Page 70 of Tapeworld Induction

As soon as she stuck the tape on her temple, the practised gesture almost a ritual, her resting idle routine kicked in while her consciousness slingshotted through the sky and plummeted into the ground. The dirt became individual specs of earth and then each spec became a star and each star shot out in a continuous trail, at first in a straight line and then drawing concentrical circles. And then she was there, as if she had always been there and had never left, back among the rolling green hills of her personal tape-space. Home.

Isaak was already there waiting for her, in all his hyperdefinition. He was wearing a black tee, black jeans, black boots. Arm and chest muscles defined, beard cropped to four millimetres. The Gunkatana was hanging from his belt, the blade and revolver derezzed.

He looked cool AF.

“Hi, Dylan.” He slipped his hands in his back pockets.

She couldn’t contain a smile. “Hey…” With a hand gesture she magicked a plush orange sofa into existence, just behind him. “Sit down. Let’s chat!”

Her joy at seeing him again was real. But it was also a mask for the anxiety pulsing beneath her skin. Worry about his intentions. Whether he was on the same wavelength as her.

With a swift move he pulled the Gunkatana’s grip in front of them, making it hover in mid-air. He sat down awkwardly.

She chuckled and joined him. They were sitting side by side, Isaak very tense and straight. Dylan grabbed his hand and pulled his arm around her shoulders. The warmth of his body was a comfort she didn’t realise how desperately she wanted until now.

That seemed to be the encouragement he needed. His lean, long arm embraced her and kept pulling her closer to his bulk. She turned to look at him and they locked eyes.

This was it. He was going to kiss her.

She shifted her body to face him as much as she could. She leant closer to him, expecting him to match her movement, but—

“Dee, I’m sorry.”

What?! No…

“Sorry? What are you sorry for?”

He looked like he was trying to speak, but nothing came out.

“I get it,” she said, trying to be comforting. “You’re worried about struggling with cash. But you’ll be happy you stopped working for Astrid—”

“I have to tell you something!” His words came fast out of his mouth.

“What is it?”

Isaak began to look more nervous, his legs moving restlessly, feet tapping. He moved further from her again in the seat, his hands finding their way into his black jeans pockets somehow, his gentle warmth gone.

“I wasn’t just her employee.”

Dylan’s stomach dropped, her mouth dry. She felt herself slowly going numb.

“Please listen, Dee. It didn’t mean anything.”

Her arms and legs had lost all feeling. “I should leave. She’s not good people, Isaak. Fucking hell… Don’t tell me you slept with her last night!” Her thoughts crashed into each other. She was so stupid.

“No! Goddess, no, not at all.” The strider reached for her hand. “Don’t go, please. It was a long time ago. Please, stay.”

She got up, his hand still holding hers. She felt embarrassed. Everything was hurting inside her. It made her want to shrink and disappear. She looked him in the eyes, looking for an explanation.

“I fucked up. But that was before I met you.”

Dylan sat back next to him slowly, every movement guarded.

He sat almost motionless.

After a few minutes of silence he said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just felt shitty for not being honest about it from the beginning. I don’t want to hide anything from you.”

She nodded slowly. “Thank you. I’m glad you told me.” She still couldn’t look him in the eye, trying hard not to picture him undressed, a boy toy on that woman’s arm.