I was not lucky, and I did not dream of Adam again. Instead, my dreams were filled with the sound of chaos. I could hear the racket of screams, crying, and fighting. I could taste the salt of sweat and the stench of panic. I tossed and turned, waking up every few minutes to look around.

Something was going to happen, yet Dreamland kept pulling me back under its control to dream some more.

I woke up with gritty eyes, a mouth full of sand, reddened cheeks from tears, and a foul mood.

I didn't bother having any sense of decorum and pulled out what I needed from my space to clean, dress, and feed myself.

I slipped on a brown sundress with billowing sleeves. I needed something that the sand wouldn't ruin and could still look cute with sand on it. The sun was taking its time rising, so I pulled out a red shawl to wrap around my shoulders. I had packed for beauty over comfort, and all of the clothing I kept for date nights was cute, not functional.

I was thirstier than hungry, so I sipped rose milk tea and nibbled on shortbread cookies. The hit of sugar gave me the energy I needed to feel emboldened by my circumstances. I slipped everything I had left out back into my space as I finished my drink.

Today, I was leaving this hellhole. I stood with purpose and determination that shifted into panic as I looked around me.

I scoured the beach and saw that the wind had come through, which was part of why I slept so poorly, but there had to be more to it than that.

As if my growing apprehension summoned trouble, the same frogs that felled the boat started dropping down from the sky like rain.

I gaped for a split second as droplets of slimy frog goo were aimed at my head.

I didn't have time to think, and instinctively, I reached for whatever plant life was around me.

I'd meant to shield myself, but that's not what happened. Again, like on the boat, the plants I summoned did something they'd never done before.

They grew past my control and then they did something new and went straight into murder mode.

Thorns the size of daggers grew on the palm fronds to slice the frogs in half. Whatever frog was missed was taken care of by the coconuts that grew pointy teeth to devour the remains.

I was shielded at least by some tumbleweeds that covered my eyes from seeing the slaughter.

But nothing could stop the scent of death, blood, and acid.

My hands shook as the weeds stopped covering me to join the hunt. And it truly was a hunt by now. The plants were mercilessly going after any frogs trying to escape.

Fear, shame, and panic filled my blood as I did the one thing I could think of to save my skin. I tightened my grip on the red shawl that covered my head and ran into the trees.

I didn't get far. My stomach once again proved its strange new weakness, and I puked in a nearby bush. I frantically apologized to the bush as my stomach emptied the meager rations I had managed to eat that morning. My stomach churned out everything it could until all I could spew was clear stomach mucous.

I curled up in a ball on the ground, whimpering and ashamed. I must have passed out at some point. I eventually came to when a cool hand landed on my forehead. I'd recognize that touch anywhere.

"Adam," I said as I attempted to open my eyes. All the previous trauma to my eye made it a bit hard to do so, so I gave up opening them.

"Wendy." His voice said without its familiar warmth.

My eyes shot open, and I pulled away. It's Rex. His face was under better control, but he had a strange gaze on me. He looked perfect, without a single strand of hair out of place. How did he manage that? His hair was slicked, he was wearing a clean suit, and his utterly handsome face could have walked right off the cover of a magazine.

"You're sick?" He said. His words drew me from my longing and thoughts of him.

Outwardly, I managed to shrug, but internally, I was screaming and dying a thousand deaths over and over. Rex should not see me like this. How could he fall in love with someone who had puke breath?

I was ruining our timeline after all my hard work to piece it together.

I managed to sit up, and his firm hands supported me. It was courtesy, not kindness, being shown, and that made this painful even as I found myself leaning into his hands.

"I'll help you get off this island, but then we'll go our separate ways," Rex said, perfunctorily taking his hands away when I was steadied.

I gave a jerky nod in response, not trusting my voice to sound reasonable or unemotional.

There was a brief intermission where I withdrew water from my space to clear my eyes. I didn't realize until I was done that Rex was watching my every movement. He looked suspicious and cautious of me, but he hadn't run away from me screaming yet.

I didn't have it in me to blame him. I wanted to get off this island, maybe more than him, so I could return to Adam.

"I found a boat that we can use," Rex said as he took off towards the beach. I followed him, stumbling along. The plants came to life as I tried to leave the forest; however, I reached out to touch and greet everything. These plants could have been shushed to behave, but meeting new plants was a rare moment. We were in a tropical place, so we were very far from Green's Mountain.

Eagerly, I swiped their seeds, leaves, and flower offerings. With the ease of practice, I slipped them into my space happily. In return for these gifts, I offered my energy to them.

I didn't realize until we reached the sand, which was delayed by the plants trying to keep me, that he had taken me to a different beach. I couldn't see my bloodied beach or any other familiar marker. This beach had a brand new boat moored nearby. I blinked as I took in this new boat. It was better quality than the one that crashed.

If Wyatt were here, he could explain away all the gadgets and features of it. All I knew was that it was maroon with a black sail. Of all the things to anticipate, being on a boat during the end times had not been on my radar.

"Let's go," Rex said as he cut across the sand to go on board. I tried not to drag my feet. I would caution us to grab supplies if I were an ordinary person, but we both had spaces full of things. I told Rex about mine, but he had not mentioned or shown his. That is until now. There was no way he found a random boat this nice on this ugly deserted island.

He had it in his space, and he pulled it out. But if I said anything about it, that could shatter our little peace in this moment.

I bit my lip as I waded out into the water. I was hesitating about how I would jump on board when Rex reappeared. His eyes looked better, but his face was cold as he looked down at me. Overnight, the wounds on his face had disappeared. How did that happen? My mind recalled the drink he made me drink during that fever 'dream.' Maybe he had medicine that was that potent. But if he did, then why hadn't he used it sooner? Is he on guard with me? He gave in and used such an extravagance.

Our eyes remained locked during this, and I fought off tears and agony as I hurt myself with my own assumptions. I tried to replicate how he climbed up. There weren't stairs or a ladder but little dents on the side I could fit my feet in. I couldn't get too far, though, and my stomach did not like the idea of the sea or my emotional waves.

"Wendy," Rex said in Adam's voice, and he bent down to help me. Like a toddler demanding uppises I lifted my arms. He obliged and pulled me up. Rex smelled different from Adam. He didn't wear the cologne I was used to, but underneath the scent of the sea, I could find fragments of Adam spice. My throat tightened painfully, making it hard to breathe or speak.

I lingered at this whiff and latched onto Rex like an octopus. He stiffened as I absorbed his warmth. My leeching was ended by him pulling me off him.

"Boundaries Wendy." He said stiffly before turning away to start the boat. The boat's steering wheel, along with all the buttons, had its own little room with a 360 view of everything. Thanks to that view, I was able to watch Rex.

I hadn't recovered my voice by the time the boat was revved up and got going. The start was choppy at best, but the ride was suspiciously smooth once the boat got moving.

I recovered the strength to move, at least. I moved around the top deck, looking for the way below. I found a latch door with ladder stairs, which looked good enough. I went down to the bottom deck, my curiosity getting the better of me.

I looked up, curious if Rex would mind, and found his eyes locked on me. I couldn't read what was in them, but I fled, no longer caring what he thought of me exploring.

The tiny sliver of belief that Rex could have found this boat was wiped clean when I saw the interior below deck. The expensive upper deck was nothing to laugh at. But this blew my expectations out of the water.

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It was full of lovely dark wood that gleamed with taste. Some kind of hardwood floors I couldn't identify, as well as a kitchen with an island. Everything looked new and expensive, like something that would be gifted to the Rexford heir.

There was a squished living area with a couch and TV. The first door I opened turned out to be a bathroom. The second was a storage closet, and it was when I turned to the last door I found the bedroom.

The bed took up almost all of the space, and what was left were expensive-looking dressers, a TV, and end tables. It looked like a nice hotel room done in a tiny living style.

Everything smelled brand new, and I turned around, planning on collapsing on the couch.

Instead, I ran right into a hard chest. I rubbed my nose as I looked up. Rex had followed me down here?

"You can sleep in here. I'll be above deck. There's a bed in the wheelhouse." Rex's voice was the epitome of civility.

I gave a jerky nod, not trusting myself enough to speak. I was rubbing my throat, but it was not helping me. Its tightening showed no signs of stopping.

I'll get through this. I repeated this in my head as I took him up on that offer.

I woke up not knowing how much time had passed. I wouldn't have left the decadent bed if it weren't for my bladder. It guided me out of the room, however. I peeked through a crack in the door and didn't spot Rex.

Like a thief, I ran into the bathroom, trying to avoid making noise or possibly being spotted. I was stopped from closing the door at the glory of the bathroom. Everything on this ship looked excessively expensive.

"Just found it." I snorted disbelievingly before I could stop myself. My voice was hoarse, and my throat was still a menace. I would have to drink some tea and maybe soup to help, but I had a more pressing matter for now.

I used the toilet a little too gleeful at the full bladder I managed to retain. I then took the time to admire the shower as I washed my hands. Everything is just so nice.

There was no sign of Rex when I exited the bathroom. He was likely still above in the wheelhouse. He was helping me off the island but would maintain his distance from me whenever possible.

I rubbed my hungry tummy as I looked around the kitchen. Nosy me couldn't stop from opening every cabinet and drawer. That was how I found the fridge tucked away. It was huge but rolled out like a drawer.

When I was done snooping, I could take stock of what was available. There was food, but it was all dry in the cabinets and things with expiration dates that could have passed. The fridge was empty, but that wasn't a big deal.

Seeing such a bare-bones pantry physically hurt, so I started slipping meat, milk, cream, and yogurt into the fridge. I also took the time to fill up the rest of the drawers and cabinets with pantry goods. I had an untapped gold mine of cuisine in my space, and the satisfaction of filling the emptiness with food was worth it.

I had plenty of Adam's favorite beef stew in my space. What if I fed it to Rex, and he liked it? Adam had lapped at it like a cat in his car when we were kids. In hindsight, maybe he was doing that because I had fed it to him here in his second lifetime, and he wanted to taste it again.

This thought gave me strength, and I stood up, intending to go to the island table and pull it out for Rex. Instead, I became dizzy as I stood and blindly reached for something to hold onto.

My hands grabbed onto something warm and masculine. "Adam," I said as I turned to see liquid brown eyes looking down at me. "I mean Rex. Thank you." I quickly corrected myself. I dropped his hand as if it burned me and chose to lean on the closest counter.

He overlooked my misuse of his name and said stiffly, "If you're unwell, you should lay back down."

"I was going to make dinner," I said. "To thank you for everything and to say sorry."

His eyelashes came down, and I couldn't read his eyes. Whatever he was thinking was wiped clean of his expression and gaze as he backed away. "Get some rest, Wendy. I don't need your food."

He was gone, back upstairs in seconds.

Why had he bothered coming down just to say that? He could have come for the bathroom but didn't even glance at the door. A wild thought took root in my heart as I stared after him.

Could Rex be attracted to me? I bit my lip at that thought. That couldn't be it. He was likely just wary. If he was cautious, why had he brought me with him? Sure, he would drop me off when we reached wherever we were going, but he took me with him.

These unreasonable thoughts fluttered in my chest, and I rubbed them as I looked down and away. But I couldn't make them go away. Maybe Rex was just as drawn to me as I was to him? Like Adam, he had a habit of finding me when I faltered.

Our love was fated even with me being a mess.

I did opt to go lay down, but I left the soup out for Rex. I opted to eat a bowl of clear broth instead. My stomach was acting funky, and the last thing I wanted was to vomit up good food. That reminded me I hadn't showered away everything. I'd used water from my space and even the sea, but a good shower would feel great and take care of anything I missed.

I walked out more confidently from the room and headed to the shower.

I emerged fifteen minutes later feeling refreshed and alive. I had a strange moment with the temperature of the water. Anything above lukewarm hurt me, and I took such a chilled shower that there was hardly any steam.

The only clothing I had in my space was date clothing I had reserved for Adam, so it was awkward to emerge in a green chiffon dress that went down to my ankles. If I were to stay here, I would have to change some of these dresses.

If my dreams and the acid frogs were any indicator, then this peace would be short-lasting, and I wouldn't be able to run in a long dress.

I exited the bathroom and saw that the soup I had left for Rex was gone. My chest tightened as I approached the counter and saw a note. It was Adam's handwriting that thanked me, and I clutched it to my chest. I slipped it into my space and ignored my eyes, which burned with fresh, hot tears.

I had work to do.

The first dress I would alter was my favorite one in my space. It was a coral rose chiffon dress with ruffled short sleeves. The thick fabric was deceptively soft-looking. I had layered the underside of the dress with a thick white lining. I did that so that even though I looked effortlessly cute, I would be warm during the late spring nights. It worked the two times I had worn it. Now, I would use that fabric to turn it into a jumper. I pulled out my supplies and got to work. I had years of experience, so it didn't take me long to turn the dress into a more useful romper.

I tossed it into my space without a thought and pulled out the next dress. A blue gingham dress I had in there could be turned into overalls. I could turn at least three flowing dresses into blouses and use the leftover fabric into patchwork shorts.

By the time I was done, I was not alone. Rex had come in at some point, and I noticed him when I sat back to look at my delicate fingers.

His hair looked slightly mussed, a sign he was stressed, but his expression was calm. "You're making clothing?"

My lips quirked, and I gave a nod. Just the sight of his polite stare made it hard to breathe or use my words. I wanted to throw myself in his arms and gain comfort and courage. I couldn't do this, however. He wasn't Adam.

"I have some things in my space that I can repurpose."

"So you plan to stay in this…world?" Rex's voice was calm as he said this. My chest tightened at his impersonal tone. It was rough knowing this voice was Adam's, and it was directed at me.

"No, I plan on leaving. I have to figure out how to do it right. When I do, I'll leave." I said this as my brain flashed an idea at me. What if my ancestral uncle's scale had a recharging period? If I waited, I could use it again. Or I could try to summon him. It would be better to attempt both when I was separated from Rex. I also wanted to be on land if my emotive ancient uncle went on a tirade. It was better to be safe than sorry.

To my surprise, Rex sat down and watched me work on the rest of the outfits. He only jolted once when he saw a shawl I pulled out. I had actually pulled out a lot of them. I wanted to turn at least two into a sweater. I opted not to do anything to the one Adam had given me, which got a reaction from Rex. Did he recognize it somehow?

But he left quickly after that, and I was out of courage, so I kept my head down and got to work.

We spent about five days in this familiar pattern. I finished refurbishing the outfits and alternated between cleaning, cooking, and laundry. There was only so much else to do at sea. The TVs worked, but I could only watch pre-programmed shows.

There were only historical, documentary, financial, and smart people shows. Nothing fun like cooking, trash, or soaps like I was used to. My heart painfully thought of Grandpa Evans, and I gave a soft prayer for him. I missed him.

I took to the historical shows because, in some ways, they were similar to my own world. Many of it was different, and I was captivated by these differences.

Rex joined me a few times but never for long.

That became our strange routine somehow. Rex probed with questions but nothing deep, just basic things. He seemed to want to get to know things about me. I didn't ask him anything. Rex was a tighter vault than Adam.

"The ring on your hand." Rex had been looking at my spacial ring for a while but hadn't asked after it.

I looked down at it and made a face. This ring has been around the block. I used to think it was from Gus, but it was from Mordecai, who stole it from Acuzio. "What about it?" I said, my voice curt.

"Did Adam give it to you?" Rex was looking at it strangely, and I shook my head no.

"I've had this ring longer than I've known Adam," I said with a shrug and turned back to the TV. I was folding laundry, and Rex came to watch a show about possible ancient dragons. It was funny in a sense how well-timed it was.

"Who gave it to you?" Rex said, and I grew tense.

I thought he was going to drop it. Besides, how do I explain how I got the ring and what it does for me? Where do I even start?

"It's complicated," I said, settling for the truth.

Rex's expression turned strange, and I fought the inappropriate desire to laugh at how cute it was. Before his gaze became too odd on me, I added, "It's a family heirloom of sorts. It's hard to explain."

Rex nodded stiffly, and although I thought he was done asking about it, he wasn't. "Do you know what the stone in the center is?"

I looked down at the sparkly onyx-looking gem. It had flecks that twinkled like stars; if I squinted, I could have fun with those twinkles. I didn't know what it was made of. I had first assumed it was from specific witches, but if it had once belonged to a Dragon God, who knows. He could have forged it from just about anything. A wild thought hit me as I stared at it. It looked a bit like Acuzio's scale…

"I don't," I said, finally settling on the truth. "I received it when I was a kid."

"Do you mind?" Rex said as he looked at me.

I managed to give a nod, not understanding what he was going to ask of me. How could I tell him no, regardless of what it was? Rex was still Adam. "It's almost impossible to say no to you." I didn't mean to say this, but it slipped out.

Rex said nothing, and like always, his expression gave away zilch. He took my right hand to inspect it. Rex's hand was chilly, but my reaction to it was all but. I had to fight the desire to squeeze his hand.

His thumb brushed the dark gem, and I shivered. It was strange how just a simple touch brought out a reaction. But it wasn't lust; it was something coming from him and pouring onto the ring. His energy, maybe? It felt strange as it interacted with the ring.

"I believe you when you say you're not from this world." Rex's voice was cordial and controlled even as my heart jumped and I twitched. "The energy on this is…" His voice trailed off, and I looked down at the gem. It was hard to ignore his flopped hair. I was used to brushing it back and feeling its silkiness.

He believed me because of this gem? Adam had never shown interest in it. The first mention of it was before the almost tree-climbing contest. This may be why.

"What energy do you feel coming off it?" I said.

Rex looked up, and I froze as his dark, liquid brown eyes met mine. "Do you know what I can do?" He was lightly brushing his thumb over the burn scar on my hand. It'd been years since the Wish tree zapped me but the melted flesh hadn't faded. I watched as his hand continued its journey to palm my wrist.

"I do," I said with no doubt. When my attention finally went back to the conversation at hand.

There was silence as I looked down at the ring. Adam's power was having his own spatial dimension. It could be more than just that. What if he had dimension manipulation and, thanks to that power, he could teleport around. I saw him use that power to tear apart the acid frogs. He could undoubtedly do more than that. Adam was a vault of secrets, so there was no telling where his limits lay. And thanks to his powers, he could sense my ring's power. Dimension spotting another dimension? He couldn't affect my dimension ring, though…right?

"So you know what the ring can do," I said, meeting his gaze. I needed subtly, not my strongest forte, to get through this.

A ghost of a smile flashed across his face. "And you do know what I can do." His voice was curious, but something in his gaze made me want to run.

Rather than being attracted to me, was Rex keeping me close because I was too suspicious? This version of Rex scared me, but I was trapped. He had my right hand, and his fingers were firm and solid, while my pulse and hand were unsteady.

Was this Rex admitting that some part of him was Adam? Or was he trying to see how much I knew about him?

"Where's your ring from Adam?" Rex's voice was emotionless as he asked this.

I hiccuped in surprise as I met his inquiring gaze. How did he know I had a ring from Adam? I groaned internally as the ring flashed in my mind. If only I had accepted it then.

"Did you lose it?" Rex said, and I jumped as I broke eye contact.

"Of course, I didn't lose it. I never accepted it…" I said before I could stop myself. My cheeks burned with shame, pain, and embarrassment.

A dark chuckle came from Rex, who had my eyes darting over to look at him. Oh my god, he looked so handsome. "So there is a ring." He said without breaking eye contact with me.

I had difficulty looking away from him in this world and the last. Am I a horrible person for feeling lust and love towards this man? He was Adam, but he wasn't, not really. I gulped as I urged my body to get away. It wouldn't.

I gathered my strength from somewhere because I snatched my hand from Rex. "That's why I have to figure out how to return."

Rex said nothing. He didn't have to. The ship started to beep, letting him know that the ship's autopilot needed some manual help. He left to deal with that, and I flopped on the couch, rubbing my chest.

What. The. Heck. Was. That.