Chapter 34
Rohan
Whatever surface my cheek is against feels cold.
I cringe, sucking in a deep breath through my nose, the smell around me warm and comforting.
Opening my eyes, I find myself in my room, the sunlight filtering in through the curtains.
I snap up straight, looking around at my bed, my gaming trophies, and finally at my desk.
Understory is still running, but the game is back at the title screen.
The last thing I remember is falling. Falling in Tyson’s arms.
“Tyson,” I gasp, standing up and padding over to my apartment door. I slip my feet into my shoes, running out into the hallway. My heart feels like it’s in my throat as I wait for the elevator.
I just want to see him.
I need to see that he’s okay.
When the elevator finally arrives, I step in and wait while it takes me to Tyson’s floor, running out as soon as the doors open again. I make it to his unit and try to catch my breath as I ring the doorbell. Please answer. Please be okay. Please.
Tyson opens the door, his hair mussed, and he’s shirtless. I stare up at him, unblinking. “Tyson,” I breathe out, jumping into his arms. His bare skin feels so warm, and he smells just like he did in the game. Woodsy, with a hint of something citrus I could never name. I reach up towards his lips.
“Uh, good morning?” he says, his voice unsure, his arms not moving to wrap around me like I had gotten used to. And that’s when I realize.
Time freezes, my breathing stops.
Why does he sound like that?
I step back, giving him some space. “You…” I start, but the words don’t come out as I stare into his eyes. His brows are pinched, his mouth slightly ajar.
He doesn’t remember.
Or … Was it really all a dream?
Some silly dream I had…
About him.
About us.
“I … I’m sorry. I … I don’t know what came over me!” I choke out, turning and walking away from his doorstep quickly.
“Rohan!” Tyson yells after me, but he sounds more concerned than anything else.
He probably thinks I’m insane. I feel insane.
So I don’t blame him. Was it really all just a dream?
But it felt so real. He felt so real. Holding me, kissing me, all the things he said to me.
Everything he did for me. There’s no way that wasn’t real.
When I get back inside my unit, I run to my computer and try to log back into Understory, but the game won’t load.
It keeps giving me an error I’ve never seen before.
This can’t be possible. There has to be an explanation for this.
We both fell from that tower, but why am I the only one who remembers what happened in the game?
My breath grows ragged and harsh, tears welling up in my eyes. I’m glad he’s ok. Even if he doesn’t remember me the way I want him to. The way I remember him. I’m just glad he’s ok.
I flop down onto my bed and roll over to my side.
Even if that was all one big dream, it felt so real to me.
I can’t change how I now feel about him.
There’s no way I could just forget that.
Was it only to show me how wrong I was about him?
Did my mind make it all up? I curl up into a ball, sobbing into my pillow.
He’s okay, but I don’t know if I’ll be okay alone with the memories of what we’ve become.