Unraveled

Chapter 9

Caleb sat on the edge of his bed, staring down at his phone with a growing sense of unease. His photo gallery was still empty. No pictures, no memories, nothing to prove that this life he was living was even real.

The missing images gnawed at him, the emptiness in his gallery like an accusation he couldn't escape. He thought about Isabelle—how sure she'd been yesterday that Lila didn't matter, that whatever memories he had of her were best left behind. But why? Why was Lila in his dreams if she was so unimportant?

And why couldn't he shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong?

His mind circled back to Aubrey, to the easy connection they'd shared from the moment he woke in this strange, fractured world. Aubrey had been his anchor, the one person who felt real when everything else didn't. He wanted to talk to him, to ask if he remembered Lila, if he'd ever heard Caleb mention her name.

But even as the thought surfaced, Caleb hesitated. Aubrey had been so supportive. Wouldn't it seem irrational to bring up someone he wasn't even sure existed—someone his own memories couldn't pin down?

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

His phone buzzed in his hand, jolting him from his thoughts. A message from Aubrey.

You okay? Haven't heard from you all day. Wanna grab a drink?

Relief washed over him. Caleb smiled, feeling some of the tension in his chest ease. Aubrey always seemed to know when he needed a distraction.

Yeah, I could use that. Usual place?

He pocketed his phone and grabbed his jacket, pushing aside the questions that gnawed at him. Today, he'd let Aubrey pull him out of the whirlwind in his head.

By afternoon, Caleb found himself walking toward the café where he and Aubrey had agreed to meet. His steps felt heavy, each one weighed down by the confusion that had settled in his chest since he'd discovered the missing photos. He couldn't shake the feeling that something important had been erased—deliberately, maybe. But why?

As he entered the café, the familiar hum of conversation and the scent of fresh coffee wrapped around him like a warm blanket. Aubrey was already there, seated in the corner, a smile lighting his face as Caleb approached.

"Hey, you," Aubrey greeted, sliding a cup of coffee across the table. "You look like you didn't get much sleep."

Caleb chuckled softly as he sat down, wrapping his hands around the warm mug. "Yeah, something like that."

Aubrey leaned back in his chair, studying Caleb closely. "Everything okay? You seemed a little off yesterday."

For a moment, Caleb thought about telling him everything—the missing photos, the flashes of memory in his dreams. But he hesitated. Aubrey had been his anchor in this confusing world, and Caleb didn't want to sound like he was unraveling—especially not to the one person who'd kept him grounded.

"I don't know," Caleb admitted, his voice quiet. "It just feels like... things aren't adding up. Like pieces of my life are missing, and no matter how hard I try, I can't put them together."

Aubrey nodded, his expression open, patient. "Makes sense," he said gently. "You've been through a lot, Caleb. It's going to take time to make sense of everything."

Caleb took a sip of coffee, his mind grappling with the knot of confusion inside him. He glanced at Aubrey, who watched him with calm, steady eyes, and for a moment, his tension eased. Aubrey always knew how to make things feel like they'd be okay, and Caleb clung to that now more than ever.