[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/D9OBI9j.png[/img][/center]

[Center][quote=A Silver Tongued Devil]
"...And he here we are, in another world.  And it [i]could[/i] be over yet again.  We should be grateful to whatever gods are out there, for 'the now.' Regardless of past or future.  Our shoulders are weightless.  We are free.  Free to not hold back.  Every moment, every breath... it's a gift.  A bonus.  Why not live for the present?"

"Here's to; living in the moment."
[/quote]

[quote=A Gullible Fool]
[Colour=Pink]"To; living in the moment."[/colour]
[/quote]

[quote][i][b]Clink.[/b][/i][/quote][/center]

It was the feeling of his hair that had done it.  When she'd found Barracker and Zell injured.  When she'd gone to Zell and attempted to locate the source of his bleeding head.  That unique sensation of her fingers running through his hair.  That had set all of this off.  Alison's description of her Italian restaurant experience - this had merely spurred on MacKensie's tormenting memories.

To throw her honour so easily by the wayside showed a distinct weakness of character, on her part, but she still blamed Zell for almost everything.  His unabashed absence of morality and decorum was apparent from the moment the group had all met.  He was far more cunning than he liked to let on, and shameless in his pursuit of anything he desired, regardless of the consequences, riding on roguish charm the whole way.

Oh, how she hated him.  If it wasn't for the task set before Second Chance, she would never speak to him again.

[i][b]Knock knock.[/b][/i]

She jumped as her head snapped to her bedroom door, so engrossed in her own thoughts that her senses, which had been heightened by her Source Crystal, did not even pick up someone approaching.

[Colour=Pink][i]It must be Emma,[/i][/colour] MacKensie assumed, thinking that the maid maybe used this early afternoon time to clean up.

She got up and on the handful of steps to the door, took a sharp breath and straightened her face, then smiled before opening the door to see the last person in the world she wanted to, at this moment.  Her smile soon faded.

[Colour=Pink]"Zell."[/colour]  She couldn't completely mute the suprise in her tone, but civility managed to keep all other involuntary feelings from her face.

"Mac, can we talk?"

[Colour=Pink]"Ye- No!"[/colour]  Well, civility managed to delay the outpour for a short second.  [Colour=Pink]"No. We [i]cannot[/i] talk."[/colour]

"Please."

She tried to shut the door but he stopped her attempt with his foot.  She noted it with anger and looked back up at him, frustratedly with nought else to do but deal with the problem in front of her.  [Colour=Pink]"[i]Talking[/i] is what got us into this mess.  Leave me be.  You've done enough."[/colour]

"Come on, doll.  We can't go on like this.  It's killin me - not being able to have a laugh with you, like normal."  It took effort to stay angry as she felt his words.  She too missed how it was before - before romantic feelings had formed something of a messy love triangle between her, Zell and Adam.  Definitely before the thrice-cursed 'non-date' of a few nights past.  "The banter between you, me n James is half of what keeps me sane in this shitshow."

[Colour=Pink][i]That smile.[/i][/colour]  That stupid one-sided grin of his.  She hated it.  Those lips.  She hated them.  Her brow furrowed weirdly as indignation and anger was mixed with other feelings, and she fought to control her gaze and fix it on his but could not stop peeking at his lips.  Why was his foot in the door!?!  Why was he here at the worst possible time?  He really was a devil.  An evil tempter and seducer.  She was innocent - doing so well in life until that plane crashed and left her stuck with this horrible man.  Why; she would not even give someone like him the time of day, in her last life.  He wouldn't have had a [i]chance[/i] to corrupt her sensibilities.  [Colour=Pink][i]Curse that plane.  Curse him.  Curse everything![/i][/colour]

"Everyone's gone.  Let's just talk."

[Colour=Pink][i]Gone?[/i][/colour] she thought, her eyes still having to be constantly pulled up to meet his.  She bit the inside of her mouth.  Then she looked both ways down the hallway, saw the coast was clear and gave in.

MacKensie grabbed a handful of Zell's shirt, near the collar, yanked him into her room and slammed the door shut.