Glimpse

Chapter 49: Shayne

Nothing had happened. Almost a week had gone by, and nothing had happened. No finalizing plans. No completing Courtney's one wish. Nothing but tension-driven bickering, A gift courteous his Alternate. These unmute-able traits of his. This irritating drive to control that Courtney clearly hated.

No amount of filtering stopped its surfacing.

Tiny, unintended orders slipping his lips had kindled fires within the two of them. Their thinned-inhibitions stoked discussions into arguments. Arguments where both agreed, but semi-constrained anger prevented Shayne from surrendering. Another token complimentary of his Alternate.

Though Courtney claimed to understand, her broken mask told a different story. Just glancing at her profile, Shayne could discern the everlasting apprehension swirling her iris into tormented whirlpools. Painted nails slicing the leather steering wheel only served to reinforce his conclusion. She felt it too. This uncertainty that churned his gut. The closest thing to fear he had experienced in a while.

What if we were lied to?

A thought that came a little too late as muted-green streaked the passenger-side window of Courtney's car as Shayne propped his head against it. It urged his eyes forward to the ascending sun as it scaled the fading stars hanging above the desolate, beachside road. Thick clouds muted a gradient of red-to-grey as its rays reached for the moon, plaguing tones of navy blue with its warmth.

Closer to the road, silhouetted buildings kissed the horizon line. A beachfront town where they planned to spend the next two nights. One set aside for them, and one for what last week's arguments all loomed around.

The day they scheduled for Damien's experiment.

The reason he chose a town located almost half-of-a-day's drive away -besides the romantic element and lowered-chances of getting caught.

Precautions Courtney demanded, fearing for the worst. Shayne prayed for this to be an overreaction in hindsight, that his Alternate constrained this anger-infused control better than he could. That Damien's plan worked instead of backfiring in their faces like Courtney said it would.

It seemed her disdain for Alternate Damien warped her perception. Her distrust for his best friend amplified. Though somewhere deep inside, Shayne recognized his blame for what it was.

Misguided.

Courtney was right.

Intent mattered little when, in relative perspective, their meetings never ended on a good note. Damien's history of failure provided more than enough reason for doubt. Enough to bolster his most recent purchase digging into his thigh.

The little ribbon-bound box bulged his pants pocket, its velvet-coated frame carving into muscle as it pressed against the door. A poor hiding place chosen in a sleepy daze as they rushed out the door at 3 AM -or whatever ungodly hour they had left. One last-ditch effort to put his ducks in order just in case.

"We can cancel if you want."

Shayne jumped upon hearing Courtney's voice, the seat belt carving into his neck. Choking him. Frantic hands scrambled to free the tightened strap until he caved and just unbuckled it all together.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Courtney placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Her sad smile negated to quell the ambiguity sloshing in his gut, though her beauty still captivated. Somehow, she grew more beautiful with each passing day. "We're here, by the way."

Forcing his gaze to the front window, Shayne noted the beach-side bed-and-breakfast up ahead. A small cottage reminiscent of a beach shack but larger. Expensive-yet-quaint, it held a vintage aesthetic that he knew Courtney loved.