“Yep. All we’re missing is the Kegarator and a stripper pole,” Miller said, moving his gaze to her.
“Oh yeah. I’m sure that’s gonna happen,” Emily said, shooting Miller a shame-on-you-look.
He smiled and winked, letting his shoulders and his posture relax a bit.
Mission accomplished, she told herself.
Keeping everyone calm and ridding the room of excess tension was priority number one. It was all she could really do now to help, plus it would be a huge benefit when it came time for her to come clean.
“Feeling better?” Monica asked her dad as she took the wet cloth from his head.
“Yes, much. Thank you, sweetheart. Your mother would be proud of you for taking care of your old man like this.”
Monica smiled, though it looked a little forced and painful. She stood up and left the room, pulling a wisp of air past Emily as she cruised by.
Emily presumed she was headed to the kitchen to refresh the cloth.
“Glad to have you back, old friend,” Miller said to Duane, stepping forward to the couch. He gave the shotgun to Derek. “Watch the door for me.”
Derek nodded and moved into position.
Miller took Monica’s seat on the couch next to Duane. “Do you think you can walk me through what happened?”
Duane took a deep breath and let it out slowly through his lips. “Probably, though I think it might be better if Em laid it out for ya. I’m still not sure what I saw.”
Jim turned his eyes to Emily.
“Derek was there, too,” she said with a leading tone in her voice, hoping her boyfriend would finally speak up. Derek hadn’t bothered to look at her or say a word since they’d all gone inside after Nora disappeared with the Orange Man.
Derek nodded, but he still didn’t bring his eyes to hers. He kept them focused on the windows and doors, acting like he was busy guarding the room and wasn’t pissed. But she knew better.
“So we’re not speaking now?” she asked him in a sharp tone.
Derek still didn’t respond, nor did he look at her, his eyes aimed at the doorway and sharp like a Marine guarding prisoners.
She threw up her hands, then stepped aside as Monica came back into the room with a jar of peanut butter and breadknife in one hand and a sleeve of Ritz crackers in the other.
Emily’s stomach growled at the sight of the food flying past her.
“Food. I’m hungry,” her baby said, finally breaking his silence.
“There you are, Julius. I was starting to wonder what happened to you,” she sent back in her thoughts.
“I’m starving, Mom. Send food,” Julius answered, ramping up his vocabulary again.
Emily smiled at the amazing progress her son was making. It seemed clear they’d be having long conversations, and soon. She couldn’t wait to get know more about him.
What was he was feeling? And thinking?
What it was like to be a new life growing inside her tummy?
Could he hear and sense everything that was happening outside?
Or could he only sense it through her?
She had a long list of questions to ask, but needed to wait until he was a little more mature and more aware. She didn’t want to overload him too early with an onslaught of facts, feelings, and experience.
It wouldn’t be long before she needed to start teaching him everything about the world outside, both the good and the bad, so he was prepared for the life that awaited him.
“Please. Mommy. I’m hungry,” he said again.
Somehow he’d learned the magic word: please. Emily passed her hands over her tummy and sent a communication to him with her mind. “In a minute, honey. Mommy’s working on it.”
Later, when it was quiet and they were alone, she planned to ask her son about his earlier comment when he told her something about “2C49.” Unless it was simply random gibberish during the Orange Man crisis, she figured it was important enough to ask about.
Monica cleared her throat as she stood in front of Jim Miller who was sitting in her spot on the couch.
“Sorry,” Miller said, promptly standing up and stepping away.
Monica sat down and tore open the sleeve of crackers and twisted open the jar. She swiped a glob of peanut butter across the first cracker with the knife and held the food in front of her dad. “Here, you need to eat something. Mom always says that you need to keep your strength up when you’re not feeling good.”
Duane turned his head a bit and put up his hand like a stop sign. “No thanks, sweetheart. I’m not really hungry.”
“Seriously?” she asked.
“Yeah. I’m good. But maybe some of our guests would like some?”
Monica looked at Emily. “Hungry?”
“Oh, yeah. We’re starving,” she answered without hesitating, moving quickly to snatch the stuff from Monica.
“We?” Monica asked with a pinched nose as the items left her hands.
“Well, I mean me. But I’m sure Derek is famished, too. Aren’t you, baby?” she asked, looking at him.
Again, he just stood there, ignoring her like a total ass. She tried to flash on him but couldn’t get a read. Since he wasn’t looking at her, the lack of telepathic connection wasn’t much of a surprise. Besides, given the angry look on his face, she really didn’t want to know what was rolling around inside that brain of his.
She continued like it was no big deal. “I guess that means more for the rest of us. Jim? Junior? You guys want some?”
Both of them shook their heads no.
“Okay, then I guess it’s just me and Monica.”
“No, you go ahead,” Monica said from the couch. “We’ve got more in the kitchen.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. Positive. Enjoy.”
“Okay, thanks,” Emily said, walking to the easy chair and taking a seat with the treats.
Her fingers and mouth made quick work of the peanut butter spread and crackers. When she was done, her tongue and lips felt like someone had dumped a truckload of cotton into her mouth and tossed in a giant squirt of Elmer’s glue for good measure. She was having a hard time swallowing and un-sticking her lips.
Right on cue, Emily saw Duane nudge his son in the ribs and nod in her direction, then look down at the glass that Junior was still holding.
Junior nodded and a second later he was on his feet and delivering the water glass to Emily.
“Looks like you might need this,” he said in that sweet, even tone of his.
“Yeah, I’m totally parched. Thanks,” she said before downing the glass in three gulps. A shallow burp erupted and she giggled. It wasn’t very ladylike, but she really didn’t care.
Junior took the empty glass from her and went into the kitchen. A few seconds later, she heard the water faucet run for about five seconds, then the refrigerator door swooshed open.
“That’s not enough, Mom. I need more,” Julius said.
Emily rolled her eyes and sent him a message back. “You’re going to have to wait a bit. Mommy’s trying, but we’re these people’s guests.”
Julius didn’t answer.
Monica rose from the couch and walked to the middle of the room with a serious look on her face. Emily decided to lock eyes with the teenager and try a flash read, but she got nothing. She didn’t know why.
There should have been some kind of connection. The girl’s face was telling everyone in the room she was obviously full of emotions and thoughts. Emily didn’t need her gift of second sight to realize that fact.
Monica turned and put her hands on her hips, while looking at her dad. “I think it’s time for someone to explain to me what happened to my mom.”
Before anyone could answer, Junior came in from the kitchen. He slid in next to his sister, chewing on a partially peeled banana.
“You mean, what happened to our mom?” he asked with his mouth full.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
Thirty minutes went by while Emily stared at Derek
sitting in the easy chair across from her. They were all alone in the room and she was still trying to get a read on him. She couldn’t, not while he was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
A bit earlier, Derek had glanced her way a few times while Duane explained to his emotional kids what had happened to Nora. But that was it from Derek—a couple of momentary glances, not a single word or a smile.
She didn’t get it. Not at all. She couldn’t get a lock on him then either. Not with his eyes and probably his mind focused elsewhere at the moment.
There was something profoundly important to tell him, but without a flash on him first, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to.
Emily needed him in a good mood when she unveiled news about her pregnancy. Otherwise, there was no telling how he’d react.
If Derek totally flipped out, she didn’t want to expose Julius to something intense like that from his father. It might permanently damage her son emotionally and psychologically.
Julius wasn’t a normal baby. That much was clear. She knew she needed to be extra careful, especially now while he was learning and growing rapidly.
Her gut was telling her that everything she did from this point forward—every thought—every feeling—every decision—was going to affect her baby. And do so in more ways than she could probably imagine.
Her son’s life was going to be hard enough as the child of a homeless time jumper, so she needed to protect him at all costs. That meant staying calm and thinking happy, loving thoughts whenever she could—and avoiding all the stupid drama. And right now, the drama was Derek.
If he’d just look at her and have a conversation, she knew she could fix whatever was wrong. All she wanted was a chance. Everything would be okay, but he’d have to meet her halfway first.
She missed the old Derek and wanted him back—the charming, gentle street boy who’d captured her heart. Not the jerk sitting a few yards from her.
She opened her mouth to plead with him to talk to her, but stopped when Duane breezed into the TV room. He was holding the wireless house phone to his ear and chatting to someone in a hurried manner.
“Thanks, Maja. You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t an emergency,” he said, pausing his conversation for a moment. Emily figured he was listening to the person on the other end.
Duane’s eyes found Emily’s, then he turned his head and looked at Derek. The pronounced lift of Duane’s left eyebrow confirmed what Emily already suspected—Duane could sense the thick tension in the room.
Duane continued his phone conversation. “They should be there by nine. Ten at the latest. We’ll be down Saturday afternoon . . . Okay. Thanks. Bye.”
Duane Junior and Monica appeared in the doorway leading from the hall to the bedrooms. Junior had a blue nylon gym bag slung over one shoulder, and Monica carried a small pink suitcase.
“Dad, do we really have to go? I wanna stay and help find Mom,” the girl said.
“Look, we’ve already covered this. So you need to just accept it. It’s happening whether you like it or not.”
“But Daa—ad,” Monica groaned, tilting her head to the side as her voice stretched out the response.
“Your Uncle Jim and I will handle this. We won’t stop until we find your mother, I promise. But that won’t happen if I’m worried about your safety.”
“But it’s our last three days of spring break,” Junior said in a whiny voice. “We don’t want to spend it in Tucson with Aunt Maja.”
“The decision has been made. End of discussion.” Duane took out his car keys and tossed them to his son. “Take my car.” Duane walked forward and hugged his son. When he let go of the embrace, he turned his head to Monica and offered his cheek to her. “Come here and gimme some sugar.”
Jim Miller came into the room with the shotgun in his hands, just as Monica stood on her tiptoes and gave Duane a peck on the cheek.
“Can’t I stay, Dad? Please?” she asked, looking desperate. “Besides, I haven’t seen Emily in like for-ev-er.”
“No, hon. Y’all can catch up later. Time for you to go now. Think of it as a surprise vacation. Aunt Maja’s expecting you. I’ll see you two on Saturday.”
The pair of teenagers spun on their heels and left the room with heavy feet and drooping shoulders.
Duane walked over and sat on the couch. Jim joined him. Derek was still in the easy chair. Emily now had all three men looking at her in unison.
“Okay, Emily. I think it’s time,” Duane said.
“For what?” she replied, pretending she didn’t know what he meant. She did, but her heart didn’t want to go there. Not now. Not like this. She tried to get a read on all three men, but all she got back was empty static.
Duane’s voice turned deep and slow. “Time to tell us your story. All of it, young lady. Every last detail.”
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
Emily nodded and took a deep breath before she stood to come clean with her friends. She felt like a hated politician stepping in front of the podium, ready to give an apologetic speech in front of a crowd of angry voters.
Her lips were closed and she kept them that way while she took a few seconds to run it through in her head. She needed to pick exactly the right words; otherwise, she was sure everyone in the room would hate her when she was done.
Fortunately, Julius was quiet at the moment. She couldn’t sense his personality bubbling around like normal, which she hoped was because he’d just fallen asleep. If so, then perfect timing because it was now or never with the other men in her life.
She could still feel Derek’s negative energy wafting its way across the room and landing on the folds of her heart. Their initial reunion outside had been nothing short of amazing—though it had sent her reeling emotionally. His love had overwhelmed her and those power feelings transferred directly to Baby Julius, kick-starting a time jump.
Even though Derek’s love could be dangerous for her, his affection and warmth completed her. It was what she wanted, needed, and craved more than anything else right now.
He sat there looking at her with those gorgeous eyes of his, but when she flashed on him, she got nothing. It was like he was dead inside—both emotionally and spiritually. She knew he loved her, but his face was a jumbled mess of frustration and anger.
She didn’t blame him if he was upset about her leaving after their night together, but it was probably more than that. If she had to guess, her disappearance must have brought up everything from his past—all the pain and loneliness he’d been through all his life.
Her being away for two years must have given him plenty of time to sit and think, dwelling on all the bad things in his life. She was certain his being alone again must have been eating him alive.
If she was right, then everything that had hurt him earlier in life had come back to haunt him while she was away. Derek’s abandonment by his birth mother, the physical and emotional abuse he’d suffered at the hands of his foster father, the tough times he’d had on the streets while running with the Locos, the time he’d spent in jail after saving her from Rob the Rapist. All of it—every last despicable moment—must have been bubbling up and getting tangled with the emotions he felt for her.
Being in love with a time jumper must totally suck, she thought.
But there was nothing she could do about it. He loved her and she loved him. End of story. The feeling she felt for him when they’d seen each other outside in the driveway wasn’t gone—just tangled around the harsh reality of the current situation.
At the moment, the only thing keeping her from losing it altogether was Baby Julius. His comforting, tender presence gave her something positive to focus on, something to distract her from the horrifying fact that Derek wouldn’t talk to her.
But even worse than Derek’s pullback was the fact that she was responsible for Nora’s disappearance. If Nora was being tortured by the beings on that ship right now, she’d never be able to forgive herself.
Emily realized she’d been standing in front of her friends for at least a minute, maybe longer. It was time to expose the truth and bring them all into her circle of trust. Her heart was ready and so was her resolve.
“Sorry, you guys. It’s just that I . . . I don’t know how to start. I’ve never told anyone my story before,” she said with a thready voice, swallowing hard and making a loud gulp sound in the process.
“I’ve had to keep it all to myself for so long. I never know who I can trust or what I should say. It’s just so hard for me, being all alone and never knowing where I’m gonna be from one day to the next.”
“We understand, Em. Just take your time,” Jim said. “You can trust us. We’re not going anywhere.”
Emily nodded. “But there’s something else, too. Something I have to say before I tell you everything. But it’s all connected, I promise.”
She looked at Derek, who had his head tilted down and was playing with the black laces on his sneakers. “Derek . . . sweetheart . . . please look at me.” He brought his eyes up, though they looked empty and withdrawn.
“Honey, I wish I could tell you this alone. I wish there was a better way. I was going to ask Nora how I should do it, but now she’s . . . I don’t know where she is,” Emily said as the tears welled up in her eyes. Her heart was racing at light speed now and her lungs were sucking in air faster than she needed it. She took a few moments to calm herself.
She looked at Duane. “Duane, I’m so sorry about Nora. If I thought for a second that anything like this would happen, I never would have—”
“It’s okay, Em. Don’t worry about me right now. Don’t worry about Nora, either. As far as I’m concerned, whoever took her is who needs to worry. Trust me. That woman is a force of nature and she’s gonna unleash hell on them. So put her out of your mind and just go ahead. Tell us what you need to say. Jim and I have been waiting to hear this for years, and Derek here, well, you know how he feels about you. It’s written all over his face. So just take your time, Em. Nothing you say is ever going to change how any of us feels about you.”
Glassford Girl: Boxed Set (Complete Series) (Time Jumper Series) Page 51
