The bedroom has a bookcase that reaches the ceiling. The books inside are somewhat worn and dusty, but I smile at them anyway, the sight of them sparking a feeling of familiarity.

I move towards them and stroke the binders, their presence bringing comfort during a time I need it most. The thought of tomorrow has my stomach in knots, and I long to lose myself to a whole other world.

I skim the titles, taking in their spiral writing with a flutter in my chest. The Da Vinci Code, Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick–all books I have never heard of, but still I itch to flip them open and devour what's inside.

I pull Moby Dick from the second shelf, drawn by its cover of what looks like an animal. I'm about to crack it open when Reece calls my name and, reluctantly, I rest the book down and head downstairs.

Both Reece and Ben are already in the dining room, where three plates of food sit on the long, oak table. I take a seat opposite Ben, feeling somewhat unsettled by his presence.

Things are silent as we dig into our food: a hearty meal of beef, potatoes, vegetables and bread, courtesy of Reece. I find myself watching Ben as I eat, trying to understand him.

Suddenly, he puts down his fork, allowing it to clank on the plate. "She's staring at me."

I swallow hard and look away, my cheeks beginning to redden. I know it is probably just my paranoia kicking in, but Ben's hostility feels all too familiar, his presence bringing the same feeling I'd get around Jackson.

"I still think you should take her back," Ben says.

Reece stabs at a vegetable and pops it into his mouth. I swallow again. This is a topic the pair have obviously discussed before.

"They'll look for her, you know," Ben continues, his food barely touched. "Even if we make it in and out tomorrow, they aren't going to stop looking for her. For all of us. They'll hire a private company to track her down. Maybe even a hit man."

Reece narrows his eyes, his expression a familiar warning that he's about to lose his temper. Ben must realize this, too, because he purses his lips.

"What's a hit man?" I finally ask.

"Nothing," Reece says. I know him well enough to know his hardened tone means the subject is closed.

"And what is she going to do for work?" Ben asks. "She doesn't even have any papers, any skills." He gives me a quick once over. "Maybe she could get a job at a strip club. They pay cash in hand, don't they?"

Reece clanks his fork against his plate. I feel myself jump.

"Sorry," Ben mutters. "Just trying to find ways in which we don't all end up dead."

Reece scrapes his chair back and picks up his plate. "If you want out, you know where the door is."

Ben and I sit silently as Reece heads into the kitchen. I hadn't given much thought to what things would be like once we added Ben to the equation, but now I find myself wishing it were still just Reece and me. At least I'd feel safer.

"Just know that I'm doing this for him," Ben says, forcing me to raise my gaze. "If anything happens to him because of you–" His sentence trails off but his message is clear, and just like that, everything clicks into place.

He's not being hostile because of what I am. He's being hostile because he's scared. Scared I'm going to get his best friend killed tomorrow. I've been spending the past hour telling myself there is something suspicious about Ben, but now I realize he's probably been thinking the same about me.

I'm the creature, after all, the science experiment. I'm the one forcing Reece to go back, even when it puts him at risk. In Ben's eyes, I'm the enemy, and the thought makes me sick to my stomach. Just like Reece's father, Ben hates me because my existence jeopardizes that of somebody he loves. That doesn't make him a terrible person.

It makes him human.

After dinner, I sit hunched over the desk with the table lamp on, the Moby Dick book spread before me. With every page turned, my fingers start to tingle, and even though I don't understand the majority of words, I can't help but be lured by the promise of a new world.

A knock at the door commands my attention. I lower the book, hoping it's not Ben on the other side. Instead, Reece walks in and flashes a smile, causing my stomach to finally flutter with something other than dread.

"Hey," he says softly, moving closer. "What are you reading?"

I look down at the cover. "Moby Dick. Not that I understand half of it. Still, it's a welcome distraction." I'm about to add something further, like how the thought of waking up tomorrow has me drowning in anxiety, but from the look on his face, I know he feels the same.

"Ben and I are doing a quick supply run for tomorrow," he says, leaning against the wall. "There's a twenty-four-hour store not far from here. We won't be long, you can stay here if you want."

I glance at my book, wanting nothing more than to lose myself in the pages but hating the thought of being left alone. "No, I'll come," I say, carefully folding the edge of the page.

I wait until Reece leaves the room before delving into my bag and pulling out the spare gun he'd left for me back at the hotel. I take a deep breath, tucking it into the waistband of my shorts before concealing it with my t-shirt. Now that we're back again, I won't be taking any chances.

Who's ready for them to go back to Marine World?!