Tomorrow's Gone (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 14: Proximity

That night I went to bed with a calm heart knowing Antony was okay. I laid down on my bed and remained face-up, staring up at the ceiling. Diana sat at the edge of her own bed, pensive.

"An?" I murmured softly.

"Yeah?" she asked after a moment, sounding distracted.

"Are you glad Antony's back?" I asked, sincerely curious. I couldn't get the look she'd been giving him out of my mind.

Diana cleared her throat after a second of awkward silence. "Of course... look, don't tell anyone, but I've had a crush on him for a while," she confessed in a rush.

I smiled knowingly. "I knew that already."

I heard Diana shift in her bed nervously. "I could tell. I just wish he would notice me," she whispered sadly.

I frowned. My sister was three years older than me. I was sixteen and she was nineteen. Antony was just a year older, they'd gone to through high school together. It would be pretty hard for him not to notice her since I was constantly hanging with his younger brother, Daniel.

"I'm sure he has noticed you, he's just very shy," I tried reassuring her.

Diana said nothing, and I was afraid she'd fallen asleep until she murmured a simple, "Thanks".

I sighed and rolled over. "'Night," I whispered.

"'Night."

I fell asleep pretty quickly.

***

I was in Astronoma once again in my dream. It was still the same forest-like place. Glowing flowers of all colors surrounded me, my vision flooded with all the vibrant colors. The colorful earth below me hummed with energy.

This time I found Phoenix quickly. He stood feet away from me, a stern look on his face. He wore a navy-colored tunic and silver sandals along with a silver headpiece.

"Hello, Zoe," he greeted me.

"Hi," I croaked, clearing my throat delicately.

Phoenix frowned. "How is you friend fairing? The one they are testing?" he immediately asked.

I smiled, meeting his fiery gaze evenly without cringing at its intensity. "Cosmo found out about his father's grisly doing and ordered him to be released. He's doing fine, they didn't alter him in any way, just took samples," I explained.

Phoenix looked relieved. "Brilliant. We have tracked down the ship you are on. There appears to be a problem," he spoke seriously.

My heart stopped. "What is it?"

Phoenix sighed and ran a hand through his black hair. "The ship is dangerously close to their planet. Once there, it will be incredibly hard to rescue you. We have a limited time to get to you, yet you are so far. We are on our way and promise to rescue you as soon as possible," he assured me.

I bit my lip as tears welled in my eyes, my vision going blurry. "I just want this to be over," I tried stifling my sob and wiped away at the traitor tears that now trailed down my hot face.

Phoenix's face crumpled with sadness, and he seemed incredibly confused, not knowing how to react. "I'm sorry, I swear I will remove you from that situation soon," he promised. After slight hesitation, he walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me, taking me by surprise.

I froze, my tears stopping altogether. Then I gave into his hug, slumping in his arms and hugging him back. Phoenix rested his cheek against the top of my head.