Page 129 of Locked in Wonderland

I took comfort in his words. I was going home. Maybe not as the same Lysander who’d arrived in Wonderland, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Only time would tell. And at least I wouldn’t be facing whatever came next alone.

Chapter Forty

Nico’s prediction about the rest of the journey proved correct.

Neither of us spoke in the dinghy. For me, it was because the approaching shore possessed a fantastical quality that I was struggling to wrap my head around. For Nico... well, I didn’t know. He’d barely said a word since we’d left the bathroom, leaving me no clue what was going on inside that head of his. Regret? Relief? Concern? Worry about what the future might hold? Any of them would have been understandable.

The whole thing felt so surreal that it wouldn’t have come as a surprise to find my suitcase exactly where I left it.

It wasn’t.

A scan of the beach as we stepped ashore didn’t reveal so much as a trace of it. There was probably a homeless man somewhere wearing my entire wardrobe, smelling marginally better thanks to my deodorant and cologne. I could think of it as a donation to charity.

“This is where we first met,” I said as we reached the railing. “You were all mysterious and perfectly tailored, and I was―”

“Not very good at pretending you didn’t find me attractive.”

“Probably true,” I admitted.

“Definitely true.”

Nico hooked his elbows over the railing, settling into exactly the same position I’d first seen him in. Whether by accident or design, I couldn’t tell.

I joined him. It was late enough that everything had closed, the cafe where we’d shared breakfast silent and dark. The surreal feeling returned as I reluctantly turned my gaze to the sea, where Wonderland rose from it like the back of some sleeping leviathan.

Determined not to dwell on the past few weeks, I forced myself to look to the future instead. “So I guess we get a hotel tonight. We can try the one I stayed at before. It’s not fancy, but the food’s okay and the beds are comfortable. If they’re full, there’s another one just up the road. My car should still be parked nearby too, assuming no one’s stolen it. Then tomorrow we can drive to my place. It’s a two-hour drive, so not too bad. I rent, so if you don’t like it we can always find somewhere bigger.” I smiled. “Though I’m assuming we’ll only need the one bedroom.”

Nico pushed himself away from the railing and reached into his pocket. He withdrew a brown leather wallet, opened it, and removed a thick wad of notes. “For the hotel and the petrol.” He held them out.

I pushed his hand away. “Or you could just pay for things. I’ll let you,” I joked. “I promise not to complain about being a kept man.”

He offered the money again. Something in his expression made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “You’re not coming with me?”

“No.”

A black hole opened up in my stomach. It threatened to spread if I let it. I took the money automatically, more interested in buying myself a few seconds to compose myself than putting it in my wallet. “I don’t understand.” Understatement of the century. “I thought we…”

Nico turned back to face the sea. Every inch of him looked perfectly relaxed, and I hated him for it.

I refused to finish the sentence. “So you’re just going to dump me here?”

He laughed. “That’s a little dramatic. No one’s dumping you. I returned you to where you started.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Did I promise you anything?”

“No.” The truth of the word burned.

“Did I ever say what would happen once we got off the island?”

“No.” That one came out angrier.

“You think you want me.”

“I do want you.”

The corner of his mouth twitched.