Through Space and Time

Nine

"This is a nightmare, Miguel." Raegan paced the hotel room floor, panicking. "Because of us, this place is ruined. Whatever reality this is, it's done now."

Miguel wanted to point out the good parts. The fact that they had food, warmth, a place to stay, but he remained silent. He knew it wouldn't matter. This wasn't about what they did have. It was about the ever-increasing number of the undead outside.

This was not a game any longer.

"This cannot be our version of Earth," he offered, trying to make it better. "I don't know much about time travel, but surely if the human race dies here then we just don't exist."

Raegan tried to wrap her head around this one, but it was far too complicated. Unhelpful too. Even if they worked out this crazy question, it wouldn't change anything. She had always focused on survival and that needed to stay the same now.

"I don't know what version of Earth this is. I just want to get out of here. I want to continue on with the journey of finding my father. I can't imagine an existence where he doesn't exist anymore."

Miguel didn't know what to say to that one, so he grabbed the TV remote off the bed and brought it to life. Endless reports of zombie attacks filled the news. Right now, it seemed to be isolated to New York, but both of them felt like it wouldn't last too long.

He idly picked up a bag of chips and shoved one into his mouth. The crunch irritated Raegan and she snatched the bag from him.

"What are you doing?" he whined. "I'm starving."

"I want you to take this a bit more seriously!"

"But that's food. Human food. Real food. Who knows when we'll get this again."

"Huh." That blindsided Raegan a bit. She hadn't thought of it that way. "I suppose so."

She crunched on a chip herself, but the texture made her gag. It might have been human food, the sort that she used to eat once upon a time, but she had spent the last decade surviving in a different way.

Was this a sign that settling back to 'normal' life wouldn't work for her.

Raegan slid her body to the ground and held her head in her hands. She was fighting for something, for a version of this before it went to hell, but living a 'normal' life would be troubling for her. Seeing it, even for a few moments, wasn't the relief she thought it would be.

Without even realizing it, a tear slid down her cheek.

"Oh, Raegan, are you okay?" Miguel gushed. "Sorry, I didn't realize that this had hit you so hard." He moved to sit beside her. "We didn't mean for this to happen, don't forget that."

"This isn't guilt," she sniffed. "I don't know what it is really."

Miguel brushed his finger up and down her cheek, and Raegan didn't stop him. Her emotions were in a muddle and she had no idea how to rearrange them. Her eyes were dragged upwards, the connected with Miguel's in an instant.

His delicious, warm brown eyes.

Her heart stopped beating, she couldn't get any air into her lungs, Raegan was frozen just looking at this guy, knowing that everything she was feeling wasn't right. She needed to switch these butterflies off, the flutter racing through her system.

But she needed it. This was better than sadness.

A magnet pulled them in, it happened out of their control. Raegan's brain was screaming at her that this shouldn't happen, but her body craved this, wanted him. She couldn't resist.

Stop this, Raegan, don't fall for him...

Yet her hands reached out, she balled them up in his hair, and she yanked him to her and kissed him hard. Their lips crashed together in an explosion of intense fireworks. Neither of them had ever been kissed before, but they didn't need anything to compare it too, to know it was phenomenal.

This is what I've been missing out on...why?

An involuntary moan escaped her lips. The passion was overwhelming. Hormones that Raegan didn't even know were within her burst free. The urge to pull him up onto the bed nearly consumed her.

They both pulled back and stared at one another, half-lidded, seductive, riddled with desire.

What now? Raegan wanted to ask. They'd already overstepped that invisible boundary, she'd broken all the rules, why not go further?

"We should..." Miguel started, in a croaky, desperate tone. "Probably keep safe."

Raegan's heart sunk. He was right, she knew that he was only being sensible, but it crushed her all the same. Maybe it was for the best though. They didn't want to end up doing something that they later regretted.

She also needed the time to work out why Miguel was the only one she had ever even considered breaking the rules for.

"Yeah, you're right. We do need to get some safety."

"Did you want to go now?" Miguel sat up straighter. "Or should we get some rest?"

Raegan knew that staying was risky, for so many reasons. "We should go. Who knows what the streets will be like in the morning. We don't want to end up trapped."

Raegan wandered over to the window to take a look at what it was like now. Even since they came into this hotel it had gotten a lot worse, moving was the only smart option. Thank goodness they had stopped the kissing when they had. Even if she didn't want them to...

"Oh wow!" She didn't even realize that Miguel was behind her until his voice burst into her eardrums. "Is that it?"

"Is what...what?"

"Look, over there." He pointed into the distance. "The exit hole. Is that it? I can see the glow."

Raegan was stunned. She couldn't believe she missed it. How distracted was she? "I don't know, I think you might be right."

They shared a smile, back to friendship for the time being, which was probably for the best.