A sundress and a promise.

Lily didn’t say anything else before she got up and left. He wanted to stop her, but there wasn’t anything else he could say for now. Her Link was deeply tied with her mother’s, so if there was any hope for them, it lay in the progression of Marlene’s Link.

In the meantime, he needed to check on Ophelia. His feet carried him in the direction of the beach and it’s shadowy bridge. On his way, he tried to sort out his feelings.

I thought having no strings attached sex with Mrs. Fairchild would be easy, but that was before I gave a crap about Harlan. And Lily... I guess I thought she’d be fine with it. Or wouldn’t have to know about it, at least, but Marlene had plans of her own.

Sand started to crunch under his shoes as he got closer to the beach. He looked at the hand that had attacked Lily, turning it over and examining it as if it was an alien artifact.

First I practically **** my mom, then I lose it and strangle Lily? What’s wrong with me? Was I always like this?

He remembered one of his first conversations with Cammy.

“I might have to change, completely.”

“...would ‘me’ even exist anymore?”

I wasn’t scared to lose anything, and I guess I’m still not. But I never considered if I was scared of what I might turn into. Do I really want to help people? I keep saying that, but the only person I’ve tried to help is Jessie, and she’s still miserable.

He remembered waking up with her and the way he’d preserved her modesty. The way his heart cloaked itself in such gentle emotion when he was with her. Whoever I might become, I’m better with her. Whether I’m a guard dog or a man doesn’t really matter right now. I need her, and I have to believe I can do something for her, too.

What’d that mean for his other Soul Links? If he was turning into an erratic freak, should he really be running around actively looking for more people to hurt?

That’s not who I am. I won’t let it be. I’m going to help Lily and Mrs. Fairchild. And Ophelia, if I can find her. I was scared of her familiar pain, but if it’s familiar then that just means I know how to deal with it.

There she was, in the same spot he’d left her to the mercy of a storm. This time wearing a white sundress. Like her other clothes, it billowed around her.

Thank god.

Leon trudged through the fine white sand until he stood next to her. It appeared that she was mid ‘fall’ so he sat down in the cool sand next to her and waited. The wind was blowing her dress up enough that he could probably get a peek underneath. You didn’t do it to Jessie, so don’t do it to Ophelia.

He closed his eyes and tried to fall with her. Several minutes passed, and he still couldn’t really do it. There were too many other things to think about and he couldn’t clear his head enough to go as deep as her.

Plastic brushed his ear, and the soothing beats of Uyama Hiroto flowed through his soul. When he opened his eyes, she was looking at him with interest.

“You came back.”

“I did.”

“Why?”

“I was worried about you,” he said, and smiled at her. “Plus, I like downtempo vibing with you.”

“Worried about me?” She idly brushed some sand off of her bare foot, and he noticed an elegant pair of strapped sandals sitting next to her. She dresses awfully nice for someone who acts like she doesn’t care about anything.

“Yeah. I don’t know why. I thought the storm would blow you away, I guess.”

Her hand stopped wiping sand and she pressed a finger to his forehead. She moved it around like she was searching for a buried treasure. It must have been a bizarre sight to any beach goers that noticed them.

“I don’t need an excuse to fall for real,” she said. How’d she know that’s what he was thinking?

“How did you...?”

“Forehead wrinkles expose the soul, if you know how to trace them.”

“Err... is that like palm reading?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

The wind blew the curtains of her hair closed across her face. Despite the sunny day, she looked sad, sitting there.

What would have helped him when he was in a mood like this?

“I don’t like the idea of losing my new music buddy,” he said.

“Fall with me, then.”

“I can’t. I’m sorry. Maybe I would’ve, if I met you a week ago.” He absentmindedly started sweeping grains of sand from her feet where she’d left off. “I found some reasons to stick around since then.”

Ophelia watched his hand. “You probably should have asked before you did that.”

“What are- oh. Uh sorry. I didn’t realize what I was doing. I’ll stop.” He felt like a weirdo.

“You don’t have to. If you did it without thinking about it, then maybe some astral **** was guiding you. It’s better not to interfere with a whim like that.”

Leon could barely process what she was saying, but he left his hand on her foot. The expected arousal from the skin to skin contact never came to him. Establishing a bodily connection just felt important to him, for some reason. Like it would tether her to reality and keep her from drifting off into a dream.

“I’ve never found one of those. A reason to stick around.”

“How old are you?” He already knew, thanks to Cammy, but he couldn’t let her know that he knew.

Ophelia looked perplexed. “22. How come you already know that?”

“I didn’t know ‘til you told me.”

“But you did. Your lips formed the question, but your voice didn’t really ask it. Do you know my name, too?”

“No,” he said. He was spooked by how easily she could see through him.

“Say my name.”

“I don’t...” Her hand grabbed his wrist and he could almost see himself reflected in her steely eyes. “Ophelia.”

“Are you a stalker?” It seemed like the kind of moment where someone should get mad or scared, but she seemed more intrigued than anything else. Excited, even?

“No, I’m not. I can’t tell you how I know, but I don’t mean you any harm.”

“I know. That’s what makes you interesting. Most people who approach me on the beach have some sort of agenda. Especially when I’m wearing a dress like this, where the wind will show them everything they want to see.”

“Do you want them to look?”

“Not particularly. It’s embarrassing.” She didn’t look remotely embarrassed.

“Then why wear it?”

“To test you.”

“You knew I’d come back?”

“I hoped you would,” she said it as flatly as everything else, but it made him happy.

“You wanted to see if I’d peek?”

“I wanted to know your intentions. All I can tell is that you didn’t find me to hurt me. Beyond that, you’re a mystery. And I suppose I wanted to show off a little, if you did reappear.”

“Show off... to me you mean?”

“Mhm. How do I look?”

If she always knew when he was lying, buttering her up was pointless.

“You look really nice. I like your sandals.” A crappy compliment, but at least it was true.

“Thank you. I like them too,” she said, and let go of his wrist. He forgot she was holding onto it until her hand was gone. “So... why did you ask about my age earlier?”

“Oh, right! Well, I was gonna point out that I’m 19 and it took me all the way till a few days ago to find something worth living for. Is it so hard to believe that whatever that might be, could be waiting for you tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that?”

“It’s not hard to believe. I’m just getting impatient. I want to go to another world, not waste my life here.”

Jessie would be getting home soon, and he’d promised her pictures today. Ophelia didn’t seem any safer to leave alone than she did yesterday, though.

“You called me a mystery, right?”

“Yes, because you are one.”

“You can’t go off and leave an unsolved mystery, can you?”

“I admit that I want to understand you. I’m not used to being unable to ascertain something.”

“Then could I ask you to promise me something?”

“I don’t like promises. They chain me down.”

“As it so happens, that’s exactly my intention,” he said with a grin. “Don’t hurt yourself or try to fall for real, at least until you understand me. And... give me your phone number, please? So I know you’re okay, and maybe we can text about music or something?”

“So you want me to chain my fate to you...? Hmm. I suppose I could, but keep in mind that once I solve your mystery, that chain will be severed. I’m not the kind of person who sticks around. I promise to stay in this world until I solve your mystery,” Ophelia said, and gave him her phone number. He filed it in his phone and texted her right away to make sure it was the right number. She pulled a phone out of her bra and looked at it.

Leon: Your dress is very pretty, too.

Ophelia leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said, and offered him the ghost of a smile.

“So you can smile.”

“This is my favorite outfit. I’m happy you like it.” She took the earbud from his ear. “You have to go now, right? That’s okay, and don’t worry. I’ll keep our promise.”

The wind continued to blow her dress around revealingly when she closed her eyes. He stood up and started to walk away. At the edge of the bridge, he looked back.

If he was a shithead up to no good, Ophelia would be an easy target. Obscured in shadow, eyes closed, a dress for easy access...

Jessie is gonna kill me, but I can’t leave Ophelia sitting here like that. If anything happens, I’ll feel responsible. She wore the dress for me.

He walked back to her and shook her shoulder. She looked up at him.

“I don’t like being interrupted.”

“Come with me.”

Ophelia looked bewildered. It seemed like a brand new emotion when her face wore it. “Ummm... well...”

“I’m going to meet my sister. We’re having a photo shoot, and you’re free to watch. Or join in if you want, but no pressure.”

“I thought we were done for the day.”

“Me too, but I’m worried about you. Besides, hanging out could be fun.”

“I told you not to worry.”

“Not about that. You look a little... exposed, sitting here.”

Ophelia looked down at her dress. “Women out there wear much less than this.”

“Sure they do. But when you’re falling, you tune everything out. Are you telling me no one has tried to mess with you under here before?”

“They’ve tried, but I’m not so easy a target as I might look.” She stood up. “I didn’t foresee you inviting me on a date. There are worse ways to waste time, I suppose.”

“A date!? I didn’t say anything about a...” She looked at him, puzzled. “You know what? Never mind,” he relented. He offered her his hand.

“It might not be much of a date, but I’d be happy to have you along.”

Her fingers locked in with his. “Lead the way.”