Chapter 6

My words seemed to strike a nerve, and Sierra's face drained of color as she avoided my gaze.

"But Teddy is gone," she argued. "Nothing is going to bring him back. Are you seriously going to hold a grudge and make Riley grovel over a pet?"

She reached out, trying to take the small body from my arms. "We can adopt another one just like him. We can start fresh."

"Forget it," I muttered, pulling away from her touch. "Teddy was one of a kind."

I carried Teddy out to the backyard, walking over to the maple tree.

It was his favorite spot to run around, so that was where I buried him.

Sierra stood behind me, completely silent.

Her heart dropped right then. A sudden look of panic flitted across her face, and she stared at me. She immediately pulled Joanne aside and told her to watch over me, terrified that I might leave.

Later that evening, I sat under the maple tree to catch my breath while Joanne kept watch over me.

"Mr. Finch, even if you and Ms. Parker are in the midst of an argument, you shouldn't bottle it up. You're going to make yourself sick," said Joanne.

"Were Sierra and I arguing?"

I blinked, realizing I couldn't remember what exactly had happened. It seemed as though I would soon lose all of my memories.

At my words, Joanne's jaw dropped in shock. She stayed quiet for a long moment before offering a cautious whisper, "Tomorrow is the day Riley moves in."

"That's great."

A faint smile touched my lips.

Tomorrow, Sierra would be bringing another man home to look after for the rest of her life, and the system was taking me back to my real world.

It worked out perfectly. We were both getting a fresh start.

Joanne must've thought I was just putting on a brave face, because her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"Mr. Finch… if you need to cry, just let it out."

But I didn't have any tears left.

It wasn't a facade either. I kept trying to think, but I couldn't remember why I had fallen for Sierra in the first place.

Every single vow we had ever made to each other had been wiped clean from my mind.

The pain kept me tossing and turning all through the night. I fought the agony until dawn, when the loud crackle of fireworks finally erupted outside.

Right on cue, that long-awaited voice buzzed in my head.

"Welcome back, host. Just a heads-up. Your death is going to be incredibly rough."

I smiled. "I don't care. I'm not afraid of the pain."

In the next second, a blinding pressure exploded behind my eyes. My mouth hung open, gasping for air that wouldn't come.

The suffocating pressure left me as desperate as a fish out of water, rolling helplessly across the mattress.

It hurt so much worse than I had expected.

Upon hearing the commotion, Joanne burst into the bedroom and froze in horror. She then scrambled to get her phone, rushing back out the door in a panic.

"Mr. Finch, what's wrong? I'm calling an ambulance and getting Ms. Parker right now!"

"No… thank you…"

Despite the blinding agony, I managed to curl the edges of my lips into a smile, my voice laced with genuine gratitude. "Joanne… I'm going home…"

She stared at me, dumbfounded, as the weight of my words seemed to click. Tears instantly streamed down her face. "Take care, Mr. Finch."

Just then, the sounds of a lively celebration drifted from the front door. I caught the distinct, sweet ring of Sierra's voice carrying over the crowd.

"Riley, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life, just like my cousin used to. From now on, this is your home."

Amid the cheers and congratulations downstairs, I drew my last breath on that bed, slipping into an eternal slumber.