Chapter 6: Two Worlds Colliding.
2033 Words
Marcus cornered me on Tuesday morning.
I was grabbing coffee in the lobby of my office building when he appeared out of nowhere.
"Lyric. We need to talk."
I nearly dropped my cup. "Marcus. What are you doing here?"
"You've been avoiding me for two weeks. I texted. I called. You ignored everything." He looked pissed. "So I came here. What the hell is going on with you?"
People were staring. Marcus didn't seem to care.
"Can we not do this in the lobby?"
"Fine. Your office. Now."
We rode the elevator in silence. Marcus kept giving me these looks. Concerned and annoyed at the same time.
When we got to my office he closed the door behind us. Crossed his arms. Waited.
"I've been busy," I said.
"Bullshit. You're never too busy for coffee. We've met every Tuesday for three years. You missed the last two without even texting an excuse."
He was right. I had been avoiding him. Didn't know how to explain where I'd been spending my nights.
"Sorry. Things have been complicated."
"Complicated how? Is it work? Are you in trouble?"
"No. Nothing like that."
"Then what? Because you look terrible, Lyric. Like you haven't slept in weeks. And your assistant says you've been distracted. Missing meetings. Forgetting things." He leaned against my desk. "Talk to me. What's going on?"
I sat down in my chair. Rubbed my face. I was tired. He wasn't wrong about that.
"I met someone," I said finally.
Marcus's expression shifted. Surprise replacing anger. "You what?"
"I met someone. A woman. We've been seeing each other."
"Lyric Moreno is dating someone. Actual dating. With another person." He shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day. Who is she?"
"Her name's Selene."
"Selene. Pretty name. How'd you meet her?"
"It's complicated."
"You keep saying that. What does complicated mean?"
I couldn't tell him the truth. That she lived in impossible spaces in my building. That she was made of memory and had been trapped there for forty years. That I'd fallen in love with someone who technically shouldn't exist.
"We met at Kestrel House. My building."
"Does she work there?"
"Not exactly. She's... connected to the place."
Marcus frowned. "Connected how?"
"Can we not do this? Please? I'm seeing someone. That's all you need to know."
"No. That's not all I need to know. You're my friend, Lyric. Best friend. And you're acting weird. Secretive. That's not like you."
"People change."
"Not this fast they don't." He pulled up a chair and sat down. "Look. I'm happy you met someone. Really. You've needed that for years. But something's off. You're losing weight. You look exhausted. You're missing work. This doesn't seem healthy."
"I'm fine."
"Are you? Because from where I'm sitting it looks like you're obsessed. Like whoever this Selene person is, she's taking over your life."
That stung because it was partly true. I was spending every free moment at Kestrel House. With Selene. In the Anamnex. My real life was becoming secondary.
"It's not like that," I said.
"Then what's it like? Help me understand."
I wanted to tell him. Wanted to explain that I'd finally found something that made me happy. That Selene made me feel alive in ways I'd never felt before. That the Anamnex was more real to me than anything in the regular world.
But I couldn't. He'd think I was crazy.
"She's important to me," I said instead. "More important than work or meetings or any of this." I gestured at my office. "For the first time in my life I care about something other than success. And yeah, maybe I'm obsessed. Maybe I'm not balancing things well. But I don't care."
Marcus was quiet for a moment. Studying me.
"You're in love with her."
It wasn't a question.
"Yeah. I think I am."
"After two weeks?"
"I know how it sounds."
"It sounds fast. Really fast." He sighed. "But I also know you, Lyric. You don't do anything halfway. When you commit to something you go all in. I just hope she's worth it."
"She is."
"Can I meet her? This mystery woman who's got you acting like a different person?"
My stomach dropped. "That's not possible right now."
"Why not?"
"It's complicated."
"Stop saying that. Either she exists or she doesn't. Either you're actually seeing someone or you're having some kind of breakdown."
"I'm not having a breakdown."
"Then prove it. Let me meet her. Have dinner with us. Coffee. Anything."
I couldn't. How could I? Selene couldn't leave Kestrel House. Couldn't exist in the normal world. She was trapped in the Anamnex.
"She's not comfortable meeting people yet," I said. "She's private. Shy."
"Convenient."
"It's not like that. She's real, Marcus. I'm not making her up."
"I didn't say you were. But I am saying this whole situation seems weird. You're secretive about where she lives. Where she works. How you met. You won't introduce her to anyone. And you're destroying your life for her." He stood up. "I'm worried about you."
"Don't be. I'm good. Better than I've been in years."
"You don't look good. You look obsessed and exhausted and like you're barely holding it together."
"I'm fine."
"Fine. If you say so." He walked toward the door. Stopped. "But Lyric? If things get worse, if this woman starts asking you for money or isolating you more or anything that seems like a red flag, call me. Okay? I'm here for you."
"She's not like that. This isn't some scam."
"I hope not. Because you're one of the smartest people I know. And right now you're acting like an idiot."
He left before I could respond.
I sat at my desk feeling like s**t. Marcus was my friend. My only real friend. And I'd just lied to him. Or at least not told him the truth.
But what choice did I have? The truth was impossible. Literally.
My phone buzzed. Text from Rachel.
"Mr. Chen seemed upset. Everything okay?"
I typed back. "Fine. Just a misunderstanding."
Another buzz. "You have the investor meeting at 2pm. Don't forget."
Right. The investors. Again. They'd been patient after the last disaster. This meeting needed to go well.
I spent the rest of the morning prepping. Actually focusing on work for the first time in weeks. By two o'clock I felt ready.
The meeting went better. Not great. But better. I paid attention. Asked the right questions. Didn't space out.
When they left one of them pulled me aside.
"Good meeting today, Lyric. Much better than last time. Whatever was distracting you, I'm glad you've got it under control."
I nodded. "Thanks. Won't happen again."
But that was a lie. Because the second the meeting ended I was thinking about Selene. About getting back to Kestrel House. About seeing her tonight.
Rachel knocked on my door around five.
"Heading out, Mr. Moreno. You should too. You've been here since seven this morning."
"I will. Soon."
"Will you though? Or will you wait until dark and go wandering around the building again?"
I looked at her sharply. "What?"
"The security guard mentioned you've been here late every night. Walking around. Going to different floors. He was worried you'd lost something." She gave me a look. "Is this about Selene?"
"How do you know about Selene?"
"You mentioned her last week. Said you couldn't find her. I assumed she worked in the building." Rachel sat down. "Does she?"
"Sort of."
"Sort of. Right." She was quiet for a second. "Look. I don't know what's going on and it's not my business. But you're a good boss. You've always been fair to me. Professional. And lately you've been distracted and tired and different. If there's something wrong, if you need help, you can tell me."
"There's nothing wrong. I'm just... figuring some things out."
"With Selene."
"Yeah."
"Is she good to you? Does she make you happy?"
I thought about Selene's smile. Her laugh. The way she felt in my arms. "Yes. She makes me really happy."
"Then that's good. Just don't lose yourself completely, okay? You're allowed to be happy and still take care of yourself."
"I'll try."
After Rachel left I sat in my office watching the sun set. Waiting for the shift. For the building to change. For the Anamnex to wake up.
At seven-thirty I couldn't wait anymore. I went to the eighth floor.
The hallway was already different. Longer. Wrong. The Anamnex was ready.
I found Selene in the courtyard like usual. She was sitting on the bench looking sad.
"Hey," I said. "You okay?"
She looked up. Tried to smile. "Hi. Yeah. Just thinking."
I sat down next to her. Took her hand. "About what?"
"About your friend. Marcus. I heard him talking to you earlier."
"You were listening?"
"The building hears everything. And I'm part of the building." She squeezed my hand. "He's worried about you."
"He doesn't understand."
"Can you blame him? From his perspective you're dating someone you won't introduce to anyone. Someone who's taking over your life. Of course he's worried."
"You heard everything?"
"Most of it. He thinks I might be using you. Taking advantage."
"I told him that's not true."
"But you couldn't prove it. Because you can't introduce me. Can't show him I'm real." She looked down. "I'm ruining your life, Lyric. Your friend sees it even if you don't."
"You're not ruining anything. You're making it better."
"Am I? You're exhausted. You're missing work. Your friendships are suffering. All because you're spending every night here with me."
"That's my choice."
"I know. But it's not sustainable. Eventually something's going to break. Your career or your friendships or your health." She met my eyes. "I don't want to be the reason you lose everything."
"You're not. I'm choosing this. Choosing you."
"But for how long? Marcus is right. This is obsessive. Unhealthy. You're living two separate lives and eventually you'll have to pick one."
"I pick you."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
She shook her head. "You make it sound so simple."
"It is simple. I love you."
The words came out before I could stop them.
Selene froze. Stared at me. "What?"
"I love you, Selene. I know it's fast. I know it's crazy. But I do. I love you."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Lyric..."
"You don't have to say it back. I just needed you to know. Whatever happens. Whatever we have to figure out. I love you."
She threw her arms around me. Buried her face in my shoulder. I felt her crying.
"Hey. It's okay. I didn't mean to upset you."
"I'm not upset. I'm happy. Terrified but happy." She pulled back to look at me. "I love you too. I have for days. I just didn't think I was allowed to feel that. To want that."
"You're allowed."
"Even though I'm this? Even though I'm trapped here and made of memory and can't give you a normal life?"
"I don't want a normal life. I want this. I want you."
She kissed me. Hard. Desperate. Like she was trying to prove something.
When we pulled apart we were both breathing hard.
"We'll figure it out," I said. "The work stuff. The friend stuff. All of it. We'll find a way to make this work."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
We sat together in the courtyard for hours. Talking about the future. About what it might look like. How to balance both worlds.
I didn't have answers yet. Neither did she.
But we had each other. And right now that felt like enough.
When I finally left to go home it was past midnight. I was exhausted. But also happy. Lighter.
I loved her. She loved me. Everything else we could figure out.
Marcus's words echoed in my head on the drive home. About being obsessed. About needing to prove she was real.
Maybe he was right. Maybe this was unhealthy.
But I didn't care.
For the first time in my life I was in love. Really in love. And I wasn't giving that up.
Not for work. Not for friends. Not for anything.
Selene was worth it.
She was worth everything.
- Writer
