7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Quinn ~Day Three~

My alarm blares, waking me up from my dreamless sleep. I rub at my eyes for a moment before flipping over and grabbing my phone off of the nightstand beside me. I shut it off before looking at the date.

Friday the 13th. 6:30am.

What. The. Fuck.

No. That can’t be possible. It should be Saturday today. Something is very, very wrong. Or maybe I’m completely losing my mind. Either way, I plan on getting to the bottom of this.

I get up slowly, wondering what the hell my first plan of action should even be. I’m overwhelmed, tired, and part of me wants nothing more than to flip onto my belly, cover my head with my covers, and cry until the clock changes to Saturday.

“Fuck,” I hiss out, running my fingers through my hair before forcing myself out of my bed and into the bathroom. Showering will at least do its job in fully waking me up. There’s no way I’m going to piece whatever the fuck is going on while groggy from sleep.

After showering, I run my fingers through my wet hair, slicking it back and out of my face. I skip shaving, deciding to sport my beard instead. If my theory is right, it won’t matter anyway because my beard will just be back tomorrow anyway.

I get dressed before heading into my kitchen in order to feed Fluffy. Opening the fridge, I pull out a bagel and toss it into the toaster.

I grab my bag and put a beanie on my head since my hair is still wet before grabbing my bagel. Then I head out the door with a sour feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have no idea what the hell I should be doing so without any other plan, I head to school.

Which is good because otherwise I would have missed the guy on his phone! The sound of a speeding car hits my ears and I tug the kid back, making sure he’s safely on the sidewalk.

I’ve done that same exact thing three times now. I’ve gone through this day three times.

Everything is slowly coming into focus, like when I’m sliding my glasses on for the first time in the morning. Today is Friday the 13th, but also yesterday was Friday the 13th and so was the day before that. I’m not just experiencing deja vu, I’m experiencing the same exact thing multiple times.

My head is spinning. I look around, realizing I’m surrounded by the same people I’ve walked to school with the last couple days. A few of them give me a funny look but continue walking.

My chest tightens and my hand goes to the center of it, gripping my shirt, wishing I could somehow relieve the tension there. Everything is too much. This realization is too big. I can’t breathe. I can’t do anything.

I lean against a wall, trying my damndest to catch my breath. I pull out my phone, quickly sending out an email to my students that class is canceled today. I can’t do this. I can’t go through class again pretending everything is okay when everything is not okay. In fact, I’d go so far as to say they’re downright fucking wrong . Everything is absolutely fucked.

“Fuck,” I breathe out as I put my phone back into my pocket. I try to replay the last couple days over in my head, trying to pinpoint if anything was different between the two days. Is there anything I can do that won’t put me on the repeat road?

That’s when it hits me. The one thing that was completely different was my interaction with Bennet!

My heart skips a beat as I push off the wall. Scrambling so quickly I almost run into someone, I make my way forward until I’m at the coffee shop. Looking in the window, I see Bennet there.

He might have been the difference between my days but his day seems to be going exactly the same as all the other days. He’s here at the coffee shop.

I think I’m stuck on repeat all alone.

I’m trapped repeating Friday the 13th over and over again all by myself. Everyone around me has the same exact routine and the only reason my interaction with Bennet was different is because I made it different. I waited outside the coffee shop for him instead of being in my office.

The world is crushing down on me. I feel weighed down, like every step will be more difficult than the last. But at the same time, there’s a brief feeling of freedom. Nothing I do today will matter . I could do anything, and no one will remember it tomorrow morning. I could commit any crime, say anything, do anything with no consequences or repercussions.

Fuck it. If no one’s going to remember this, I might as well make the most of it!

I push through the door of the coffee shop and march my way up to Bennet.

This is a terrible idea. There’s a little part at the back of my mind screaming at me how unfair this all is. But I don’t care. For once in my life, I’m going to be reckless. I’m going to do something I’ve been dreaming of doing for years . Hell, since the moment I met Bennet.

I walk up to Bennet and grip the front of his shirt. I enjoy a moment of surprise washing over his features, watching as his eyes widen.

“Quinn!”

I yank Bennet down until we’re nose to nose before planting our lips together. My head is swimming but it’s not the same way it was just a moment ago. Before, I felt like I was drowning. Now, I feel like I’m floating up into the sky and the only thing keeping me tethered to the ground is the feel of Bennet’s lips against my own.

The most surprising part of all this is the fact that Bennet kisses me back.

I pull away with a gasp, looking up into Bennet’s pretty gray eyes. He looks just as confused as I feel but I don’t give a fuck because we kissed and that’s all that matters. I can die a happy man after experiencing that just once.

“Don’t worry,” I tell him seriously. “You won’t remember this tomorrow.” I turn around and start to walk back out of the shop but Bennet grips my wrist, making me stop.

“What did you just say?”

My eyes widen at the intensity of the look he’s giving me. I was so sure I was alone in this time loop. Could I have been wrong? Could Bennet be going through the same as me?

Oh my gods, I thought this kiss would be freebie but it turns out, I might have just made the biggest mistake.