by Jill Cooper
“Where did you get this? Where did it come from?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I cover my mouth. It’s obvious why he didn’t tell me.
“Lara, where did you get this?” Donovan’s voice shakes with anger, but he has no business being angry. I’m the one being lied to and kept in the dark.
“The clock. It was in the clock.” I squeeze my eyes shut and don’t want to face him. He touches my arms and I shrug him off. “You should have told me!” I scream, and the rise of my voice makes my head hurt a bit worse.
I groan and hold my temples. Feels like my head’s going to come clear off.
“You think I haven’t been grappling with this decision every day? They changed our memories, they rearranged our lives. I thought she was…we were engaged to be married. I didn’t know…you.” He can barely bring himself to say it and I see the struggle play out on his face, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
He hadn’t known me. He’d thought he was in love with Cassidy, but is he still? I’d seen them together, I’d felt something about them was off. What else is everyone keeping from me? I’m a stranger in this timeline even if I do belong here.
My heart breaks and I serve it up to Donovan on the floor.
“Did you sleep with her? Did you sleep with my future niece?”
Donovan’s eyes widen, and his hands come together as though he’s in prayer. Even before he answers, I know what he’ll say. I escape within myself, hearing him as if I’m trapped underwater because that’s exactly how I feel. Trapped.
“Only once. I didn’t mean…. If I could take it back, if I could make it all go away, but I can’t Lara. I can’t. It felt so real. It was my life. I didn’t know what it was like to be in love with you.”
He’d been manipulated, lied to. Future Mike had done that to him. Future Mike did that to me and all of that I couldn’t pin on Donovan. “I understand you didn’t realize what you did, but you lied, Don. You and Cassidy, you both lied. You should’ve told me.”
“You’re right. We should’ve. We’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
His answer is too pat. He’s too ready to say whatever I need him to. I shake my head and back up when he tries to touch me again. “I need time. I need a breather.” I head toward the bedroom door to change and grab my things, but Donovan shadows me and blocks the entrance.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to think. I need to get away for a little while.”
“I can’t let you go, Lara. I’m sorry. You have to stay here with me.”
His words scare me. Since when can I not come and go when I choose? I try to push past him, but he grabs my shoulders and keeps me from our bedroom. “Donovan, move! I don’t want to be here with you right now.”
“I can’t let you go. I’m sorry, Lara. If I could make you understand…”
But he can’t. I know he loves me, but his behavior is scaring me. “Don—”
He grabs my wrists and pushes me backward. “I know you don’t understand, but it’s for your own good. If you give me a little more time, I can make you understand everything.”
Time is the one thing I don’t have. “You can’t control me. I want to go. Donovan, stop.” My voice strains and I beg, but his eyes are different. They’re so strong with their resolve I fear he’s not the person I’d thought him to be.
He’s not the Donovan I know. He’s changing into something else.
“Stop!” I scream and something charges out of me. I don’t know if it’s time travel, but it sends a gust of wind slamming into Donovan and drives him back. He falls down onto the carpet and stares up at me in surprise.
I might be in my pajamas and I might not have on any shoes, but I run. I run from the apartment and I don’t stop. I keep going, keep running.
*****
What’s happening can’t be real. Donovan is my partner. He wanted to protect me, keep me safe, but we are a team. He’d never convince me to stay somewhere if I wanted to go. If he’s suddenly acting like that…I don’t even want to think about what that might mean.
If I go home to Mom and Dad, they’ll have questions and turn Donovan into the enemy. Maybe it’s true, perhaps it isn’t, but I don’t feel strong enough to deal with their questions. So I go to the one person I know who will have my back without the third degree.
Jax. My step-father.
When I get to his upscale condo, he’s not alone. He’s having dinner with the woman who will soon be his wife, Morgan Drake. I have heard about her from Molly and Mike, but it’s the first time I’ve met her.
I’m in my pajamas and very uncomfortable as Jax takes me into the dining room, right off the living room. Morgan is a beautiful woman in a fancy yellow business dress with lovely red hair. She sits with perfect posture and rises when she sees me. Poised, she smiles and extends her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you, Lara.”
I’m too embarrassed to shake her hand. Instead, I nervously tuck my hair behind my ears. “If this is a bad time…I’m sorry. I should’ve called.”
Jax shakes his head. “Nonsense. Sit and I’ll get you some dinner. There’s leftovers in the kitchen. If you need your room for the night…”
I sit down with a nod and hot tears burn in my eyes. I don’t look up because I don’t want a stranger to see how emotional I am. I wipe at them and sniffle the rest of my tears away. When I glance up, Morgan watches me tepidly.
“It must be a man, am I right?” She sips her wine and offers to pour me some in a glass as Jax sets it on the table.
“Sure, thanks.” I pick up the glass once she fills it and we clink them together.
“I’ll be fascinated to hear more about you. Jax, here, speaks very highly of you.”
Jax shrugs. “I love all my girls, what can I say.” He rubs my shoulders as he moves toward his chair. “If you want to tell me what this is about…”
“I really don’t. Not right now.” I pick up my fork and inspect the roast chicken swimming in gravy in front of me. Jax knows how I like to eat a meal and I pick at it. I tip the chicken in the mashed potatoes and I’m disheartened to discover, something about it doesn’t taste right to me.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but nothing is the same. Everything is different. It’s as if something inside me is broken. I want to curl up and cry.
“I confess, that since Jax and I have gotten together,” Morgan stretches her arm across the table so she can hold Jax’s hand, “I’ve wanted to meet you. You’re kind of a celebrity.”
I shrug my thanks. “I have been pretty unlucky.”
“I’d say luck has nothing to do with it. What’s it like? Time travel? I’ve always wanted to know.” She leans her elbow on the table and gazes at me. She keeps the conversation playful, but I feel like I’m being grilled.
“It’s okay, I guess. Feels kind of confusing most of the time. You’re never sure what life you’re in or how you’ll screw it up.”
My answer seems to take all the fun out of the room. What a spoil-sport I am. I go back to eating even though the food is tasteless and bland.
“Maybe now isn’t the time, honey,” Jax says to Morgan.
She holds up her hand. “You’re right. Absolutely right. I’m sorry to be so insensitive, Lara. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot if you’re having a hard day. Please accept my sincere apologies.”
“It’s okay.” I try to force a smile. She’s nice and I like her. “It looks like those days are in the past for me anyway. I haven’t been able to time travel since the wedding.” I shove a pile of mashed potatoes in my mouth and that at least tastes creamy and buttery. Absolutely delicious.
“What?” Jax asks. “Lara, are you all right?”
Morgan’s eyes widen, and her mouth drops down. “Well, that’s…unexpected. Is that permanent? Will you get your power back?”
“Honey…” Jax warns.
I sit there and shake my head. “I wish I knew, but I don’t know anything. I’m as clueless
as the next person.” I sip my wine. “Something did happen tonight, but it wasn’t exactly time travel. It was something else. Not sure what it was.”
In my head, I replay the scene. Donovan and I struggling, his hands on my wrists and the buildup of force and energy I felt in my stomach. It was similar to the pulse I feel before freezing or rewinding time, but different. Not as powerful. But like I had little control over what happened.
A loss of control wasn’t something I was used to.
“Thanks for dinner, Jax. Do you mind if I go up to bed? Is my room…”
“It’s free and it's yours. I’ll get up early tomorrow so we can have breakfast, okay? Work through whatever is going on, okay?” He stands to say good night and I’m grateful for his strong bear hugs.
I cling to him and kiss his neck, thankful that at least there’s someone to rely on. “Thanks, Jax. I really needed that.”
He gives me a smile and Morgan follows me out of the dining room and toward the stairs. “I’m glad you’re able to rely on Jax. It confirms to me what kind of man he is.”
“He’s the best kind. Good night, Morgan.”
“My bag is up in the spare room, so why don’t you move it to the hall and I’ll grab it before I go?”
Oh, crap. “I’m sorry, Morgan, if I’ve ruined your plans or if I’m the awkward third wheel.”
Morgan’s eyes widen, and she waves her hand. “Oh, don’t even think about it! It will be absolutely fine. Jax and I have the rest of our lives together, right?”
Right. I thought I’d known that. I thought that’s what I’d be getting, too. Now, I’m not so sure.
****
The bedroom upstairs is painted a mint green and there are three double beds. Mine has always been to the left, under one of the large bay windows. It has a soft tan and gold comforter and it’s the silkiest material. I can’t wait to slink underneath it.
Picking up the pink leather bag, I plop it into the hall as I was instructed. As I set it down a business card falls out. Curious, I pick it up. The heavy stock paper has a subtle sheen. On one side is the symbol of three triangles overlapping and the front has Morgan’s information. Her company’s name is Trident Technology.
Funny. I’d thought she was in real estate with Jax.
I bring the business card back into my bedroom before I close the door. I flap the card in my hand and notice the paper has a hologram effect. Interesting. I see the faces of little clocks shimmer in the background and I wonder what that means.
What could Morgan Drake possibly be into? And what, if anything, does that have to do with Jax?
Chapter Nineteen: Molly
In the morning, I dress in my usual private school uniform and head to Mike’s room to grab him for breakfast. He’s not there. His room is neat, tidy, and the bed is already made. Usually he’s the late sleeper, not me, and I worry about where he has rushed off to.
As I descend the stairs, the smell of toast and coffee greets me. In the kitchen at the small table, Mom has laid out the seating arrangement for her remarriage to John and she studies it, with a hand on her hip. She’s wearing her glasses and it makes her look like a studious teacher. “Hi, honey,” she says without missing a beat, “toast and eggs are done if you want some.”
I do, so I grab a plate and load up. “How’s the wedding planning going?”
Mom laughs. “I think I’ve rearranged this seating chart fifty times already, but now that your father has outed himself, I wanted to put Morgan on the chart.”
I smile at her as I slip an arm around her waist. “I’m proud of you, Mom. What you’re doing and how you’re handling it. Real mature.”
Mom’s nose crinkles as she laughs. “Haha. From you that’s a big compliment.” She kisses my forehead.
“Did Mike leave already?”
“I’m right here.”
I jump and turn to see Mike reaching across the counter to grab a piece of toast. He crunches into it and it leaves a trail of strawberry jam on the corner of his mouth. “Ready, Moll?”
“Have a good day at school, kids. See you tonight.”
“Bye, Mom.” I wipe the trail jam off of Mike’s face. He gives me a grin and then he follows me out the door.
I’m quiet until we are outside. We head down the steps and walk down the sidewalk toward the bus stop. “What was it you and Don talked about last night?”
“You know.” Mike pops the rest of his toast into his mouth. “Stop pretending you don’t.”
“I’m not pretending. I know it’s about Lara. I know we’re all worried about her and what we did—”
“I did what was asked of me.” Mike’s shoulders scrunch up against his ears as he finishes eating his breakfast.
“Don’t get defensive. I wasn’t blaming you. If anything, I blame Donovan. I blame myself for not stopping him. You. All of it.”
“Nothing would stop him. He loves her. He can’t let her go.”
Something about his tone rocks me. It makes me shiver. I wish I knew what he was thinking all the time, like I used to when we were younger. Things were so much simpler when we were growing up with Mom and Dad, before Lara’s power came. I don’t blame her, but I can’t help but admit the truth to myself.
“If you think he’s asking you to do something that would upset her, or hurt you, you have to tell me. Okay?”
Mike nods. “Yeah, sure.”
His answer doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence, but I don’t see much choice in accepting it. I clear my throat. “Morgan works in real estate, business property, like Dad said.”
“So, she’s on the up and up.”
“You didn’t let me finish. She’s also connected to the Trident Company. A tech company that’s been in Boston for a few years. Cassidy’s helping me figure out where they came from and how they made their money. They’re fortune 500 and we can’t find anything online or in the records about what they actually do.”
Mike nods. “Sounds promising. What do we do next?”
“I’m going to go snoop around at the company. See if I can find anything.”
“You said I would help. C’mon, Moll. I don’t want to sit on my hands while you have all the fun.”
“It’s not fun. Besides, two of us sneaking around would be way more suspicious than me. I need to get close enough to Morgan to go through her things. See what I can track down. See what I can feel.”
Mike gives me a level stare. “You might be brilliant and all knowing, but you’re pretty helpless when it comes to physical stuff. What if you need to get out of there right away.”
“I can handle this.”
“Not without backup. I don’t need to go into the office with you, but I will be on site. Just in case.” Mike offers me his pinky finger, something we’ve done since we were kids. I feel stupid and childish as I stare at it.
With a sigh, I wrap my pinky around his. The bus pulls up beside us and Mike smiles at me. “What’s the address?”
I give him the address for Boylston Street and a moment later, a gust of wind whips around us. We’re gone in a flash, leaving the bus driver and all our friends behind.
****
The Trident Company is located on Boylston Street, alarmingly close to the old Rewind Agency offices where I had been held illegally in the altered timeline. It’s too close for comfort and has to be more than a coincidence.
We walk through the lobby area. It’s bright with shiny wooden floors, and blue paisley sofas surround an oak coffee table. Mike sits on a love seat and picks up a magazine and I continue on my way to the elevator. I’m stopped by the security guard. She’s in a white blouse and her hair is pulled back into a bun.
One hand rests on her hip and her other gestures for me to stop. “Where are you headed?”
“Ms. Drake? I wanted to stop by and say hello. She’s going to be my step-mom.” Wow, that sounded awkward. The idea turns my stomach, but I don’t even know why. I guess that’s what I’m here to find out.
She e
yes me suspiciously. “What’s your name, honey?”
“Molly Montgomery. You want to frisk me?” Holding my arms up, I cringe at how stupid I sound. Lara’s had always made this look a lot easier than it actually is.
“Lower your arms. I don’t want to frisk you. I’m going to call on up and make sure Ms. Drake is free.” She walks over to the security desk and I glance over my shoulder back at the waiting area.
Mike peers at me over the magazine and gives me a thumbs-up. I return it before the security guard gives me the all clear. She calls the elevator and presses a button on the inside panel. “Fifth floor. All the way down the end. She’ll be happy to see you for five minutes.”
I take a deep breath and step inside the waiting elevator. “Thanks. Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it!” I flash her the universal AOK sign with my fingers and the elevator doors swish close.
Blowing out a big breath, I lean against the wall and glance up. Already my neck is sweating and I haven’t even started the hard part yet—getting rid of Morgan, searching her office and freezing time.
Chapter Twenty: Molly
I’ve been practicing freezing time, even rewinding it they way Lara used to do, but it’s not as easy as 1-2-3. I’m having trouble controlling it and so far, people have been aware of what I’ve done. It makes life a little harder when everyone knows you’re a time-traveling maverick.
When the elevator doors open, a hallway with plush gray carpets is revealed. They must be new because they have fresh carpet smell, like plastic and glue. I walk out and go down the long hall. On the right-hand side are all offices, and on the left is a cubicle farm that’s mostly empty except for a few warm bodies. I hear strained voices talking and the ringing of phones.
I knock on the door at the end of the hallway and Morgan’s voice rings out. “Enter!”
When I open the door, I’m taken back by the large chandeliers hanging from her ceiling and how fancy her furniture is. The desk, the rugs, and even the high-class coffee tables are pristine white.
