Wonderland | ✎

04 - almost midnight

     Neither did he.

     Even though my heart was beating so loud I bet he heard it.

     I shut the water.

     Wyatt took a moment to flex them, stretching out his fingers. "Thanks," he said quietly.

     I nodded shakily, playing with my hands.

    "You're here alone?" he asked abruptly, looking up at me.

     I paused. "No, I was with Jess. My friend. We got separated a while ago. But I'm not really worried, because you know, she's one of those people who always comes back one way or another, so it should be al—"

     Wyatt's mouth twitched and I had to bit back my tongue. A bad habit of mine was to rant whenever I was actually worried, and I was dumb enough to think he had forgotten.

    "People always do, do they?"

     The air crackled between us. Unsaid words floated through his lips. 

     Unsaid words worth of two years apart.

     He took a step closer to me. "Syd—"

     And then we both froze. Because we heard it. Not the electronic music, not the shouts... but sirens. Loud, echoing, familiar sirens.

    "Shit," Wyatt hissed, and my heart raced, but not for the right reasons. I'd never heard him curse before. A part of me found it insanely attractive, especially from someone who was known to be every parents' favourite childhood friend.

     Earth to Sydney!

    "Cops?" I let out.

     He grimly nodded.

     Yeap. Okay. Reality, alright.

     Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. This night couldn't get any shittier.

     Wait. Jess.

     She was still out there. I checked my phone—Chris's phone—and it was almost midnight. So much time without any sign from Jess. How did I become so foolish? And all this to avoid the one person that I happened to be stuck with in a bathroom with?

     Jess's words came back to me.

     But you know that the Fate gods will make sure otherwise!

     I clicked the home button furiously.

     Only to be greeted by Kendall's naked body again.

    "Fffgghh," I groaned, going to the emergency contact, but that was useless—I was missing a few digits and I couldn't remember a goddamn thing. This could not be happening. Me, always the prepared one, and I chose this day to be make stupid decisions?

     Jess was gone.

     I lost my phone.

     And I was alone.

    "Sydney."

     Wyatt's voice came into focus, and then his face, those mesmerising eyes. He leaned down and grabbed the space between my neck and shoulders, his hands meeting in the middle to run smooth circles behind my hair. "Syd, calm down. Take deep breaths. We'll find Jess, but right now, we have to go."

     The bathroom door bursted open again.

    "Holy shit!" a familiar voice gasped, panting. "That is some crazy shit outside! The cops come in and boom, the lights just turned off! Everyone starts screaming! It's like a fuckin' horror movie!"