The beam of morning light peeked through the shades, hitting my closed eyes and making me turn my head. I heard steps outside the door of the room as I remained in the half-awake and half-asleep never-never land. I knew it was morning, but I hated the thought of getting up.

I’m so tired!

Deciding to let my mind wander, I hoped I was back at my college campus.

No, the bed is too soft; I thought.

That led me to the next steps I needed to take in a place under a unique identity. Letting out a sigh, I hoped I was as smart as I believed. The bright sunlight struck my closed eyelids again and brought me out of my thoughts. But I kept my eyes closed for a reason.

What weirdness was waiting for me now?

Steeling myself, I finally accepted the inevitable.

“Yep, I’m still in Weirdsville,” I mumbled as I looked around the room.

I’m in the same twin bed in the bedroom. I still don’t have any status windows or inventory items showing up in my head as I look around the room. Not that I expected it, but you never know what shit I’m going to run into. Looking over, I noticed a mirrored clock showed me the time was nearly eight.

“Damn it,” I groused.

I still held the slight hope that I would be back in my apartment near the college before I opened my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I steady myself before proceeding with my plans for this new world. However, the footsteps coming from outside the bedroom door led me to guess who stood there.

“Come on in, Adele.” I called out just as a soft knock occurred.

The door opened while I sat up.

Standing in the doorway was Adele in a white summer dress. I might have dropped my jaw for a moment because she seriously looked so sexy and cut that my mind started churning again about her familiar face. I know I’ve seen her before. The woman’s blue eyes assessed me as she stood there.

“You should have taken your clothes off before going to sleep,” she stated.

I looked down at my wrinkled clothes, then gave her an embarrassed grin.

“Yeah, you can see that it was the end of a tough day and a pretty crappy night as well.”

She frowned at the comment.

“Are you planning on staying long?”

Standing up, I stepped toward her. This time, she held her ground.

“Yeah, I’m going to fix things, don’t you remember what I told you?”

What the hell do I know about repairing a marriage?

It doesn’t matter. I must become a loving husband quickly. It was the only plan available to me, so I had to make it work. I hoped that her feelings for Lane remained strong enough to turn her back into a supporter. Adele was the one person who cared about Lane Dagger. Nothing written in that damn notebook showed me any other people who were friends.

I needed her for a host of reasons, mainly because of her money and probably her contacts in the city. Yeah, I’m acting like another copy of Lane, but I consoled myself with the fact that I don’t plan on using her fortune except to get out of the place. Hell, she can drive me to the airport and that’s alight.

Do they have airlines flying here? I wondered briefly when I remembered it’s 1940.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

To my mind, everyone I met so far, Adele included, is really nothing more than an NPC. Sure, they might bleed from a punch and yell about feelings, but so do the characters in games. It was that rationalization I decided upon as I fell asleep. This hell I’m living in, I plan on treating it like a game. Every action I take will come from my needs and wants with the goal of escaping. The problem was that I knew I needed a lot of luck since I’m hardly the loveable type. The first option was to bring Adele into my circle. It had to be done.

As we looked at each other in the awkward pause, I noticed Adele’s oval face carried a hint of freckles underneath her makeup. But it was Adele’s blue eyes that held me. They showed vulnerability, along with doubt, while trying to understand the change she held in her husband. Fortunately, those eyes weren't angry and I planned to use that internal conflict I saw to my advantage.

Yeah, I’m an asshole, I guess.

“What does that even mean coming from you?”

Her skeptical tone made me give her a devious grin. Reaching out, I seized her in my arms and pulled her close. It surprised me she stood only a couple of inches shorter than me.

“It’s easier to explain with actions,” I said to the rigid woman in my arms.

Adele tried to push me away, but I continued to hold her tight against my chest. Her half-hearted struggle ceased after a moment. She kept her head down, refusing to look at me after she realized I wasn’t letting go of my advantage. Her auburn hair tickled my nose, and I enjoyed the fresh smell from her shampoo.

“We start with the basics, my dear, to fix the underlying problems,” I told her.

“Holding me won’t do it,” she complained, still refusing to look at me. “It’s too late for your cheesy ways.”

“Of course not,” I agreed. “You carry a lot of scars from Lane. We need to take one step at a time. You need much more in your life beyond apologies.”

After I sighed, I continued to murmur to her.

“I suppose you sit at home all day only to be ignored when Lane walks into the apartment. You find your husband to be cold and uncaring. Your husband is a bastard digging for gold and using you as his bank account. Does that summary spell out what’s led us to this point?”

Of course, my words came from my review of the little black book. The bastard who married Adele for her money purposely removed himself from her life after he got the control that he wanted. Adele carried the fatal tendency to believe in the best about people, even when they didn’t deserve it. It made her a pushover to Lane’s designs.

Yeah, I’m cynical about people because I’ve seen so many crappy people even at my age.

“Why are you talking that way? You’re the one who’s at fault,” Adele kept her arms at her side.

I remained surprised that she didn’t kill Lane or get her lover to do it. Then I thought of Lloyd’s reaction last night. He appeared shocked at seeing me. No, the better way to describe his reaction was disbelief that I was there. The look made me decide I would follow up with that son of a bitch soon enough.

“Yes, of course. I know it’s appeared that way for far too long,” I said. “But we’re starting again here starting this morning. I can apologize forever, but I must prove that I care. I need to let you remember the man you married. Plus, I need your help to become a better man. Isn’t that right?”

Sure, I’m being as selfish as hell by twisting her good nature. But I looked at it this way. Lane Dagger treated Adele like crap to be free of a wife and receive half of her fortune. But I’m not Lane Dagger. That means I’ll do it my way. So, fuck whoever put me here acting like this jerk. I’m going to do the exact opposite.

I’m keeping her so she can help me.

“You know that it’s too late for that,” she insisted. “Now, are you going to let me go?” she asked, trying to regain control of the situation.

Unfortunately for her, I had another trump card I planned on using. I lifted her head to face me.

“No, I’m not letting you go. Hear me loud and clear, babe. I decided that you and I will stay together. Now I’m going to prove it every day. It's our resuscitation. I need you, and I was too damn dumb to realize it.”

She shook her head, but I suddenly pressed my lips to hers. Her eyes widened at the unexpected action. As I kissed her lips and sucked on them, she remained passive, which I partially expected. However, I continued. While my few girlfriends in the past might disagree, I have confidence in my kissing ability. My lips continued savoring the taste and sensation of her soft and fragrant lips.

Adele turned her head to refuse. However, I pulled her tight with one arm and grabbed the back of her head with the other hand. Slowly, I started kissing her passionately again. This time, her hands came to my chest and weakly pushed at me. She still wanted to be with Lane but the pain of his actions remained in her heart. I pulled back from my kiss and grinned at her.

“Babe, I can do this all day long. I meant every word when I said that you’re mine. That means I’m yours as well. Unless you plan on throwing me away, get used to the idea that we’re sticking together.”

Noticing her complicated expression, I brought my lips back to hers. This time, my tongue snaked its way in to find hers. Her hands dropped, and she slowly put her arms around me. Even as I focused my attention on lips and tongue, I felt her distrust. Still, she didn’t push away any longer. I recognized the opportunity and I’m going for it.

Lane is a fucking idiot, I thought.