Labyrinth: Stranded The Series (bxb)

The Kiss

(Dillon's POV)

The world feels different. Not in some obvious way—there's no dramatic shift in color, no eerie fog hanging over my reality like the labyrinth—but in a way that I can't quite describe. It's like everything around me has stayed the same, but I've changed, like the person I was before that nightmare can't exist anymore. And, honestly? I'm not sure I want to be him again.

I've been back for a week now. Back in my own room, in my own bed, in the life I had before. But everything feels off, like it doesn't fit the way it used to. Samantha came over the day after I got back, and I could barely look at her. She hugged me, asked how I was feeling, kept checking to see if I needed anything. But all I could think about was how wrong it felt. How... disconnected I was from her.

We sat on the couch, her hands in mine, but I couldn't feel her the way I used to. There was no warmth, no connection, just the ghost of something that used to be there. I tried to pretend like it was okay, like I was okay, but it wasn't. I wasn't.

"I missed you so much," she had whispered, her fingers brushing my cheek. "I was so scared you weren't coming back."

And I couldn't even say it back. Because the truth is, I didn't miss her. Not like I should have. Not like she deserved.

That realization hit me hard. I've spent years with Samantha, two years in a comfortable, easy relationship. She's smart, kind, beautiful—everything I thought I wanted. But now? Now I can see that something was always missing. I just didn't want to admit it.

But Joshua... Joshua is different. He's everything I didn't know I needed, everything that makes sense in a way that scares the hell out of me. And I can't ignore it anymore.

I had to break up with Samantha. There was no way around it.

The conversation didn't go well, but I didn't expect it to. We sat at a coffee shop—neutral ground—and I could see the worry in her eyes before I even said anything. I think she knew. I think she'd known for a while, even before I realized it myself.

"Samantha," I had started, my voice shaking, "I can't keep doing this. I don't think we're right for each other anymore."

Her eyes went wide, and for a moment, she just stared at me like she couldn't believe what I was saying. "What? Dillon, what are you talking about?"

"I... I don't feel the same way I used to," I said, struggling to find the words. How the hell do you explain to someone that you're not who they thought you were? That you're not even who you thought you were? "I've changed. After everything that happened, I just... I can't do this anymore."

She sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "So, what? You go missing for months, you barely survive, and now you want to just throw us away? Like we don't matter?"

Her words stung, but I knew this was coming. She had every right to be hurt, to feel betrayed. And I didn't blame her. But this was bigger than just us. It was bigger than anything I could explain.

"Samantha, you do matter. You've always mattered. But the truth is... I've never felt the way I should have. Not really." I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "I love you, but not the way you deserve to be loved."

Her expression shifted then—confusion, hurt, anger. "What does that even mean?"

"I think I've been lying to myself," I said, my voice cracking. "I thought I knew who I was, what I wanted, but after everything... I've realized that I don't. I never did. I care about you, but I'm not... I'm not in love with you. Not the way you think."

She stared at me, her eyes filling with tears, but she didn't say anything. I could see the gears turning in her head, trying to make sense of what I was saying, trying to piece together the broken parts of our relationship.