Glimpse

Teaser: Courtney

"You have your own apartment, you know that, right?" Courtney asked, rapping her fingers along the front door to her apartment as she held it open all the while body-blocking Alternate Shayne from entering. Dark shadows hollowed his eyes, disheveled hair matted with grease. Exhaustion that extended to herself, her emotions far too unstable to sleep. Not since Shayne and his Alternate had traded places. Five days, and four sleepless nights and counting.

The scent of alcohol wafted off his unbuttoned, dark-grey button-down, the sleeves rolled to his elbow and hem hanging over black, acid-washed jeans. Disgruntled and unkempt. The same attire as last night, down to the pastel pink shirt with the rose. Of all the shirts in Shayne's wardrobe, that seemed to be Alternate Shayne's favorite.

"You tried again, didn't you?" A hefty sigh deflated her lungs as Courtney stepped aside. Worry warped her features as he staggered in, swaying side-to-side as he stumbled towards the couch. "What does this make it, the fifth time?"

"Does it fucking matter? The static never comes. I never hear him." Alternate Shayne groaned as he collapsed onto the sofa, arms sprawling across its top. Lifting his gaze to the ceiling, a raspy laugh steeped in sarcasm and self-hatred cut his breath. "Do you know how cold a bed gets without someone to hold?"

"You're going to have to learn to sleep alone eventually." The weak smile wavering on her lips held little to no conviction as Courtney took a tentative seat beside him. Close enough to clasp his shoulder without straining while leaving a few inches between their legs. Barriers she pretended to maintain out of guilt. Feigned distancing constructed to mitigate the one-sided nature of her open relationship with Shayne.

I'll visit you soon.

A false promise she repeated every night.

"It's been years since I've slept alone, you do realize this." Burnt blue eyes fastened to hers as he combed his fingers through her hair. Calloused pads grazed the nape of her neck now and then, sending shivers down her spine.

"And you've only given it what, four days? I told you-"

"To give it a week? Do you know what a week of no sleep will do to me?" Fire descended her bicep and slipped under her arm to seize her waist. In one swift movement, Alternate Shayne heaved Courtney into his lap, his palm flattening over her stomach. Hot breath tickled the shell of her ear, teeth scraping skin. A distraction tactic Courtney both loved and hated. "What was the purpose of our proposal if we're just going to play strangers?"

"Bunny," she breathed as his fingers strolled along her sternum, her cotton tank-top dipping under his pressure until flames scalded skin. "Not tonight, not now. Not when--"

"When you won't visit her? Check-in on the center of my world because you're scared?" Shoving Courtney off, he launched to his feet and started pacing. Intoxication magnified his agitation, a constant state for him as of late. "She's probably fucking that twat right now, got her tight little pussy-"

"LANGUAGE!" Courtney shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, it's not like you're the sad slop who agreed to be cheated on." Alternate Shayne pivoted. Grabbing her shirt, he lifted Courtney to her feet, hoisting her upwards until their eyes met. Frustration contaminated his navy pools, though hints of worry and insecurity glimmered underneath. A glass canon of confidence that shattered with ease. "You know, I wouldn't have agreed to any of this had I known you'd back out of our agreement."

"You know that's not true," Courtney coughed out, scratching at his hands. "I'm here for you, and I'll check up on her. On him. I will. Just give me time. Just..." A soft sob cut her short as memories of Shayne escaped the coffin she had buried them in. The only way she could survive the day without breaking, yet each night they fled their grave and chased her into Bunny's arms.

At least tonight deviated from their hurt-comfort routine, their brief confrontation refreshing despite the harshness displayed. Still, it ended the same as always, tears cascading down her cheeks as Courtney succumbed to his embrace.

Lowering Courtney to the ground, Alternate Shayne stroked down her arms to secure her waist, tight but not painful. He backed them into the couch, guiding her onto his lap so that her knees straddled his thighs. A familiar position Courtney permitted as she crumpled against his chest, bawling.

"FUCK, why didn't I intervene? I should have intervened. Should have stopped it. Should have given us time to test it." Salt crisped his tongue as puddles swelled in his eyes. Wetness mouthed her neck as tears overcame Alternate Shayne, his embrace tightening until clothes became the only thing separating them. "We're gonna fix this. I'm going to fix this. I promise."

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