15 Minutes: A YA Time Travel Thriller (Rewind Series)
Page 19
“It's just a corporation. Nothing but a stupid company. I never should’ve let myself be manipulated by Patricia.” Her voice is strong, resolute. “I have you, Molly, our family. That’s all that matters.” She lifts Molly up in her arms again and gives her kisses, while my sister squeezes her back like there’s no tomorrow. My heart swells with happiness.
“I’m sorry it took so long for me to see it.” Mom frowns and touches my face. Her thumb strokes me. “I can fix it, if there’s still time.”
“There’s still time.”
I step forward and smile at Jax. His lips are drawn and his eyes sad. His shoulders round forward like a sad boy who misses his dog, and when I call him, he barely looks up.
My arm extends, and I offer him my hand. “Maybe we should make it five burgers.”
His eyes lock with mine, and he fights back tears. He nods, takes my hand, and squeezes it. Before I know it, he pulls me into his arms and crushes me into a bear hug. I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my head against him. Jax is a victim in this, same as me and Mom. He has been living with his crimes for so long, I can’t judge him. He did his best to protect Mom, me.
Molly hugs my leg, and Mom hugs me and Jax. We are a unit. A family.
Epilogue
“So a time traveler, huh?” Donovan asks.
We are holding hands and walking through the park. It’s summer now, and I’m wearing a cozy outfit of shorts and a blue tank top.
I shrug. “It’s no big whoop.”
He smiles, shy and reserved. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, I’m not sure what to say next. His mother is arrested and awaiting trial. That’s all my fault, even if she was guilty as sin.
Donovan tucks my hair behind my ears. “You saved your mom’s life, your sister’s, and stopped a dangerous group from trying to shape our country, the world. I’d say pretty big whoop.”
I smile.
“All that time the video was right in Rex’s grasp?”
“Yup, right on Molly’s locket.”
He shakes his head. “And now that you’re a time traveling superhero, what are you going to do with your new power?”
My eyebrow arches. “I hope nothing. I hope Mom can come up with something to fix me, but even if she doesn’t, I hope never to time travel again. Believe me.” I take a deep breath. “Donovan, about your Mom—”
He places a finger over my lips. “How about we don’t. She kidnapped you, Molly, and was ready to kill anyone who got in her way.”
“She’s still your mother,” I whisper. “You must have things you want to get off your chest.”
He holds both my hands, and we are closer to each other than we have been in ages, our chests practically touching. “How about instead of all that, I kiss you and ask you what you’re doing tomorrow night for dinner?”
I smile and bite my lip. “I think I’d like that a lot more than you realize.”
He grins, and when our lips meet, it’s magic. I haven’t forgotten Rick and how much I loved him once, but my heart belongs to Donovan. He is everything to me. I know things will be hard for him in the future with his mom’s arrest, but I look forward to facing it with him.
He walks me uptown to where I’m staying with my dad for the weekend and kisses me goodbye. I go inside the small apartment and watch Dad cook mac and cheese. He doesn’t see how nostalgic it makes me, but when he shows me the small yellow lab puppy he bought, I melt. “Oh, Sparky,” I whisper, and the puppy comes to me. I crush it in a hug.
“I figure with all that money the government is giving me for wrongful imprisonment, I have enough to spend on a dog. What do you say?”
My dad’s face is wide and full of joy. I pet the puppy, and even though I know he isn’t my old dog, I’m sure we’ll be great friends.
“I say it’s great. I always wanted a dog.”
I follow Dad into the kitchen. It’s a tight fit with a table and chairs, but the room sings with love. I hug Dad around the waist, and he kisses the top of my head.
“Make things right with your boyfriend?”
He says the word with disdain in a way Jax never does, but it makes me smile. He is my dad. That gives him a right.
I nod. “We’re going to go out tomorrow night.”
“Only if you’re back by nine.”
“Dad!” I roll my eyes.
“Ten,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. “Set the table, okay?”
I nod and head to the cabinets. The table is by the window and has a beautiful view of the city. I watch the traffic roll by with a smile on my face.
My cell phone rings. “Hi, Jax.”
“Hey … peanut. Just wanted to wish you goodnight. Mom and I have counseling tonight and wanted you to know we’re looking forward to picking you up in a few days.”
“Me too. I’ll see you soon. Tell the twins I love them.”
“Will do. See you soon. Tell John ... well, never mind. See you soon.”
When I hang up, Dad brings the food to the table. He says grace, leaning across the table so we can hold hands. “Mac and cheese still your favorite?”
“Oh, definitely!” I pick up my fork and dig in.
For a moment it feels like nothing has changed. As though I never time traveled at all.
Almost.
I take a spoonful of mac and cheese to my mouth. Blowing on the steaming pasta, I look up. The clock catches my eye.
The hands are spinning backwards.
Find out what is next for Lara in the next Rewind Adventure coming soon.
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Other Books by Jill Cooper
YA Series Dream Slayer
The Dream Slayer: Book 1
Demon Royale: Book2
The Uninvited: A Dream Slayer Novella
Dawning Apocalypse: Book 3 (coming 2013)
Frozen Reverie: Book 4 (coming 2014)
Adult Dystopian Series
Glistening Haven
Glistening Rebellion (coming 2013)
Glistening Warfare (coming late 2013)
Plugged (coming 2014)
Romance
Breaching Darkness (2014)
Stolen Kiss (2015)
About the Author
Jill Cooper loves tea more than coffee and is obsessed over finding that perfect recipe. She was born in 1977 and shared a room with her sister for eighteen years. Early on, she had dreams of writing romances and mysteries. It was something she did when most kids were trying out for softball or out riding bikes.
She's always loved dark mysteries, but also enjoys a great comedy so she tries to include both these things in everything she writes, one way or another.
Jill lives in Danvers, Massachusetts with two cats, a toddler, a husband, and a 1964 yellow taxi. Her life is chaotic, but fun. She can be contacted at http://www.jillacooper.com
Copyright © 2013, Jill Cooper
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without permission by the author. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to a person living or dead is purely coincidental.
ISBN: 1484896467
ISBN-13: 978-1484896464
Cover Design: Ravven
Edited by: Jacob Neff of Complete Pixels
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
; Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Epilogue
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Other Books by Jill Cooper
About the Author