In a bed, in a cabin with someone unexpected

Zack's eyes fluttered open. His vision still blurred and the lights dim, he struggled to make sense of the place he was in. He sensed immediately that he was lying down on his back on something soft, with a pillow underneath his head and covers over his body.

Next he began to take in the sights around him, the wooden walls, the rustic design, he guessed he was at the cabin. Why did that seem so strange to him? He ha a vague recollection of a dream where he was wandering through a dark forest looking for someone. He had climbed a mountain only to find a bright and brilliant light and then...

He suddenly became aware of someone sitting on the bed that he was in, dabbing at his forehead with something damp. He turned his head slightly, and in the dim light of the bedside lamp, he saw a girl with dark, raven hair.

"Lisa?" he mumbled, not quite sure if this was still a dream.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," she said, smiling as she continued stroking his head with the wet cloth.

"What are you doing at the cabin?" He tried to sit up but his head ached. "What happened?"

"My dad hit you with his car." She laughed. "I know, it's all very Back to the Future, but he said you wandered out in front of his car. So he brought you up here to our cabin."

Zack blinked as he looked around, realising that this wasn't the Ravers Cabin, it was the Rivera cabin.

"You're lucky we decided to come up here for a week," Lisa continued. "Who knows what might have happened if it had been someone else who ran into you? You could be lying in a ditch somewhere dying."

Zack noted the genuine concern in her voice. He reached out and took her hand, bringing it from his forehead to his lips and kissing it gently.

"Thank you, Lisa. This is better than I deserve."

She smiled and for a moment they lingered, staring into each others eyes. Then the door behind them opened and Lisa jumped to her feet, pulling her hand away.

Carlos Rivera entered looking suspiciously at his daughter and then to Zack. He was still dressed in his police attire. Zack found Mr. Rivera intimidating at the best of times, but seeing him in uniform almost made Zack want to apologise for getting in the way of his car.

"Zachery. Been a long time. How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad, sir." He made more of an effort to sit up. "Thank you for looking after me."

"Well, I couldn't just leave you. That'd be a hit and run, son. But you should thank Lisa. She's been the one taking care of you." Lia blushed and hid her face. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, what were you doing out there running around?"

"I was looking for someone. Chloe!" He said, suddenly remembering who he had been searching for. "Me and some of my friends are staying up at Ravers cabin for a few weeks. I thought Chloe went for a walk and went after her but I'm the one who got lost."

"I see. It's fortunate I was driving slow because I thought I saw someone moving in the woods. But thankfully you seem alright. I'd hate to have to write myself up for nearly killing my daughter's ex-boyfriend."

Zack knew it was a joke, so he laughed; a very ****, fake laugh.

Carlo turned to leave, and he added, "Susan is making dinner. Join us. Some food will do you good."

Zack nodded, "Thank you, it'd be my pleasure."

Carlos left, leaving the door ajar.

"Having you over for dinner..." Lisa figeted with the damp cloth, making it drip all over the wooden floor. "feels like old times."

"Yeah, it's kind of surreal, being here like this again," he admitted, and then a thought came to mind. "Hey, Lisa, can I borrow your phone?"

"Sure," she said, slipping it out of her jeans pocket. "What for?"

"I'd just like to let the others know I'm alright."

"No problem," she said, handing him the phone and then heading towards the door. "Gimme it back at dinner, ok?"

She left as Zack looked down at the phone. The cover photo was still of him and her, a selfie she'd taken of them cuddling, with him kissing her cheek. Even after eight months she still didn't have the nerve to change it.