Alternative

| Chapter Twelve

Elizabeth sits on her couch with her legs folded over, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She's angry and hasn't smiled since Joe made himself too comfortable in her living room. She eyes him as he paces the room, the flute glass still in his hands.

"Elizabeth." I sit in the loveseat across from her. My laptop is on my lap. Since she isn't looking at me, I snap my finger softly to get her attention.

Her head doesn't move but her eyes meet mine. I see her tongue press against her bottom lip.

I smile. "I need you to put the spheres on please," I note the tiny circles on her lap, the ones she hasn't touched or attempted to prepare. "The sooner you do, the sooner I can get started."

She doesn't say anything. Lazily, she presses the spheres against her head until they turn on. When they do, my laptop connects to them.

I nod, still smiling. "Thank you," I say.

"Mhm." Her arms return to their crossed position. Her left leg bounces on top of her right. With her head tilted to the side, she continues to watch Joe.

He's stopped at her dining table, leaning against it. With the glass, he points at the panel computer across the room. "Look at that bad boy," he says as he glances back at Elizabeth. "Is that the Zeric model? Cyber-tech?"

I take my eyes off of him to look back at Elizabeth. Her lips are pressed out. She inhales sharply. "Yes," she says, then straightens. "Why? What does it matter?"

"Oh, it doesn't." Joe turns so he's leaning against the table. He tilts the glass up to his lips. "I just think it's a beautiful piece of machinery."

"It is," she mutters before looking at me once again. She lifts her brows, annoyed. "Did you start copying memories already?"

Just as I thought, she's so bothered she can't focus. Not having me to herself has changed her whole mood. The night seductress is gone, replaced by a child who can't have the sweets from the cookie jar.

I lift my brow, lower my head, and look at the computer screen. "It's started," I say as I glance back at her, "but normally we discuss what we're uploading."

"Ahuh." She chews on the insides of her cheeks.

I breathe out through my nose, adjusting myself in my seat. "It looks like you're not up for talking through it. Are you okay?" I ask. "Should we reschedule again or—"

"No." She lifts her hands and shakes her head. "No more rescheduling. Let's just get this night over with."

"Right." I force a smile before I look over at Joe. He's watching us, a smile on his face. I can see he finds this amusing. I have to shake my head as I give Elizabeth my attention once more. "So, if you're up for it, can we talk about what I'm seeing now?"

"It's a park," she says quietly.

Indeed it is. On my laptop's screen are images of trees and clear blue skies; the same memories I had seen before her mysterious hiccup the night before. The sounds of an ice cream truck come through the speakers. Children laughing follow soon after.

I admit I'm surprised I don't see Elizabeth staring at herself in the mirror, adjusting her clothes to present herself to whoever it is she will see on this day. On the video feed, I can tell Elizabeth is sitting on a park bench, relaxing on a hot Summer's day. She's humming to herself, a simple song.

One that resonates with me and sounds familiar. I shift against the pillow behind me. "So this memory is just a day?" I ask as I watch the memory view change. Her vision was focused on the birds overhead, watching them fly through the skies.