“Some alternate dimension, a parallel universe, I don’t care, just any reality that doesn’t include me.”

I looked to Lake House Erin. “I guess you were right about me coming to your reality.”

“No way,” she said. “You’re manipulative, self-centered, and toxic, and you helped me lie to myself. That’s seriously fucked up. I never want to see you again.” Then she got up from the table, and I watched them leave the apartment, holding each other’s hands as they disappeared from my reality forever.

I took a shower, my head still pounding. Then I gathered my clothes and packed a box with my video games and dope before calling Donnie to ask for help moving my stuff.

“Are you joking? I’m here with both Erins. They told me about the melding—the coffee mug, the earrings, your PlayStation—didn’t you think that might be important? Like crucial fucking information? I can’t help you move your shit, I’m a little busy trying to solve a quantum entanglement catastrophe that might implode reality.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Dude, you were supposed to give me data, not lie to me so you could have sex with your alternate-reality girlfriend.”

“I know. I’ll do better in the future.”

“Are you high? You’re off the project. The passcode for the lab is changed, don’t come back here.” Then the connection went dead.

Everything Donnie had said was true: I’d betrayed our work together, betrayed our friendship, betrayed both Erins, broken the fabric of reality, and possibly fucked up the multiverse irreversibly; there was nothing to do but call my parents and tell them I needed a place to stay. And maybe it was at that moment when I finally saw clearly that the person I was in this timeline was just a self-centered, lying piece of crap who’d messed up everyone’s reality, including my own.