Retrocognition

14 | trust

Jacob leads me up the staircase and onto the relatively empty second floor.

Following his lead, I soon find myself in what appears to be a bedroom. Jacob closes the door behind us, answering my unspoken question as to where we are with nothing more than a you'll see expression and coy smile.

"Will is in this fraternity," Jacob explains, "and this is his room. Anyway, I wanted to show you . . ." he trails off as he approaches the window on the far wall, pulling back the curtain and struggling with the window frame. The next thing I know, Jacob has the window pulled open and is extending a hand out to me.

"Do you trust me?" he questions.

I hesitate a moment. I set my hand in his and nod, allowing him to carefully guide me out of the window and onto the roof. Stepping outside, I'm left breathtaken. A small edge of the rooftop sits outside the window sill, creating the perfect spot for sitting and gazing up at the night sky, which seems to be glittering with stars tonight. Jacob climbs out of the window after me, holding tightly to my hand. He helps lower me to a sitting position, wrapping his arms around my silhouette to keep the chilly air from getting to me.

"Oh my God," I exhale in a wonderstruck breath. "Jacob . . ."

"It's awesome, right?" Jacob leans back slightly, tilting his head up toward the sky. "I like to come up here sometimes and just stare. I never knew there were so many stars."

"It's beautiful," I say in awe.

I can't stop my eyes from roaming the inky night sky up above, shifting from star to star. The moon casts a faint glow to the ground, illuminating the darkness with a soft light. The wind blows gently, giving the air around us a bite and signifying the quick approach of autumn. I inhale a deep breath of the crisp fresh air, the clean oxygen clearing my head after having alcohol dull my senses slightly.

Next to me, Jacob takes it upon himself to point out the constellations able to be made out in the sky from this position. I watch him as he speaks, my heart going soft as he concentrates on pointing out the different images the groups of stars create above us. His brown eyes reflect with the light of the moon, seeming to sparkle as they roam my features.

"And here I was thinking you were trying to get me in bed," I tease once the air around us falls silent and Jacob turns his attention to me.

Jacob grins, shaking his head playfully. "Me? I would never. I'm a gentleman, Tatum." He offers a wink, his cocky attitude complete with a satisfied smirk.

"Is that so?" I play along. Jacob rolls his eyes, and I lean forward to playfully call him out for doing so. However, I don't get the chance to say a word. The second my lips part, my mouth collides with Jacob's.

"So," I murmur against Jacob's lips once the two of us part for a brief moment. "I'm your girlfriend now?" I can't resist bringing up the title Jacob had given me in front of his friends earlier, eager to know if he meant what he had said.

Jacob's grin is sheepish. "I'm sorry," he mutters, rushing to add, "I know I should have talked to you about that first. I guess—In my head, you're my girlfriend. So I figured that would be the best way to introduce you to my friends, especially after how often I've talked about you to them. I understand if—"

I'm beaming before I cut Jacob's rambling off with a kiss. It doesn't take long for the moment to grow more serious, the mood between Jacob and I shifting from lighthearted to something stronger.

Soon enough, we end up back inside. The night sky and all its glory soon fades to the back of my mind as Jacob's hands wander my body, wrapping around my waist and pulling me close. Our kiss deepens, leaving me feeling needy and reckless. I forget about taking things slow and throw the whole idea out of the window, allowing Jacob to walk me into the room and press my body up against the wall, hands going everywhere.

When I open my eyes, I'm taken off guard. I'm in the same room I'd previously been in, and yet everything about it looks different. The lights have somehow cut off, leaving me alone in darkness. I feel the warmth of Jacob's body before me and his hands are still tracing my skin, yet he doesn't seem to notice the sudden change in the atmosphere.

I open my mouth to express my concern, only to find I can't get a word out. Panic rises in my chest as I realize that something is wrong. That's when I notice that the air around me is silent. And not just quiet compared to the commotion going on downstairs, but deadly silent. I can't hear anything, not even Jacob breathing from where he stands before me.

My arms suddenly move of their own accord, beyond my control. My eyes widen in shock when I notice that my skin tone is oddly quite a few shades darker. I hardly tan even in summer. Studying myself, I'm surprised to find even my hands are different. My fingers are long and lithe, decorated with acrylic nails and delicate jewelry that I would never wear in a million years.

My gaze shifts to the right, where I catch sight of myself in a mirror hanging up against the far wall. I want to scream, but yet again I find that I can't control my own mouth. But that makes sense, considering the person I am left staring at in fear isn't me at all.

My reflection leaves me gaping at a girl I don't recognize. I catch a brief glimpse of long, wavy dark hair. Deeply tanned skin. I can't make out the facial features due to the darkness surrounding me, but I can make out enough to know I am certainly not looking at myself.

My head spins as I become dizzy. My knees go limp. Unable to support my own weight, I feel my body give way to gravity and start to fall to the ground.

Then everything goes black.

———
a/n: y'all i have the worst headache rn 😭✋