"Oh no." A quiet whisper left my lips as I noticed something. Something about the way I was feeling. It was subtle but it was there.
Guilt. I was feeling kinda guilty about pulling away from Ryder just a little while back. My eyes darted back to the stone, panic probably clearly visible in them. Did that... feeling... mean... Would I?...
"Oh that thing?" Ryder's voice brought my attention back to his face. "Yeah, I guess this might require a bit of an explanation." He clearly misinterpreted her panic as plain surprise at what was happening. "This thing is magic apparently and it grants wishes to whoever holds it. I won't go into the details of how I got it, the most important thing is that it'll help us to live out the most perfect lives I can imagine for us!" He beamed a huge and warm smile. Or at least smile that looked warm if one didn't consider what was just said.
"Lives you can imagine for us?" I asked in disbelief, hoping the choice of wording was not significant.
"Yeah, it's gonna be great! I mean, the stone is mine, so it's only right we pursue my vision for things." The confidence and lack of scruples in his voice as he communicated that made my heart sink. Was this guy a power-drunk psychopath or something? As the initial adrenaline rush started to wear off I begun planning how to get the stone. In the meantime Ryder turned around and cracked open a can of beer, as he sat in a chair at the dining area table. "I mean you'll have some input into it all but ultimately you don't need to worry. By the time we're done even stuff that isn't your first choice will probably feel right in a way. I mean, the magic will make it so things have always been like that and how can that not feel right?" He smiled slyly and took a few big gulps of the beer. As he did his left, stone-carrying hand rested on the table and I this could be the moment. This could be now or never. I felt my leg muscles tense as I got ready to jump towards the table to claw the stone out of Ryder's hand.
"Btw." He said just as I was about to pounce making me hesitate. "I wish you couldn't bring yourself to interrupt my wishes..." a cold chill went through my body as I realised what the short hesitation just cost me. "... or ever to take the stone..." Oh shit... Did that mean there was literally no more hope? ".. or ever to take the stone from me without permission."
I exhaled as he finished and I felt the wave of magic wash over me. That wish... was bad. It did prevent me from claiming the stone back. Even the idea of that felt kinda silly now. Ryder was much stronger than me, much faster, and he was my boyfriend who... I shook my head not wanting to entertain the though he might have somehow deserved the stone ownership. Luckily there still was some hope. The way he phrased his wish, making me unable to take the stone 'from him' meant I might be able to still use it if he ever accidentally left it somewhere. In the end, I wouldn't be taking it from him then. I'd just be taking it from wherever it was.
"Anyway, now that you know what's up." Ryder smiled slyly, took another sip of the beer and sunk into the chair a bit more, taking his legs wide. "Where were we?"
