15 Minutes: A YA Time Travel Thriller (Rewind Series) (16 page)

I
slide down on the floor beneath the window to try to relax, to let the image
come, but Rick kneels before me.

“
Lar
? You okay?” He strokes my hair back. Is he finally
going to kiss me? Maybe he realizes we’re meant to be together. “Your eyes are
going bloodshot. Lara? Can you hear me?”

My
jaw presses firmly together, and as his strong, warm hands grip the sides of my
face, the image zooms into view with a pop.

****

I’m
standing at the front door of my house holding a ladle. I’m wearing a small
apron covering my midriff, and I have one hand on the doorframe. On the other
side of the threshold are four men, all in black suits, all with matching
tattoos. They scare me, but I put on a brave face and pretend otherwise.

“Can
I help you?” I try to keep my voice balanced.

One
of them steps forward, bald with a gleaming head and wearing dark shades. He
clasps his hands in front of each other, revealing a gold ring with a diamond,
but he doesn’t seem the marrying type.

“Are
your
parents
home?”

“Not
yet,” I say coolly. “But I have friends over, so I need to go.”

“Don’t
have time to play twenty questions, is that it?” The man smirks. Maybe he knows
he’s making me uncomfortable.

“That’s
right. I’m making dinner for the kids, so if you don’t mind …” He catches the
door in the palm of his thick hand.

“Tell
Jax
we stopped by, would you?” His smile reveals a
fake gold tooth as I close the door and latch it.

My
limbs are shaking, and I lean against the door, able to feel someone move
beside me. Donovan puts his hand on my shoulder. His eyes are worried as I
stare up into them.

“It
was him,” I say grimly, and Donovan takes me readily into his arms.

I
feel safe, safer than I have in months as I wrap my arms around him and cry
into his shoulder. He strokes my hair and kisses my cheek.

“Prom
better hurry up and get here,” he says. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

I
nod. I’ve never been so sure in all my life. First, I get the proof, and then I
travel back to the day my dad was framed.

And
expose them all.

Prom.

I’m
a fool.

Donovan
and Lara were using it as a cover to go back in time. One of them was going to
use their parents’ credentials to sneak in and use the time travel equipment.
Once Lara knew everything she needed, she would stop her father from being
framed and expose the future Senator,
Jax
, and
Rewind. She was going to blow the lid off them all and use their own technology
to do it. What a brilliant girl.

But
did Donovan know? I suspect not if he was acting so blasé about it. I need to
keep it that way. If he was going to be my ally, he couldn’t know what his mom
had done.

The
love I felt in Donovan’s arms stays with me as Rick’s face comes into view. His
face, the one I love, is confused with my feelings for Donovan. It was a small
but powerful vision, and I can understand now, if we were planning this giant
event behind everyone’s back, why he's been so angry with my behavior. I pretty
much destroyed this guy’s life with a single, selfish act. Everything I did up
until Molly went missing was selfish. I stole my mom back from time, and now
time wants retribution, starting with my brain.

Rick
licks his lips, waiting for me to speak. “What’d you see?”

“Donovan.
He … knows these guys. I think he can help me.”

I
fish the phone out of my duffle bag. Donovan’s number is the only one on speed
dial. He must be the one who gave it to me, so we could contact each other
without being tracked.

It
only takes half a ring for Donovan to answer. “Thank God. I’ve been waiting for
you to call. And then when I saw the news ... ”

“I’m
at Rick’s. I have the papers.” My eyes stay on Rick, watching for an
expression.

“Rick’s?”
There’s no denying the anger in his voice.

“I
didn’t want anyone to find me. Nothing happened.”

"Jesus,
Lara—”

“I
know.” I check to see the van still parked out front. Bad news. “The men are
here. I need to find a way out.”

He
exhales again. “Okay, okay. Let me think … If there’s a back exit, use it in
twenty. Give me some time to get there. How far is the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts?”

“There’s
one on every corner. There’s one on Lincoln.”

“Perfect,
meet me there. At this time of night, where there’s donuts, there will be cops.
As a safety precaution.”

“So
what? You think they’re going to try to snatch me or something?”

“If
they’re following you—tracking you—that’s exactly what they’re going to do.
Leave Rick there. We don’t need any additional baggage.”

I
realize he’s right, and I nod before ending the call. As Rick draws the
curtains shut, I stand, ready to say goodbye. It could be for forever, but I
don’t want to say that. “Till next time,” I say with a small smile and extend
my hand.

Rick
stares at it like it’s an insult and hugs me instead. “Be careful.”

His
voice is filled with darkness. I think he knows how dangerous it is, and he
doesn’t ask to come. It's odd because my Rick would do anything for me, but
this one, he’s not in love with me. He might sense our attraction, but it’s not
the real deal. That notion tastes like bitter coffee.

I
feel his arms tighten around me. I rest my head on his shoulder, in my mind
saying goodbye to him for good, but when I open my eyes I see under his bed.

An
open duffle bag, overflowing with money.

I
push away. Suddenly, everything in me is saying I need to get away. It’s not
safe.

“I’ll
see myself out.” His hand clamps my shoulder.

“Nonsense.
I’ll make sure the coast is clear.”

When
I look into his face, I know there’s no wiggle room. He’s angry and will never
let me go without a fight. We sneak out of the apartment, and he gently closes
the door behind us. I gawk at him as he takes the duffle bag from me and we
start walking down the cramped hallway.

“I
can carry that myself,” I say, reaching for the handle. I pull the hoodie over
my head as we pass by several kids idling in the halls, an old radio pumping
out tunes. “What are you doing, Rick?”

“Making
sure you get out safe.” He grips my arm much too tight.

“You’re
hurting me.”

I
grit my teeth and yank, but he won’t let me go. His face has gone icy cold and
his features drawn flat. I can read nothing in him.

Was
everything at my house, the mall a lie?

He
pulls me down the stairs towards the men from the van, who are coming to meet
us. I throw a glance over my shoulder and see the kids from the hall also
coming toward us. One is holding a crow bar. The other a gun. Fear builds. It’s
all I can feel.

“You
set me up. For what? Money!?”

As
the backdoor crashes open, Rick wraps his arms around my torso and squeezes
hard. I gasp for air and kick my legs as he lifts me.

“Money
might not be anything to you. You’ve had it most of your life. But to me? It
can change everything for me and my family. Everything!”

Did
he ever believe me about the time travel? I can’t be sure, but it’s clear he is
not the Rick I knew. The Rick I was in love with, who would never do anything
like this. Never.

I
try to use my legs to catch the door frames, but the men grab them. I lean my
head to the side to scream, but a cloth is pressed to it. I try to suck in air,
but a harsh chemical odor stings my senses. I start coughing as I’m thrown into
the back. The door is latched before I can get to my knees. Someone smacks the
roof, and the van takes off like a rocket, knocking me down.

The
vibration rocks my butt. Everything in the back of the van begins to double. I
see two blankets instead of one. Two bags of rice instead of one. I have four
hands instead of two.

Not
only did those bastards drug me, but Rick helped them.

I’m
gone, lost in a memory as vivid as a dream. Back at my house, in the living
room, I sit on the sofa beside Donovan. I’m wearing a fancy yet understated dress,
and his arm is draped across my shoulder. Pink streamers decorate the living
room, and a few stray balloons are hung by the fireplace. Sitting to our left
and right are Donovan’s parents, Joseph and Patricia James, and to my left is
Jax
.

I
watch him as he leans forward and scoops some crackers from the coffee table.
I’m barely able to force a smile as our eyes meet. His hold a question he
wouldn’t dare ask when his boss is around.

“Can
I get you another drink, Joe? Senator?”
Jax
asks.

Patricia
holds up her hand with a smile. “Please, call me Pat while I’m out of
Washington. And no, I’m fine. Being in your fine home again is enough.”

“To
the birthday girl, eh?” Joseph says and raises his half-empty glass.

I
nod my thanks and accept the fruit punch offered by Mom before she bustles back
into the kitchen. I can smell that the roast beef is almost done—my favorite.

 
“I’m glad you could come,” Joseph continues.
“Don always has high praises for both of you.”

“What
can I say? I’m a chip off the old block, right Dad?”

I
can’t help but laugh. He always makes things better. His dimples are cute, and
I wish we could be alone. When I look back at his parents, they are smiling at
me.

My
eyes settle on Patricia, whose eyes flash something other than happiness at me.
I force a smile and pretend everything is all right.

“Oh,
look at them, Joe,” she gushes, patting her husband’s knee. “A perfect couple.
I’m sorry we haven’t done this before. You know, Washington is a slave driver.”

“I
bet,” I say, sipping my punch.

Jax
laughs and gestures at Joseph. “So is this
man. The guy has been my boss for years, and he still surprises me with the
workload.”

Joseph
crosses his arms and chuckles. “You get to leave early every night to take care
of your family. I don’t see what you have to complain about. Your wife on the
other hand …”

The
doorbell rings, and
Jax
excuses himself to answer it.
I’m curious; no one else was invited tonight. I follow him out to the hall
where Mom meets me. She’s wiping her hands on her apron.

“Who
is it,
Jax
?” Mom asks.
Jax
blocks the door and whispers to someone. “Who is it, Dad?” I ask louder.

He
turns around, wiping the corner of his lips. His cheeks are beet red and sweat
clings to his brow. I’ve never seen him so nervous about anything.

“My
brother Rex is in from London, it would seem, and has dropped by.”

“Brother?”
I have never heard of a brother before.

Mom
smiles and extends her hand as Rex enters. He’s tall, the spitting image of
Jax
except for his black hair and brown eyes. I don’t bat
an eye at his showing up, but my future self knows different.

I
didn’t see
Jax
in the alley.
Jax
didn’t kill my mother.

Rex
did.

And
now he’s back. Has he come to complete the job? Or is something far worse going
on?

“A
pleasure to meet you.” Mom kisses his cheek.

He
is all smiles, and everything about him—his smile, his accent, even his suit is
smooth. Like honey and butter, only over processed and sickeningly sweet.
“Lovely to finally to see you in person. Your pictures do not do you justice at
all.” His voice is thick with a British accent. He kisses Mom’s hand.

She
almost seems wooed by him, but then Rex does a double take when he spots me.

Nervously,
I take a step backwards as he offers me his hand.

“And
would this be the lovely, Lara? Well, you are grown up, aren’t you?”

I
shake his clammy hand.

“Dad
never …” My voice trails off when my eyes lock with
Jax
.
His are afraid, nervous. I don’t know why he’s so scared, but I don’t think Rex
is friendly. No matter if he’s my uncle or not, I don’t want him in our house.

“Yes,
Jax
and I, we’ve had a few falling outs over the
years, but we are working on mending our fences, aren’t we brother?” Rex clasps
Jax
on the shoulder, and I sense he would rather be
anywhere but here.

I
want to ask why. As I’m thinking about it, Mom speaks up. “Help set the table,
Lara. Rex, you can stay for dinner?”

He
smirks. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of missing it. Tell me where I can find Mike and
Molly. So delighted to hear twins really do run in the family.”

The
twins are thrilled to find out they have a British uncle. They spend most of
the dinner asking him to say certain words or phrases and asking about British
slang. It amuses Mom, but
Jax
never cracks a grin. He
barely touches his dinner.

“Tell
me about your work, Senator? Is it true you’re looking to loosen the laws on
time travel?” Rex asks.

Joseph
chuckles. “Has been for years!”

Patricia
swallows carefully and picks up her glass of wine. “It would seem to me we are
wasting a valuable resource. Don’t have time to go on a vacation? Borrow a
memory from someone who did. You’ll spend a fraction of the time in the chair
but wake refreshed.”

“And
three times as much money,” Donovan cracks.

Everyone
laughs, but Rex points at him. “Money makes the world go round, doesn’t it?
Certainly it does. What does the government think about time travel to save the
world?”

Patricia
smiles, sits up straighter, and with confidence says, “Soon, if I have my way,
that’s exactly how it will be. I hope to have enough votes to pass a law that
ensures the police have the real power they need.”

Mom
and Patricia clink their glasses together. Usually she hates this line of
speculation but is good friends with the Senator, which is how Donovan and I
met.

Jax’s
eyes are far off. I don’t think he’s hearing
anything that’s going on at all.

Rex
plays with his butter knife. “So the world will be made safer, thanks to you
then? Murderers will be taken out before they commit crimes, rapists,
kidnappers, all of them erased?”

 
“Can’t happen. For one, if you try to change
the past, your mind will turn to mush. We want them stopped, rehabilitated, not
dead,” Mom says. “Second, what you’re talking about is murder.”

“What’s
a little casual murder among friends,” Rex says, eyeing me specifically.

I
shift in my seat, sitting up straighter and trying to act as if he’s not
bothering me.

“That’s
why we have the memories, isn’t it?” Patricia says. “If we can take a serial
killer and strip his memories from him—his rotten childhood—and insert happy
ones, we can quell the instincts, change lives. That is what Miranda is working
on.”

All
eyes fall to my mother, whose jaw is set tight.

“Really,
I was unaware your research was so cutting edge?” Rex says.

She
gulps back her wine. “I don’t talk about this in front of the children. Lara,
please start clearing the table.”

To
be asked to clear the table on your birthday is probably considered by most to
be rude, but I am pretty happy about it. I take some dishes into the kitchen
and begin to scrape the leftovers into the garbage disposal.

I
hear a shuffling behind me and turn to see Rex standing there with his hands in
his pockets. “Can I get you something?”

He
approaches me and stands so close that I back up into the counter. His eyes
search mine. They are deep, penetrating and don’t leave my face. I will myself
not to blink, but it’s not easy.

“You
don’t know who I am, do you?” he whispers, stroking my hair.

I
shake my head. “Should I?”

 
“You will. I liked the curls better,” he says with
malice. I don’t take another breath until he’s gone.