Within the Lights | Connor McDonough

F o u r

The morning the arrived and I couldn't help but feel awake the moment my eyes opened. My senses immediately fired up after remembering what happened last night.

The room was still different yet I didn't mind it, thinking that I might be staying on someone else's house rather. So I slowly turned my head on the direction where I was supposed to see 'my wife' sleeping. But the only thing I saw was the crumpled blanket beside me.

I sighed in relief as I laid back again. It was just a dream.

"Good morning." A voice appeared, making me sat on my bed again. And there I saw Jackie standing in front of the cabinet. "Did I woke you up?"

I looked at her in shock, mouth agape.

I grabbed my phone beside me—my eyes still locked at her who's now busy fixing the things inside it. Once I had a grasp on it, I immediately turned it on. The wallpaper on my screen automatically made my hand cover my mouth. I didn't want to spit a cuss early in the morning. But damn, seeing our picture again made me want to scream the shit out of me. My eyes shifted from my phone then to her, then to the phone again and back to her.

"So am I really awake?" The words just came out of my mouth. Could anyone just slap me right now?

She looked at me with her eyes narrowed. "What made you ask? You're awake Connor."

I cast my eyes to her direction impassively—making me look like a total idiot. "'Cause it seems like seeing you standing in front me is a dream." A weird dream to be specific.

A smile made its way on her face. "It's way too early for your pick up lines."

Pick up lines? Oh. At least it's much better that she saw it that way. Great job Connor.

"And by the way, I forgot to mention to you last night that Riley and Trace will finally come over tonight."

So who's Trace? That's another problem to think. Maybe she's Riley's girlfriend, or someone else.

"Great," I said, sounding so unsure if I'm feeling great or not.

"And also," Jackie started, slowly closing the cabinet and heading towards me. She sat on the edge of the bed next to me. "Toby called."

Crap. Did he told her everything that happened last night?

"Why?"

"He's just checking you. Asking if you're okay."

I showed her a smile. "I am okay." Confused, yet somehow okay. "Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," I answered, grabbing for her hand. But the moment my skin touched her skin, I felt a wave of electricity flew inside me. My vision turned vivid. So I removed my hand abruptly.

"Okay," said Jackie. She was staring deeply into my eyes, as if she was searching for any traces of woes.

I'd never seen such eyes like hers. I still couldn't figure out if right now was only a creative imagination of my mind, but that look on her face was undeniably true. Genuine. If only I could just cry in front of her and tell how clueless I was for who she was and what we really had in this freaking world or what. Yet it's also my conscience who stopped me because damn, you would never want to disappoint and make this woman sad. She didn't deserve it.