She started to talk about when she was sixteen. Her father introduced her to Martin, and he didn't believe Joy was capable of taking over the business. When Martin married Joy after she graduated, Martin would take over the company. Joy feels devastated hearing the news.

I carefully listened to her story even though I already knew all of it.

"Have you talked to him about it?" I asked.

"Yes, I have, and he wouldn't listen," Joy said as she leaned her head on my shoulders. We faced the window as we saw the sun had already set. It was beautiful. Joy's appearance calms my heart even though it bounces hard.

She continues, "if you think I'm the only person who shuts myself from anyone. You should see my father. He shut himself from anyone, including himself. I can't even read his mind. One time when he was angry, the next day, he acted like nothing ever happened."

"He doesn't even need a lottery. He's already rich," I said as I tried to light up the mood and heard the cutest giggle I've ever heard from Joy.

"Thank God I have a brother like Dion. He's sweet, and he's always tried to defend me from anyone, including Martin or anyone who wanted to get closer with me," Joy said with a bitter laugh, "and weirdly, he always talks about you. He always asked me to invite you to the Thanksgiving dinner and how he wanted me to take you as my date in his wedding."

"Why?" I asked as I couldn't control my smile, but it was weird for her brother to keep asking me, "I mean, I would love to, but you have a fiancee."

"That's what I said to him, and don't get me wrong, I'd love to take you with me at my brother's wedding," Joy said as she rolled her eyes.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, I mean, I'm not fond of my family, so it'd be nice to have someone I can talk to- other than my brother," Joy said.

"Are you sure, or you're just drunk?"

Joy rolled her eyes, "I can't get drunk from beers."

"You can, though."

"Yes, but it's nothing compared to whiskey."

"Obviously," I said and laughed. I looked down at Joy and took in her beauty, "thank you for sharing this with me."

"Why are you thanking me? I should be the thankful one."

"It must be difficult for you to talk about it finally," I said as I remembered when it was the first time she met Martin and his family. She thought to herself how long she would hide it from anyone.

Joy froze for a second until she hid her face in the crook of my neck. I heard her sniffing as she snaked her hands around my neck. I can feel her emotions flowing through my veins. Her tears also made my eyes watery, how her whimpering caused my heartache, and her touch sent shivers around my skin. I bring my hand on her back and brush it back and forth for comfort, "If I may ask, why do you hide your life from anyone?"

"Because I don't want anyone to think I'm weird to have a crazy father and a fiancee at such a young age," she uttered.

That explains a lot. I'm the only person who knows why she hides it from everyone.

I took her face and looked over her cute puffy eyes and red nose. I gently caressed her cheeks, "how do you feel after telling me some of your stories?"

Joy wiped her tears and raised an eyebrow, "how did you know it's not even half of my story?"

"I told you. I know who you are, Jocelyn Wright," I smiled at her as she smiled back. I leaned closer as I landed my lips on her forehead. When I leaned back, I could feel my finger shaking hard, and my heart was about to explode. I wanted so badly to kiss her lips, but I thought she wasn't ready yet. She's not mentally stable now, and I will wait until she's ready.

~~~

I opened my eyes to see that I was inside a familiar place. I'm inside my mind palace. Did I pass out?

I saw Kinsley standing from her seat and turned around, "Congratulation, Claude. You have finally come here for a reason."

"So, I didn't pass out?"

"Nope. You were sleeping on your bed after Joy returned to her house," Kinsley said, and I walked to the chair next to her. I summoned a coffee, and we sat on the chair.

"Why am I here?" I started.

"You're here because this is the start of you building your relationship with Joy."

I put myself on the edge of my seat, "so, I have a chance to be with her?"

"Of course you do. I know I could count on you," Kinsley patted my back, and I punched my fist in the air, "and keep an eye on her because we don't know what Lydia would do to her."

"Wait, I have a question for you," I said.

"Shoot."

"So, I've met someone who's also in the soulmate quest like I am, and he said something about how an angel sent him. How come I'm not?" I asked, and Kinsley widened her eyes.

"Wait, what?" Kinsley asked.

"What? I'm just asking. It's not like I'm not happy to meet you, you know?" I explained it to Kinsley so she didn't think the wrong way.

"Can you tell me who this person is?"

She rested her chin on her palm and recalled my memories. I haven't contacted him for a long time, "he didn't tell me his name. He goes by 'The God of Wine.'"

"The God of wine?" She repeated the exact words, "The God of wine and fertility?" she asked me again, and I shrugged. She suddenly laughed so hard for a moment until I grew annoyed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Gosh, I forgot how stupid I was back in high school."

"What are you talking about, Kinsley?"

"Can you name the God of Wine and Fertility?"

"How should I fucking know?!" I asked in annoyance.

"It's Dionysus, you idiot, and name someone similar to that," Kinsley said as she giggled on her chair, and the first name that popped into my mind was.

"Dion?" I asked, and Kinsley beamed.

"Yes! That's right."

I was confused at first, then it didn't make sense, "he can't be no. No fucking way, Kinsley."

"And you must be dense for not realizing who I am by my name."

"Oh, there's another plot twist? Should I think that you're me because your name is the same as my middle name?"

"There you go! You're getting more intelligent," Kinsley said sarcastically.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I felt an intense headache, "You're not making any sense, Kinsley. This isn't funny."

Kinsley's laugh died down as she used her drink to help her calm down, "well, I guess I need to be ready to get hit by this plot twist."

"Just hit me already," I said to Kinsley.

"I am you from the future, Claude."

I laughed bitterly for a moment, "this is crazy. When Jessie said I need Jesus, I need it right now."

Kinsley walked in front of me and kneeled, "it's the truth, Claude. I am you, and why an angel didn't send you because the angel went to me first," she gave me the most serious face I've ever seen from the first time I met her.

"You're not kidding?"

"Of course, I'm not."

I put my hands on the armchair and laid my back on the chair, "how?"

"I can't explain how I got inside your subconscious, but I can explain why I'm here," Kinsley went back to her chair as I listened to her story. She said she was initially from 2027, and no, they don't have flying cars yet. She told me the reason why she came back was that she had failed, and she wanted to fix her mistake because she had gone through six years of bad luck. I guess that's why she said that she knew I'd be at the pier the first time we met.

"Wait- I failed in another timeline?" I asked as I tried to comprehend the new information, "what happened?"

"I think you can answer this," Kinsley said as she drank her coffee.

"Is it because of the lack of information about Joy?" I asked as that's the first thing that came to my mind.

"That's right. I failed because I didn't know about her situation."

"What happened after that? Did you get bad luck?" I asked.

"Yes, and even worse. I got back with Lydia."

I widened my eyes in shock, "what? How?" I muttered.

"Things happened, and that's why I've been telling you to leave her because you- we deserve better. Cheaters never learn from their mistakes," Kinsley shook her head and laughed bitterly.

The conversation died down a bit until I asked, "How did you come back to the past? Is the time machine real?"

"Yes, but it was hard to perfect the machine," Kinsley said, "can you guess the person who made the time machine?"

I look down to my feet to think of a person who would make a time machine, "Stephen Hawking himself?"

"No, he died in 2018. It's Dion," Kinsley replied.

"How?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. How can a guy like Dion make a time machine? Does the Wright bloodline is that smart? Joy is smart. Like gosh, she doesn't even have to study for a test.

"You didn't notice? He doesn't want to continue his father's company. He's brilliant, and he went to Oxford for his Ph.D. in physics."

"I'm still not convinced," I said as I folded my hands.

"Then, why do you think he always talks about you and how he acts strange around you??"

"I thought it was him being a protective brother," I raise an eyebrow.

"He his. But-"

"Wait!" I jumped from my seat, "if the God of Wine is Dion. Does it mean that Emilia is Dion's soulmate?"

"You're getting the hang of this puzzle, aren't you?"

"This is nuts," I said as I rubbed my forehead, "how can I explain this to Jessie?"

"You don't. She doesn't need to know, but it's your choice to tell her or not. Her help is enough," Kinsley said as she lit her cigarettes.

"God, I even smoke in the future," I scrunched my nose.

"Oh, you started smoking when everything went downhill," She answered as she refilled her drinks.

"How did you make Dion work with you?" I asked her.

"If he didn't believe in the soulmate thing, he wouldn't help me and thought I was crazy. He believes that we deserve a second chance," Kinsley answer, "We, as Joy and us. You wouldn't want to see how Joy is doing in the future. Martin was an evil man."

"I can see that," I said as I nodded in understanding, "is it possible that Dion from the future told Dion in this time period about helping me?"

Kinsley puts her chin on the palm of her hand and, deep in her thought, "that's very much like him. That explains how he's acting weird towards you the first time you met him."

"Should I talk to him?" I asked as I patted my pocket to see if my phone was there, but I found nothing.

"I think you should, but don't tell his fiancee about the soulmate thing."

"Then, that's settled," I said as I finished my drink, "so..."

"So?"

"Why did you use Kinsley for your name?"

"You know how bad we are at lying. I couldn't make up a name, so I used our middle name," Kinsley- or I answered.

"Should I keep calling you Kinsley or Claude? I mean, it's weird to call my name to my future self," I said as I laughed.

"You can call me Kinsley if you want to."

***