Never Say Never (Resetter Series Book 2)

by Brenda Barrett

  Emma recoiled. He could see that she was finally taking him seriously. But then he felt really bad for saying it but he didn't dare take it back.

  She withdrew like a puppy that had been freshly kicked and he had to admit he felt a sense of relief at that.

  ****

  Emma's withdrawal did not last long. She started calling him Dr. Jefferson again and she dominated the breakfast conversation.

  He served breakfast at the nook, which was closest to where he prepared the food. That had taken record time. He was incentivized to get Emma out of his apartment.

  And now he knew much more about her than he wanted. He knew her favorite color, the name of her favorite childhood dog, and her family's little foibles. He concluded before he got the telephone call that would put breakfast to an end that Emma was a spoiled young woman.

  Sky's only contribution to the running dialogue was a yes here or there when Emma got her breath.

  He found himself wishing that she was the talkative one. That she was the one who had a crush on him and couldn't wait to have breakfast in his place. He wondered what her story was.

  He guessed that his behavior mirrored Sky's until two curious things happened. His phone rang and he held up his hand to stem Emma's one-man conversation.

  Sky looked at his hands and gasped.

  He had no idea what that overreaction was about. Emma stopped talking long enough for him to point to the living room.

  "My phone is ringing," he said wheeling away to the shrieking phone.

  It was Amelia. He had never thought of Amelia in terms of being a savior. She was the woman who had unwittingly stirred his romantic hopes for a while but now he had never been so grateful to hear her voice.

  "Hi," her tone was bashful. He had never heard Amelia do bashful before.

  "Hello Amelia," He replied evenly. Normally he would scowl, but today he was going to use her call as an excuse to get Emma away from his place. Later when she was gone he would query about that gasp from Sky.

  "I was just calling to er...ask if you wanted to come over for dinner or maybe I could bring dinner to your place."

  Amelia was looking for absolvement and he had pouted long enough. What she had said was not as devastating as he had thought it had been just a few months ago. So what if she had said, that she would date a cripple to get close to his family's money.

  People said things. Besides, he had no desire to pursue a relationship with Amelia anymore. Somehow it had gone.

  He had lost that loving feeling.

  "Travis, are you there?"

  "Yes um, yes. Fine. I'll come over," He said huskily then cleared his throat. "What time?"

  "Is two too early?"

  "Not at all." He hung up the phone and turned to see Sky and Emma watching him.

  "Sorry ladies," he said. "I have to be somewhere. I will see you in class tomorrow."

  Sky jumped up quickly, and was already heading to the door before he could give any more hints. Emma took a longer time to get up. She looked woebegone.

  "I er, well Dr. Jefferson, thank you for breakfast."

  "You are welcome." Travis nodded. "Don't forget the test tomorrow, it will be challenging."

  He delivered the last salvo hoping that Emma would keep her distance in their future classes.

  She nodded and left.

  He inhaled deeply and made sure that he pulled the blinds for the back patio. He was taking no chances with Emma around.

  Chapter Six

  "I didn't know Dr. Hotty and Amelia Perkins were still together," Emma mourned. "Do you think that is why he was giving me the cold shoulder? I feel like such a fool."

  Sky was sprawled out on the sofa her head in a business textbook. She hadn't heard a word Emma had said for the past hour. She was biding her time until Emma left. As soon as she closed the door; she was going to call Addi.

  When Travis held up his hands today she saw that he had just two lines in the hand he held up. That was the mark of a resetter. Wasn't that the same marking that Addi had in her palms before she traveled back to 1992?

  "Are you even listening to me?" Emma sat across from Sky and pouted.

  Sky looked up at her and shook her head. "To be honest, I tuned you out a long time ago. Just let the whole thing with Travis Jefferson go. He is not the type to give you a good grade because you flirted with him."

  "Do you think that is why I spent all weekend trying to get to know him?" Emma pouted.

  "Isn't it?" Sky raised an eyebrow.

  "No!" Emma gasped. "I really, really like him. Well, maybe I thought that if we had a thing I could get a better grade, but that was a while ago. The truth is, I have never been with a guy in a wheelchair. I was curious about that."

  "Ah," Sky nodded, "I see. You are a creature of impulse and adventure."

  "Yes." Emma beamed. "I like how you put it—impulse and adventure. Sounds good. That's what I am."

  Sky shook her head. "You know, you can't go through university like this? At some point you are going to have to focus and get serious. You will eventually have to put some of your efforts into actual work or else you'll be up here forever repeating courses and as one group of your friends come and go, you'll be stuck. You'll probably graduate when you are thirty!"

  Emma snorted and then got up. "Well thanks for the pop psychology, Missy. In my opinion you are the one that needs to lighten up. You only live once. There is a place for a social life at school."

  "I agree," Sky said, "but in moderation and not at the expense of your schoolwork. Education is an expensive investment and it's a foolhardy trying to cut corners by flirting with your lecturers or trying to exploit their vulnerabilities. You thought that he was fair game because he was in a wheelchair."

  "You know what, I am leaving. There is no use hanging around here with you, Miss Doom and Gloom. I am going to hang with Sher and the others." Emma flounced to the guest room.

  "By the way, you suck at the flirting thing. You are more annoying than alluring." Sky said to her retreating back.

  Emma looked back at her balefully. "Not true, you are just jealous of me and my ease with people and the fact that I have a gazillion friends and I go to the best parties."

  Sky widened her eyes and then laughed.

  "Laugh all you want," Emma said, "but the whole point of university is having social contacts. It means I can get a job that much easier than you Miss Perfect GPA. Maybe one day I'll even be your boss because I know the right people."

  Sky nodded. "I see. If you are going to be my boss, I might as well be nice to you from now. Want me to drop you back at school?"

  "Sure," Emma said still sounding a little put off by Sky.

  ****

  After dropping Emma at the dormitory, Sky thought about what she said earlier. She really had to work on her social life. She had left high school a year earlier than most of her friends and had started at Mount Faith friendless. Most of the people she associated with, were mature people, serious about their school work. And they were competitive. If you wanted to keep just ahead of them you had to put in the extra reading.

  She wasn't going to feel sorry about the fact that she wasn't repeating classes and went to the best parties.

  She was on track to graduate in '97. That's how she wanted it. She didn't need friends. She had Addi.

  Her cousin would have to suffice. She pulled into her parking space beside Travis' van. He hadn't left for his date yet.

  She ignored the pang of jealousy that she felt when she thought about it and headed to the door.

  Travis' door opened at the same time she pushed her key into her door's lock.

  She heard the whirring of the wheelchair as he entered the corridor. She looked over at him to say hello and he looked around her cautiously.

  "Is she gone?"

  "Yes." Sky nodded. "Just dropped her by her dorm. Sorry about her this weekend. She is really harmless."

  Travis exhaled. "I can't understand how you two are friends."
/>
  Sky swallowed. "It's complicated. We were roommates last semester. She said she had some information that I wanted to hear. Staying over for the weekend was the exchange."

  "Information?" Travis raised an eyebrow. They were thick and level and neat. Sky found herself wondering idly how his grew so neatly when she had to shape up hers every two weeks.

  "You have time for a visit?" Travis indicated his door.

  Sky nodded jerkily. "Yes."

  "You sure I am not taking you from your studies. I am giving you a test tomorrow."

  "Very sure." Sky grinned. "Your course is easy."

  Travis grinned. "Well, come over then."

  Sky followed him and then closed the door behind them. The apartment had the same layout as hers—Open plan living room, leading to the patio. If his blinds weren't drawn you could see the pool.

  The kitchen was at the side with a nook area. As she had noticed earlier though, everything was at a lower level to accommodate him.

  "Have a seat." Travis indicated to one of his plush burgundy sofas.

  Sky sat down. As she had noticed earlier, the color scheme was burgundy and cream. He had loads of plants. When she was there earlier she had thought that they looked unreal but now she looked closer; the one on the center table was very much real. It had red and pink flowers.

  "That's a kalanchoe, Travis said pointing to it. "And that one too."

  He pointed to a large vase at the patio door that had thick white flowers spilling over the top.

  "They are gorgeous," Sky said. "When I came in earlier with Emma I thought that they were unreal especially your peace lilies. The leaves are so shiny."

  Travis smiled. "Are you a plant lover too?"

  "Well, yes. I like looking at other people's plants and I do love to go to flower shows."

  Travis nodded. "I do too. When I was younger, maybe twelve or so, I would take numerous photos of flowers. He moved over to the bookshelf and pulled out an album. Those were my hobbies—flowers and photography."

  Sky took the album from him and skipped through. It seemed like each plant was better than the next. She was in the middle of the album when she felt his eyes on her. She looked up and smiled.

  "What is it?"

  "Earlier you gasped while Emma was talking. What was that about?"

  Sky closed the album slowly an cleared her throat. "I just saw your palms, that's all."

  "What about them?" Travis held them up and looked at it and then he turned it over so that Sky could see it.

  Both of them had just two distinct lines, like a perfect 't'. One straight line from his index finger almost to his wrist and the other traveled across it to both ends of his palms.

  No other lines criss-crossed these lines. Even his fingers were free of lines. It was fascinating to see.

  Addi had told her that she was the one who spotted her palms in the previous timeline. She didn't know how she had managed to keep that a secret because this looked amazing.

  Sky held up her hands because Travis was looking at her quizzically. "My hands have more lines than yours. Most people's hands have more lines."

  Travis chuckled. "So you read tea leaves and think there are special powers in crystals too?"

  "No." Sky shook her head. "Not at all. I just...Nothing."

  Travis was watching her suspiciously. "You sure it's nothing?

  "Sure." Sky nodded and then changed her mind about telling him.

  What would hit hurt if he knew? "I just heard that people with a 't' in their hands like yours can time travel."

  Travis chuckled. "Okay."

  "To the past only but they have to be connected with a pathway."

  "A pathway." Travis nodded, "which would be..."

  "A rock of some sort." Sky subsided in the chair. "I can see the incredulity in your eyes."

  Travis nodded. "I never pegged you for a science fiction fan. I would think more romance and drama."

  Sky grimaced. "Well, this is not fiction, but you are right. I am more of a romance and drama kind of girl. I really love historical stuff though."

  Travis moved toward his bookcase. "Well, behold, my paperback collection."

  Sky jumped up and walked toward his bookshelf. Half of the large bookcase had historical romance paperback books."

  "You have quite the library!" She looked up at him. "If I lived with you I wouldn't get anything done."

  Travis' eyes darkened momentarily as if he were contemplating it and then he smiled. "You can borrow one book at a time if you feel like it."

  "Yes, thanks." Sky nodded. And then she moved away and back to the settee. "Since you love to read I have a set of diaries to lend you. Well, my cousin had them. I am going to have to call her and find out if she left them at home. She is in New York at the moment."

  "Where is home?" Travis asked.

  "I live in Mandeville, an hour from here."

  "And your parents?"

  "Divorced. My dad remarried our next door neighbor and they have a son," Sky said contemplatively. "I guess I have no home."

  "Why'd you say that?"

  "I mean, I have a house where I go to for midterm or summer holidays, but a home implies warmth, family togetherness." Sky sighed. "When I go home I stay by my parent's old house. When I get lonely I go to my uncle and aunt's and they are hardly home. They spend a good chunk of their time in America. It is what it is."

  Travis smiled. "I kind of understand. My siblings from my father's first marriage would say the same thing when they came over to our house. My mother was a particularly nice step mother by the way."

  "Oh," Sky gasped, "I didn't know this about you!"

  "What do you know?" Travis queried with a chuckle. "Who's your source?"

  Sky hung her head in embarrassment. "Well, I...Emma. That is why I allowed her to spend the weekend, in exchange for information on you."

  Travis laughed. "Now this puts me at an unfair disadvantage Skyler. I know nothing about you and I have no idea what Emma told you."

  "Well it wasn't anything much." Sky felt uncomfortable. She avoided looking at him. "I was curious that's all."

  "Because I am your neighbor and I lecture you currently," Travis nodded. "I get it."

  "Yes!" Sky quickly hopped onto his excuse. Of course she wouldn't admit that there was more—that she was attracted to him.

  "Tell you what," Travis wheeled closer to her and held out her hand. "We agree to become friends…satisfy our curiosity about each other, be neighborly. No more agreements with Emma. Deal?"

  "Yes, deal." Sky looked at his palms before she held out her hands and they touched. She looked up at him and then smiled.

  He was an honest to goodness resetter and he didn't even know it.

  ****

  Sky called Addi as soon as she stepped into her apartment. She waited impatiently while the phone rang. Where could Addi be on a Sunday at one? She looked at the clock impatiently.

  She hung up the phone and tried again. She had a limited amount phone credit on her WorldTalk card. Addi had better answer this time.

  "Hello," Addi answered groggily.

  "My neighbor has a 't' in his palms!" Sky said excitedly. She didn't bother with hello. "A 't' Addi, no other lines, just a 't'. Isn't that a time travel thing?"

  "Yes," Addi said sounding brighter. "You are sure it was a 't'."

  "Yes. Yes and yes!" Sky sank down on the settee, feeling like she had discovered a new world. "He is also my teacher. I can't believe that I met a resetter in person. I mean, before they reset anything. I mean, apart from you obviously."

  "That's great!" Addi enthused. "I wish I could meet him too. Is he planning to travel back?"

  "No." Sky grunted. "I told him and he laughed at me…probably thinks I am touched in the head."

  "If he goes back tell him to write stuff down. I wish I wrote stuff down when I just got back. You begin to lose the memories pretty quickly."

  "I don't think he is going to go back. I mentioned time travel and
pathways he thought it was fictional. I was thinking, did you leave Monica's grandmother's books at home?"

  Addi paused. "Yes, I did. In my room. I meant to carry them but I didn't get the chance. Too many things to take back with me whenever I visit home."

  "Good," Sky said brightly. "I'll just go home for them one weekend and give them to him to read. Maybe he'll find it interesting."

  "I hope so." Addi yawned. "But then again, I don't know, telling him about this could be more trouble than it is worth. What kind of person is he?"

  "He is fine." Sky cleared her throat. "Like really fine. You only see his type of fine, rarely."

  Addi laughed. "You like him!"

  "Yes," Sky muttered, "but he is my lecturer."

  "Older guy!" Addi chuckled. "You have a type."

  "Don't remind me about my one, and I have to stress one crush before this." Sky sighed. "Travis Jefferson is not in any category of men I have been exposed to before. For one he is so mature and knowledgeable."

  Addi laughed. "He is your teacher, duh. I would fret if he were immature and stupid."

  Sky ignored her. "Two, he is in a wheelchair. I don't know anything about people in wheelchairs, except what crazy Emma has been feeding me about them."

  "He is in a wheelchair?" Addi gasped. "Is he in a wheelchair because of a genetic condition?"

  "No," Sky said massaging her temples, "What does that have to do with anything."

  "Maybe he would like the chance to reset the event that crippled him in the first place. That would be nice."

  "Splendid idea except he does not believe in this kind of thing, remember?"

  "Josh wasn't either," Addi reminded her, "and he came around, not to mention the fact that you took some convincing too. It takes time to make people come around."

  "Yeah I guess," Sky muttered. "Talk to you soon. I have to study for a test tomorrow."

  "Okay." Addi yawned again. "Me too."

  Chapter Seven

  Travis drove to Amelia's place wishing that he had never agreed to have dinner with her. He was quite pleased to see on arriving at the sprawling ranch style house that there were several cars parked in the driveway. He had assumed that dinner would have been a private affair.