“You can leave. You probably have other things to do,” he said softly.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than with you and Caroline.”
My heart skipped a beat at the sight of his glistening eyes. He squeezed my hand, letting me know how much it meant that I was there with him. He said so much in that simple gesture, more than words ever could.
I squeezed back, telling him I wasn’t scared off by his family drama. I was there to stay.
“Oh, I just remembered.” He cleared his throat as he dropped my hand. “The carnival will be here soon. How about Nicole and I take you to that?”
The carnival! It had to be the same carnival that Greg had taken me to. Rainbow had mentioned that it came into town at the same time every year. Greg’s bright smiling face flashed through my mind, and my heart ached. I missed him so much and Rainbow too.
It was entirely possible that Madame Zahra would be there. Or maybe someone would know where I could find her. Maybe she knew how I could get back. She was the one who had warned me about a vortex. This had to be what she meant, some kind of time travel vortex. This could be my one chance to find a way home.
A mixture of emotions washed over me. Excitement. Hope.
Jax tugged one of Caroline’s pigtails playfully.
Anguish.
Caroline slapped his hand, laughing. “When?”
“Next week.”
“But next week is like For-EV-ER,” she whined.
He chuckled. “Well, until then, why don’t I take you flying?”
“Really?” Her eyes lit up. “Can Nicole come too?”
“You bet!”
“Then let’s go.” She hopped off his lap and tugged my hand. “Come on, Nicole.”
“We’re flying?” My stomach flipped. I was a big baby when it came to flying. It was one of the few times I was thankful for the shrink’s pills. Even with them, I would be white knuckled, gripping the armrest for dear life during the entire trip. On one trip, Greg kept teasing me about how I loved riding rollercoasters and Zero Gravity, yet I couldn’t stomach a measly plane ride.
“You’ll love it,” he said.
“Are you sure about this?” I whispered as Caroline skipped ahead. Flying was expensive. It was highly doubtful that his family owned a private plane.
“Trust me.”
We walked deeper into the park, near the river that ran through it. We traveled down the dirt path that ran along side of it. I kept glancing at Jax, curious about the direction we were headed. It didn’t seem like we were going anywhere near an airport or airstrip.
There were a few people around, taking in the nice weather. Even though it was fall, it felt more like late spring. A couple of guys in Texas State running gear jogged past us. They gave a high-pitched whistle at the three girls laying out in their bathing suits, catching the last rays of the late afternoon light. A few teenagers splashed each other, laughing as they floated on tubes down the river.
“Come on, slow pokes. The plane is taking off already.” Placing herself between us, Caroline latched onto our hands.
“The plane can’t leave without the captain, so we’ll make it on time, Shortcake,” Jax said.
“I want to be the captain this time.” She jumped up.
“Are you sure you can handle it?” He lifted his arm as she jumped.
“Of course I can. Duh!”
I chuckled. I should’ve known it was an imaginary plane. I gazed at Jax in awe. How many guys played like that with their little sister? Was there anything he wouldn’t do for her?
“Nicole, you’re not doing it right.” Caroline tugged at my arm.
“She wants you to lift her,” Jax said.
“Oh! Sorry. Try again.”
“Wee,” she squealed as she swung when we lifted her. She laughed so hard she snorted.
I busted out laughing.
“Okay, we’re here,” she said, stopping on a small grassy slope. “You lay down right there, Nicole.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I laid down, not having a clue what we were doing.
“And Jax will lie right here. And I’ll be here.” She pointed at the spot between us.
“Yes, Captain.” He gave her a military salute before settling down next to her.
“Don’t forget to put on your seatbelt,” she said.
“Yeah, Nicole. We’re all about safety on Shortcake Airlines.” He winked.
“Oh, silly me. Thanks for reminding me,” I said, pulling an imaginary belt across my waist. “This my first time on Shortcake Airlines. I’m a little nervous.”
“We have a nervous passenger here!” Caroline yelled. “Jax, hold her hand.”
“Don’t be scared.” He reached over and took my hand in his. Sapphire eyes gazed intently, and I couldn’t help but pick up the meaning in every word he said. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“Here we go!” Caroline squealed as she fell back onto the grass. “Ooh, look we’re in the clouds.”
Puffy white clouds moved across a beautiful blue sky. Each one that passed, we called out what we thought it looked like. Jax pointed out an amazing cloud that looked exactly like a dolphin. Caroline spotted a turtle and a unicorn. I managed to find a corndog, birthday cake, and baby back ribs.
What could I say? I was hungry.
Then, in a soft voice, Jax murmured, “I see paradise.”
He wasn’t looking at the sky anymore.
He was looking at me.
In his perfect eyes, I was all that he needed. I was his paradise, his sanctuary from the chaos around him. He saw a strength in me that I never knew I had.
In that moment, three words burst in my soul like a flower blooming into life. I wanted that moment to last forever, just laying there with Jax holding my hand, Caroline between us, watching clouds and forgetting the world.
Chapter Eight
The carnival looked almost exactly the same. It had the same delicious smells of popcorn and cotton candy, the same twinkling lights, and the same corny music spilling out of the speakers.
Holding hands, we weaved our way through the crowds. Caroline was so excited her feet barely touched the ground as she bounced and pointed at each game and refreshment booth we passed. When we got to the rides, she was so cute with her little face scrunched up, thinking hard about which one to go on first.
I thought for sure Caroline would head straight for the kiddie train or the sparkling lights of the carousel. Nope, the moment she spotted a ride called Tornado, almost an exact duplicate of Zero Gravity, she screamed.
“Ahhh! That one! I wanna ride that one!”
My jaw dropped at the ride’s spinning lights. Circling so fast, it looked like it was going to pop off its axle and roll away.
Grinning, I hugged her. She was a girl after my own heart.
I didn’t think she’d be allowed on the ride. With a little creative stuffing of her shoes and a flash of Jax’s sexy smile at the giggling teen ride attendant, we managed to get her on.
“Oh my god! This is soooo cool!” Caroline alternated between laughing and yelling as we spun in a blur.
I screamed along with her, my hair flying into my face. Jax let out a squeal so high, I didn’t think it was possible for a guy to make that kind of sound post puberty. I gazed over at him, his handsome face lit up with joy. He kept yelling in unison with Caroline and acting silly. Each squeal made her laugh even more. He didn’t care how he looked to other people around us. All he cared about was the smile on his sister’s face.
Girly squeals or not, I loved him even more for it.
After the ride, we hit the refreshment booth. As I munched on my cotton candy, I tilted my head onto Jax’s shoulder and sighed.
“Having fun?” he murmured as he kissed my forehead.
“Hmm.” I wrapped an arm around his waist, snuggling into him. “A few more kisses and I’d call our date perfect.”
“Only a few?” He placed a finger beneath my chin, lifting my lips to hi
s.
“Oh, look pictures! Come on, you guys!” Caroline wiggled herself between us, took hold of our hands, and dragged us to a photo booth.
My hand shot up to my windblown hair. I’d taken so much time to curl it earlier, thinking that we’d only get on the slow rides. The moment I’d gotten on the Tornado, I knew the perfect curls were goners.
I glanced in the mirror that was attached to the photo booth’s entrance. Yep. There it was, limp spaghetti coming out of my head.
“You don’t need that.” Jax wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. “I can tell you exactly how you look.”
My stomach fluttered at the breathtaking reflection gazing back at me. The sapphire eyes, the curve of lips that begged to be kissed, the light smattering of stubble along his perfect jaw. How did I get so lucky to have someone like him look at me like I was the only person in the world? It took the hands of fate to bring me across time to find him, the missing part of me.
His rough cheek pressed against mine, rubbing deliciously over my skin as he spoke. “You’re hair’s a mess. There’s cotton candy stuck between your two front teeth. And somehow you got chocolate on your right temple.”
When my hand flew up to wipe the chocolate, he grabbed it. He pressed his warm lips over my hand for a moment before turning me to face him. I stared into his incredible blue eyes, mesmerized. Taking my face into his hands, he slowly closed the space between our mouths. His sweet breath, smelling of candy apple, washed over my lips as he whispered, “And you’re still the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.”
The carnival, the laughter, the corny music, all of it vanished as I fell into his kiss. His tongue coaxed my lips apart. My mouth moved against his, eager to taste and explore every inch of him. Sliding my hands up his muscled abs, I stroked them over his hard chest.
My heart leapt to my throat the moment I felt his heart pounding hard and fast. I was doing that to him. I made his heart as frantic as mine and his breath come in quick gasps, just like mine. I wondered if he needed me as much as I needed him in that moment and I had every intention of finding out.
“Eww! Gross. You’ve got my brother’s cooties.”
With my lips still pressed against Jax’s, I laughed at the sound of Caroline’s disgust with our PDA. Maybe it was a good thing she’d interrupted. I was a second away from tearing off his shirt.
“I think Nicole might like my cooties, Shortcake.” Jax chuckled, rubbing the top of her head.
“He’s right. I love his cooties,” I said.
“Grownups are so weird.” She shook her head, pigtails swinging, as she walked into the photo booth.
Laughing, we followed her into the booth. When Jax sat on the small stool, Caroline immediately hopped onto his lap. There was barely any room for all three us.
“Have a seat, young lady.” He patted his leg.
“I’ll wait outside,” I said.
“Come on.” He pulled me down onto his leg.
“Are you sure? I’m not too heavy?”
Kissing my cheek, he said, “You’re perfect.”
“Less kissing and more smiling, people!” Caroline demanded.
“All right. All right. Women.” He rolled his eyes.
“So should we say cheese?”
“Boring!” Caroline puckered her lips and tapped a finger on her chin, thinking. “Let’s say Jax has stinky feet.”
“I do not!” His blue eyes widened with horror. “Really, I don’t.”
“He does. Ooh, the light went on. One, two . . .”
“Jax has stinky feet!” We yelled.
Giggling hysterically, we made silly poses as the lights flashed. Jax stuck his tongue out. I made bunny ears behind his head. When we looked over some of the photos, one brought tears to my eyes.
“I’m keeping this one,” I said softly.
There was no denying the emotions that the photo captured. While Caroline and I stared straight into the camera, Jax had his head at an angle as he gazed down at me. His handsome face was filled with raw emotion as he held Caroline and me. It was a love I’d never seen before. In his eyes, we were his family.
“I guess the truth is out there.” His voice was thick. “Now you know how I feel about you.”
He ducked his head, pressing his lips gently to mine.
“Ugh, more kissing?” Caroline moaned.
“Okay, no more . . . for now. So, what’s next?” I chuckled, tucking the photo into my pocket.
“What about that game?” She pointed to the shooting gallery booth lined with familiar stuffed animals, including the giant panda.
I stiffened.
It wasn’t the fear of having a repeat of my clumsiness and taking down another zoo that was freaking me out. It was the tent right across from it with a familiar sign.
Palms Read, Fortunes Told.
Your future awaits you.
As we neared the game booth, my eyes darted from the giant panda to the sign. This was what I’d waited for, some kind of clue to finding my way back home. There was no guarantee that the same fortuneteller, Madame Zahra, would be in that tent or that whoever was in there would have a clue about how I got here or how I could get back. Then why was I so afraid?
“What’s wrong?”
I looked down at my hand in Jax’s. I belonged here with him and Caroline. And yet, something inside of me knew I had to go into that tent.
I let go of his hand.
“Nature calls.” My voice sounded strained.
His brow furrowed with worry. “You sure?”
“Yeah, really. Three cans of soda will do that to you. I’ll catch up with you.”
“I’ll win the panda for you,” he said as the headed to the booth.
The moment he left my side, I spun around and dashed into the tent.
It was set up exactly the same, with flickering candles and the large crystal ball in the center of the table, except for the woman who sat behind it.
My heart fell. It wasn’t Madame Zahra. The woman was older. It couldn’t have been the same person.
Kind, dark eyes gazed up at me expectantly. She wore a simple white ruffled blouse and long red skirt. Her snowy white hair was pulled back from her round face into a bun. She didn’t look like the stereotypical fortuneteller. She looked like she could be anyone’s grandmother.
“I’ve been expecting you. Come sit.” A plump hand waved me over.
“You have?”
“Yes, Nicole.”
I balked. The rational side of me wanted to hold on to the belief that this was all fake. But I’d had way too much freaky deaky the last few weeks. Time travel did that to you. Anything was possible.
“So do you want to see my palm?” I placed my hand face up on the table.
“That’s not what you’re here for. You’re looking for someone.”
“Y-y-yes. Is there someone else here?” I swallowed, giving out one last hope that Madame Zahra was there. “Maybe someone younger?”
She smiled. “You’re talking about my daughter, Zahra. She’s still in training and not ready to take over quite yet. I’m Madame Zarina.”
My heart sank. I wasn’t sure what to do next.
“Oh, well, I thought that I could get some answers about a specific question I had.” I twisted my hands nervously. Now that I had a chance to ask about how I’d gotten here, I was chickening out.
“Don’t be afraid, ask your question.”
“How do you know I’m—” I glanced down at my hands and immediately placed them on my lap.
She chuckled. “Like I said, I’ve been expecting you. Take a leap of faith, and ask your question.”
“If you know why I’m here, why do I have to ask? Why can’t you just give me an answer?”
“Because you guide your own fate. Your questions and the answers will dictate what happens next.” She leaned in closer. She was so close, I could see the light dusting of powder in the crevices of her wrinkles. “You’re the one to deci
de what path you want to take. Nothing is set in stone. One path could lead to your greatest happiness while the other could lead to a life of loss and regret.”
For some reason, I thought about my parents at that moment. I also thought about Jax and Caroline. None of us had a choice about who our parents were or if they did or didn’t love us. We were stuck with what we had until we were old enough to leave. Even then, their words could haunt us, just like my mother’s.
“We don’t always have a choice,” I argued. “Some things are in the power of other people’s hands.”
“That may be. But what we go through in the present is sometimes a means to an end. We don’t know what lies around the corner. It takes a leap of faith to take that first step. And sometimes you have to fight the chains of uncertainty. Once you’ve given into it, it’ll hold you down like gravity unless you fight to break away from it.”
“I don’t understand. Madame Zahra, er, your daughter didn’t say any of this. She warned me to stay away from some vortex.”
“That sounds so much like what Zahra would say.” She waved her hand as if dismissing the statement. “She’s a romantic.”
“What did she mean by vortex? I don’t get it. Do you mean I should stay away from being uncertain about things? And do you know how . . .?” I swallowed. This was my last chance. I had to ask. “How do I go back to . . . my . . . uh, 2002?”
The tent grew silent.
A light breeze blew through the tent, and the candlelight flickered. Madame Zarina pulled away from me, her lips curling into a soft smile. I couldn’t tell if she believed me or thought I was insane.
“I can tell you this, my child. There will be a time when you will need to make a choice. Go home or stay. Your choice will depend on whether or not you will be taken into the vortex.”
That did not make any sense at all. What was it about fortunetellers and speaking in riddles?
“Wait!” I cried when she stood up and headed out of the back of the tent. “Can’t you explain it to me in plain English?”
Her voice drifted through the tent in a sing-song voice as she disappeared behind the curtain.
“What would be the fun in that?”
Your Gravity: Part Two Page 5
