by Bella Street
After attending to her pressing needs, she studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror, wondering if she looked different being married and all. Her hair was a rumpled mess but her eyes were bright and her cheeks rosy. Well, I've looked a lot worse.
As she washed her hands, Seffy gazed at the unfamiliar gold on her finger. It was still hard to believe. Fall through a wormhole and get hitched. The latest adventure for adrenaline junkies.
She dried off her hands and went into the room. The closet door was ajar. Seffy tried to remember if it had been closed last night. She walked over and pushed it open all the way. A hanger rocked on the rod in an otherwise empty space.
“What are you doing down there?”
She looked up and saw Trent watching her from above. “Just wondering if there was another fake tracksuit in here.”
He frowned. “Why would there be?”
Seffy shrugged and headed for the ladder. When she entered the Light Room, he pulled her down onto the bedding next to him.
“I missed you.”
She laughed softly. “I was gone for five minutes.”
“You can't ever leave me.” Trent nuzzled her neck. “Never ever.”
“I think that was the point of yesterday, right? It's a hookup, for realz, yo.”
She heard his muffled laugh as he pulled her dress over her head. Seffy closed her eyes, yielding to his roaming hands and burning kisses.
***
Hunger drove them back to Trent's room. While he went on a cafeteria run, Seffy took a shower and changed into her bona fide tracksuit. After putting on a bit of makeup and adding some curls to her shoulder-length hair, she tidied her room, then sat on the edge of the bed to wait.
What did married life in the compound look like? Was this the part where they started growing organic vegetables? At what point did one give up on getting out? Maybe several of the residents wanted out but couldn't come up with a realistic exit, so they stayed, spending their days in the soulless rooms and halls, pretending to prefer this life to one on the outside.
The idea of staying indefinitely, even in jest, made a knot of dread grow in her stomach.
Seffy remembered Lani's words about the future and perception, and tried to think positive. Besides, she should be content to be wherever Trent was.
She just wished all the ick would go away—little girls, fake tracksuits, bad blood...all conspiracies in general.
Seffy sighed and stared at the door, wishing Trent would return so her dark thoughts could be shoved back into the shadowy corners of her consciousness where they belonged. She was a newlywed. And like bad Chinese translations, it was the time for happy luck joytime thoughts.
Seffy heard a sound on the other side of the door. She got off the bed, intending to open it to Trent, but when she got closer, she heard the distinct sound of crying.
She froze with her hand above the knob. Not Trent. What if it was that creepy little girl trying to lure her out? If she opened the door, the little brat would put the whammy on her, making her head toward some new peril.
After a moment's consideration, she opened the door anyway. When she poked her head out, Seffy was shocked to find Addison sitting on the floor against the wall.
“Oh my gosh, Addy, are you okay?” She hurried out and knelt next to her friend.
Addison's green eyes were awash in tears, her face was twisted by some inner turmoil. She blotted her cheeks with the sleeve of her shirt, then looked up at her. “I just...I just wanted to apologize for what I said about Trent.”
What? Which time? Seffy took a deep breath, struggling to appear supportive. “Um...thanks. That means a lot.”
“I can understand Gareth's point of view—”
“Gareth? Did he put you up to this?”
She shook her head. “He doesn't know I'm here. I'm just trying to say that I get why he hates Trent. He was horrible in the beginning.”
Seffy nodded. She couldn't argue there.
“But yesterday at the wedding...the way he looked at you...” Addison clenched her hands together in a white-knuckled ball. “His expression was altered by love. I was so sure it was act. That he was pretending.” She swallowed. “But I can see now that it's real.”
Seffy looked away, torn between feeling bad for her friend's distress and comforted at the notion of Trent's expression.
“I don't get it. How do you do it?”
Seffy frowned. “What do you mean?”
Addison's lower lip trembled. “How do you get a guy to look at you like that? First Gareth and now Trent.”
Checking the halls to make sure they were clear, Seffy sat down next to her. “Addy,” she said in a low voice, “Gareth has never looked at me the way Trent did—”
“I've seen it—”
“No, hear me out. What Gareth feels—felt—for me is different. He had affection for me, but he's also told me on numerous occasions I wasn't good enough.”
“I heard him down here, asking you to marry him.”
Sadness weighted her heart that Addy had witnessed that. “That wasn't because he wanted me, it was because he didn't want me with Trent.”
Addison rubbed her face—a picture of abject misery.
“He loved his image of me and when I failed to live up to it, his feelings for me changed.”
The redhead's eyes widened. “What image?”
“That I was this pure...little doll, I guess. It was like he wanted to keep me on a shelf where no one could touch me. Whatever it was, it wasn't real.”
Addy let out a bark of hysterical laughter. “And here I thought it was because you were a blonde.”
Seffy fingered a lock of her hair. “I'm not that anymore either.”
Addison pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. “I guess this means that I'm not good enough for him.”
She swallowed, wishing her friend was free from what plagued her. “Is that what you want?”
“What?”
“To be good enough for Gareth?”
Twin spots of color burned on Addy's cheeks. “More than anything.”
Seffy knew the feeling well, knew the bottomless pit it was. “Maybe...maybe it's more a question whether Gareth is good enough for you.”
Addison tipped her head back, banging it on the wall. “God, I finally have a chance with him—both you and Verity are out of the picture, but he doesn't notice me except when he wants me to listen to his rants about you and Trent.”
Great. “If I were you, I'd hang out with Lani. She's definitely more upbeat company.”
Addy's mouth twitched in a humorless smile. “With Lani, there's that whole Malone factor.”
Seffy didn't know what to say without sounding pat, so she remained quiet.
A noise at the end of the hall caused her to release a silent breath. Trent.
Addison saw him as well. She got to her feet with stiff movements. “Guess that's my cue.”
Seffy wanted to give Addison a hug but settled for touching her arm. “Thanks...for coming by. And...if you ever want to hang out here—”
“Please. That'd only make things worse.” Addison turned away, lifting her hand in a listless wave. “Catch ya later.”
Seffy watched her send a barely perceptible nod toward Trent as they passed each other in the hall.
When he approached their door, he raised his brows. “Anything wrong?”
Seffy curled her hand around his arm, feeling her own anxiety ease just by his presence. “No. Just, um...girl talk.” She noticed the covered platter in his hands. “That smells great.”
Trent headed into the room. Seffy followed, closing the door behind him. When she saw him lift the lid, her eyes popped. Piles of bacon were interspersed with sausage patties and slabs of fried ham. “Uh, you going on the Atkin's Diet?”
Shrugging, he grabbed a sausage and popped the whole thing in his mouth. “It just sounded good when I was down there,” he mumbled around the food.
She bit back a smile. “Uh oh, I'm
feeling a wifely urge to nag at you not to talk with your mouth full.”
Trent frowned, and Seffy wondered if he took her seriously. He walked over to the waste basket and spit out the sausage.
She cringed at the sight. “Not good?”
“Tastes like sawdust.” He blew out a frustrated sigh, then took a bite of ham, followed by bacon. Same outcome. “I'm so damn hungry but this tastes like overcooked cardboard.”
Seffy stared at the meat, both starving and repulsed by what she'd witnessed. “Do you think it's tainted again?”
“It's not that.” He walked over to her and slid his arms around her waist. “You know, the only thing that sounds really good is you.” He brushed his lips against her throat, then inhaled her scent. “I could eat you up.”
She laughed. “I think your smeller is whack.”
Trent pulled her closer, nearly crushing her as he tugged on her earlobe with his teeth. “So yummy. This is what I want—not cafeteria food.”
Seffy peeked over his shoulder at the cafeteria food that smelled pretty darn good from where she was standing.
As he pulled her toward the bed, her stomach gave an unladylike rumble. Looks like breakfast will have to wait.
***
Gareth looked up as Addison entered his room. “Where were you?”
She avoided his eyes. “Just went for a walk.”
Gareth glanced at Fiona, who sat in the desk chair, her gaze swiveling between them.
“What are you doing here?” Addison said, sending Fiona a bored look.
“Socializing.”
Addy snorted. “Yeah, right.” She went to the small love seat and flopped onto the cushions. “Where's Lani?”
Gareth stifled a stab of annoyance at Addison's attitude. He sent Fiona an apologetic smile.
She slowly got to her feet. “Perhaps we can continue our conversation at another time.”
“What are you up to now?” Addison asked sharply.
“Fiona and I were just discussing the shift in dynamics now that Trent and Seffy are together.”
“'Shift in dynamics',” she said incredulously. “What the hell is that and what business is it of yours?”
“Everything here at the compound is my business,” Fiona snapped. “I need to keep informed about the one person who puts this entire compound at risk.”
“At risk how? Running around in pink velour? So scary. Maybe you should be more interested in Jared and the girls. They're the ones always acting shifty.”
Fiona put her hands on her narrow hips. “Seffy is a disease who infects people's minds, just like her blood infects bodies.”
Addison looked at Gareth. “She's infected somebody? Who?”
He sighed. “I don't want to get into this now.”
“Why not?” She turned to Fiona. “I saw how Fenn acted at the wedding. Are you afraid he's joining the Seffy boy brigade?”
“Addy,” Gareth warned. “Not now.”
The redhead waved her hand. “Go ahead with your plots and plans. I honestly couldn't care less.”
“You should care, since you've impacted them yourself.”
She stared at Fenn's girlfriend. “How?”
“Well, for instance, you destroyed the time travel equipment.”
Addison smirked. “You could've used that equipment for months and months to send us back, but you were too busy doing a little poisoning of your own, weren't you?”
“You better watch yourself, miss.”
Addison's hands went up. “Ooh, scared now.”
Gareth stood. “Okay, we're done here. I'll talk to you later, Fiona.”
With one last dirty look toward Addison, she left the room.
Once the door was closed, he sat next to Addy. “Seriously, what's up?”
“Why are you hanging around that witch?”
He sighed, wondering how much to reveal. Addison had been acting slightly unbalanced lately. “She came here asking questions. I think she was shocked about the wedding. She didn't realize things had progressed that far between Seffy and Trent.” A muscle jumped in his jaw.
“None of us saw that coming,” Addison said quietly.
“And I think that's what has Fiona suspicious. If they could hide a relationship so easily, maybe they're hiding other things.”
“They're stuck down in the deepest part of the psychiatric section. I don't think there are any exits down there. How much trouble could they really get into?”
He leaned back and regarded her with a frown. “So you're now all about Team Seffy?”
Addison looked down at her hands. “Listen, Sef has pissed me off more times than I can count, but...” She glanced up at him. “Shouldn't Team Seffy be our default position? I mean, what have Fiona and Fenn ever done for us? They're keeping us trapped here in wannabe Hotel California against our will.”
Gareth tried to get a bead on her subtext. Her default should've been to take his side. “Have you been talking to her?”
“Who? Seffy?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, I talk to Seffy. And Lani. And you.”
He leaned close, sending Addison a look of appeal. “Listen, I know I've said some harsh things about Sef, but look at her choices—”
“Like what? Falling in love?” She bit her lip.
Gareth sighed, not missing the redness around her eyes. “You're right, it's not a crime, but think about it; our Sef with someone like Trent. God, it makes me sick.”
“People can change, Gareth.”
“Who? Him or her?”
“I guess, in this case, both.”
He touched her shoulder. “Sounds like you were affected by that ridiculous little fake ceremony—”
Addison jumped up, her eyes flashing. “God, Gareth, you sound like an ass.”
Schooling his features, he modulated his tone. “Addy, I think Seffy has mental problems. I don't think she knows which end is up any more, and I just want to get her the help she needs.”
“From who? Fiona? She'll treat Seffy like some guinea pig. She already has.”
“Okay, I can see that this conversation is going nowhere.”
Addison sniffed, a tear rolling down her cheek. “If you care about her, leave her alone. Please. For once, one of us is happy. Don't screw it up.”
Chapter Ten
Seffy rummaged through her drawers, wondering where one of her least hated boho blouses was. The compound castoff clothing hadn't been updated in several years apparently, but she'd yet to decide which was worse—70s or 80s styles; The Mod Squad or Martha Quinn as Addison would say. She stared down at the few slick polyester shirts left and shuddered. It was either one of them or a blue paisley halter top.
Seffy pulled out the halter top and decided to try it on. Trent would probably like it and even though she was loath to admit it—she actually was getting a bit tired of wearing her tracksuit all the time. Plus it was their one week anniversary. Maybe she could dress up for the occasion. Grabbing a clean pair of jeans, she quickly changed, then went into the bathroom to see how she looked in the mirror.
When Seffy saw her reflection, her mouth went dry.
Small purplish bruises discolored her upper arms. She stared at the marks for a long time, her brain seeking ways to rationalize their appearance.
Slowly turning, she looked over her shoulder in the mirror and saw more bruises on her back. So then the ones she'd found on her legs might not be from clumsiness as she'd earlier assumed.
Hearing Trent come down the passageway, Seffy yanked the halter top off and replaced it with the T-shirt she'd slept in.
“Sef?”
“I'll be out in a minute!” she said, struggling to reign in her racing thoughts. Seffy brushed her teeth and her hair, needing the extra moments to compose herself. When she went back into her room, her smile felt forced. “Good morning.”
Despite his tousled hair and sexy, stubbly face, Trent's expression was anything but pleasant. “It would've been better waking up with
you.”
She regarded him, trying to discern the look in his gray eyes. “Just going to grab a shower.”
He approached her wearing only pajama bottoms. She peered at his chest through her lashes and didn't see any matching bruising on his skin. Trent slid his arms around her waist and hugged her hard.
He pressed his face into the curve her neck. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the way his hands roamed her back, his fingertips pressing into her flesh as if he couldn't touch her deeply enough.
“You don't need to take another shower,” he said dipping his head to kiss her collarbone. “I don't like it when you smell like soap.”
“I know, right?” she said lightly. “It's that ex-Soviet compound attitude that refuses to provide scented soaps to their prisoners, er, residents.”
He answered by pulling down the collar of her shirt and lightly biting her shoulder. Seffy twisted away. “That gives me goose bumps.”
Trent straightened, not hiding his disappointment. “Yeah, that's kind of the idea.” His gaze held hers for a long moment.
She studied his expression, not quite understanding his tone.
“Do you love me?”
She smiled through a frown. “Of course.”
His tense expression eased somewhat. For the first time, Seffy noticed blue smudges under his eyes, and as she regarded him, she realized his cheekbones cast a deeper shadow on his face. Was he losing weight?
“Why is your heart beating so fast?”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“I can hear it.”
She offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “What can I say? You make my heart go all pitter-patty.”
Trent pulled her close again, burying his face and hands in her hair. She closed her eyes, willing her pulse to slow.
But a nameless apprehension surged in her veins. Seffy ran her hands along the smooth muscles of his back. This is my husband. I love him, he loves me. There's no reason to be weirded-out.
But when he backed her up in the direction of the bed, she stiffened and pulled away. “I was just going to take a shower and get some breakfast.”