"Took you like an eternity." Jake groans and blinks before climbing out of bed. "Man, this international traveling is rough on the system. I don't even know what time or day it is."
Once he showers and changes into a new set of clothes that he bought at the airport, we hide our bags under the bed and make sure we take anything we don't want stolen.
"After the last time I was robbed, I'm not taking any chances," Jake says. "There's no place to really hide anything here, but it will slow them down at least."
Outside, we take the path that winds back toward the hotel, but before we enter the pool area, I pause to take a good look at the ocean. It's light enough for me to make out the whitecaps and the lift of the waves.
"Wait a sec. I want to take a moment to enjoy it," I whisper to Jake. "It's soothing."
He slips his hand in mine. It's casual as if he had been reaching out as a friend. But I know better. I should pull away, but instead, I look up into his eyes. They glisten in the growing darkness and light a fire within me.
"You can take a moment," he says. "You can take as long as you need. What has happened over the last few days—"
His words fall away in the thick night. I step closer to him. I know I shouldn't, but being with him makes me feel safe. It makes me believe that everything will be okay in the end. This place is ours and ours alone. It's as if we've stepped into our own Dreamscape where anything can happen and everything should.
I press my hands on his chest, feeling his firmness.
"Aria." He says my name like I'm a star in the sky.
He leans in and I don't push away. Before I can even think, his lips are on mine. Soft and eager. I clutch his shirt, pulling him even closer. His breath is minty and I'm lost in the passion of his kiss. His hands cup either side of my face and I slip my hands around the back of his neck, letting myself drown in his embrace.
Time flashes away and I literally forget where I am until a burst of laughter from a group strolling down the path rips me back to reality.
Heists. Murders. Kidnapping. Bombs.
It all rushes back against me like a raging storm. I push myself out of Jake's embrace. The world feels colder, distant without his arms wrapped around me.
The laughing couple passes by us, not even giving us a sideways glance.
"Well." Jake's voice is husky and deep.
Every ounce of my body aches to just step back into his arms and forget the madness around me. I reach for his hand and our fingers intertwine. He lifts up my palm and kisses it.
"Sometimes I feel like I've lived most of my life in a virtual world," he says. "But being here with you, it's like I'm breathing for the first time."
My words jam in my throat, my emotions running wild. I don't know how long our paths have crossed, probably a hundred times since we've had a number of classes together. The truth is, I never gave him a second thought before all this happened. I was only focused on my career and my goals. What else did I miss?
We stroll to the pool bar area and find a table near the edge which gives us a clear view of the pool and the resort's main building. Torches flicker around the pool's perimeter, casting golden beans across the water. The server comes over and hands us menus.
"I'm so hungry." I glance over the menu. "I could eat everything in the kitchen."
"Same." Jake laughs.
We order lumpia to share and then Jake ends up ordering pancit palabok while I choose sinigang. I lean back in my chair, nibbling on my pinkie, studying the people eating, chatting at the bar, and the few swimmers splashing in the illuminated water.
"What's going on in your head right now?" Jake asks, leaning forward.
"I was just thinking how much this moment feels like a dream. I know that sounds cliché and all, but when you enter a dream, there's that sense of otherworldliness to it. Like you don't belong there, and yet you are. If you let that feeling continue, the dreamer senses it, and sometimes that wakes them up or they dismiss you from the dream."
"How do you keep that from happening?"
"For me, it's about believing in the reality of the dream." I fiddle with my napkin. "So far, it's worked well."
"Sun mentioned to me while you guys were in the banker's dream that you were the turning point for MaxLife. What did she mean by that?"
"I don't actually know, but before I joined the Dream Walker team, they always got kicked out of the dream after a minute or so. But when I went in, that all changed. We could stay in for long periods of time. Now, everyone's a lot better at sticking with the dream longer. But I have the record of staying within the dreams the longest. I think it's about the mindset, you know? Believing in the dreamer's dream."
The server delivers our food, and we eat in silence for a while, savoring the food.
"The only good thing that has happened to me in the last few days is I'm not getting those headaches anymore. After everything that has happened to us, I'm beginning to wonder if my headaches were orchestrated because they spurred me to go to MaxLife for treatment. I was totally played. I guess it feels good to be doing something about it rather than just being used."
"Are you still upset at me?" I finally dare to ask the question that's been haunting me. "For entering your dreams."
"Upset?" His eyebrows rise as if surprised and then he shrugs. "I guess I'm more upset that this all happened. But as crazy as this sounds, I'm kind of glad. I mean, did you ever in a million years think we'd be hanging out together like this?"
I laugh. "No, I guess not. Everything for me has always been about college and my future goals."
"If we get back to our real lives—"
"You mean when."
"When." He nods, running his finger along the condensation of the glass. "I don't want things to be awkward or weird between us."
I stiffen, unsure how to take that. Did he mean things would be over for us once we got back? Or did it mean that he wants to continue as we are now? Before I can process that, a text pops up on my screen.
"It's from Javier," I say.
Meet me by the door of the back office in five.