The Hand You're Dealt

13| Au Fait

The pretty redhead named Lauren Binns suddenly collapsed. Gambit caught her before she could hit the floor, but saw who had been standing behind the woman. That blonde woman—Avaleyn Nitall—stood there, and she did not look happy.

"Stupid girl. She's been nothing but a problem."

He looked down at Lauren. She had mentioned Avaleyn's name and said that he had rescued her from Nitall. She had said it with such disdain, too. Why would she say such a thing in that manner?

"She seemed to know me; I feel like I should know her, but I don't." He looked up at her. "Why?"

"You met in Chicago and she became obsessed with you, even though you were already with me. I told you the rest of how you got here; that road trip is how you know her," she said.

Avaleyn had told him he had gotten amnesia from a car wreck—Lauren had mentioned the wreck too. She also told him they were lovers and that Lauren Binns had practically kidnapped him because she was jealous. She had been driving the car when they had the wreck.

Lauren had stitches and bruises, like him—that correlated with what Avaleyn said... but still, everything she told him hadn't felt right. He felt no stirrings of emotion in his chest when he looked at Avaleyn; absolutely no desire like what he should feel at looking at a lover.

But the woman in his arms... His eyes turned back to her. He felt very protective of her. Emotions came to him when he looked at her: he longed for her to look at him with those gray eyes again; he was concerned for her; he desired for her to just talk to him again. A light floral scent wafted up to him, and he wanted to bury his face in her hair. The lust he felt was from wanting to kiss her lips and hold her close.

Why? She was supposed to be an enemy, but he felt more about Lauren than Avaleyn. Why did he feel so confused? Why was he feeling like this? What was going on?

"Come on, Remy; let's go before they wake up," Avaleyn suggested.

His name didn't sound right coming out of her mouth like it had on Lauren's lips.

He shook his head. "Something's not right."

"They're mutants, Remy; they've probably messed with your head..."

Gambit kept his eyes on Lauren in his arms. His gaze drifted from her to the queen of hearts lying face-up on the ground. He staggered under a sudden onslaught of visions and sounds: a beautiful smile; laughter; bewitching gray eyes; her voice calling his name; a red-headed woman hugging another redhead—looking like an older version of Lauren.

He did know this Lauren Binns; far more than how Avaleyn said he did. Her, on the other hand, he didn't know.

"Non." His eyes shot up to drill into the blonde woman. "You're the one who's messing with me; I think you've been lying to me this whole time. Who are you and who is Lauren?"

Avaleyn acted like she was exasperated by huffing, but Gambit caught the alarm flicker in her eyes. "I've told you..."

"You're right: you've told me, but it wasn't the truth. Who are you? What am I really doing here?"

She didn't answer; her icy-blue eyes suddenly hardened as her open face turned stoic. Avaleyn threw up a hand and an invisible force blasted Gambit backward. He clutched Lauren to his chest and fought to keep from rolling on top of her. When he stopped sliding back, he rolled over to his knees and looked up.

Avaleyn walked toward him. "I was so hoping you were going to make this easy, but the stupid human had to mess up things... again."

In the blink of an eye, she disappeared; she teleported beside him and kicked him in the face. He fell back, dropping Lauren. Gambit quickly jumped to his feet and threw some cards at her. She disappeared again.