision either. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here.” He scowled.
“I’m sure my parents provided you with a laudable sum. Go use it to your advantage. You always wanted to buy that stretch Hummer, right?” I asked, trying not to laugh.