Nate's heart was still pounding from everything Jack had just shown him, the ancient truths about humanity, the heart of the universe, the endless, silent ticking of a cosmic clock.
But when he opened his eyes again, it was all gone —
He was back in Madison's kitchen, like nothing had changed.
Except everything inside him had changed.
The kitchen was quiet, the muffled thump of music and laughter bleeding in from the living room where Madison's birthday party was still in full swing. Balloons floated lazily along the ceiling, the smell of frosting and cake heavy in the air.
And then—
Madison.
She burst into his world like a star colliding with the earth.
He barely had time to register the wild gleam in her eyes before she leapt up onto the kitchen table in one graceful motion, her knees sliding apart just enough to frame him.
