Allison's pov
I must be dreaming, trapped in some surreal nightmare where reality twists in ways I can't comprehend. Gerald—Jessica's father—is on his knees before her, of all people, asking her questions that my brain can't process. None of this makes sense. Maybe I'm hallucinating, still riding some weird high from the spa. Desperately, I try to recall everything I ate or drank while I was there, but nothing comes to mind. I didn't consume a thing. Was it the pool? The steam?
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Jessica's voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts, her lips moving in sync. It's real. Too real. I stare at her, dumbfounded, and out of sheer disbelief, I pinch my arm hard. The sharp sting jolts me.
"Shit..." I mutter under my breath.
Jessica sighs, shaking her head in exaggerated exasperation. "Yeah, yeah, you're confused. I get it." She acts like I should've been expecting this bizarre scene, like it's the most normal thing in the world.