Paradox (Travelers Series Book 2) (21 page)

“By being a good friend. Everett is young, good looking, and very dangerous. He’s exactly the kind of person who would interest your friend. You must make her believe that he is a threat, even if he does not appear to be so. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes, I think I understand.” Jaime still wasn’t sure about the assignment her dad was sending her on, but she’s glad Etta will be wherever he’s sending her to.

“Good. This isn’t the first time I’ve sent you to intervene, but with a few tweaks, I’m sure you’ll be successful this time around. I’m counting on you. And in order to ensure your success, you will be meeting with one of my most trusted associates. She’ll be able to better brief you on your assignment.”

The door opens and for a second, Jaime is confused. Why is her physics teacher, Miss Stone here, she wonders.

W
ith most of my questions asked and answered, I decide it’s time to retire for the evening. I’ve finally calmed down enough to take stock of everything. Not that I understand much of what was just discussed, but I have a clearer picture of what’s going on. So, even though our date ended with a visit with my dad, I still hate to see the evening end. I have a feeling something’s on the horizon and I’m not going to like it. It’s my women’s intuition kicking-in again.

I walk Cooper to the door to say goodbye. I stall a bit, not wanting to let him leave so soon. “So, when is it my turn to head to Thornberry’s reality?” As much as I hate to admit it, I’m beginning to miss the gang we spent all week recruiting. Even the twins.

Cooper begins to look uncomfortable. “You can’t come with me, darlin’.”

I just stand there dumfounded. Then what’s the whole point of recruiting everyone, if I’m not allowed to go? “That’s absurd! Of course I go. Didn’t we just spend the last half hour with Victor, discussing how this is all predestined and how I’m supposed to lead everyone?”

“And you do. Just not now,” he says.

“Then when?” It never occurred to me to ask Cooper when it’d be my turn to join them. Everyone else is ready for me to take my place in the other reality. Aren’t they? I just figured I’d be joining them sooner rather than later.

I can tell Cooper is trying to find the right words. This isn’t good. “Uh, well…in five years,” he mumbles.

“Five years?”

“Well—”

“You knew this the whole time? When were you going to tell me?” I have to wait five whole years before I get to jump over to the other reality? I can’t believe this! “You told me you’d never leave my side!”

“And I never do. I’ll always be with you. Things are always complicated when it concerns you, darlin’. I never know how much or what information to tell you. Not to mention it’s usually my wife calling the shots.” He tries in vain to joke about the situation, but it’s not working this time and he knows it.

“Yeah, and that’s me,” I say, without the least bit of humor in my voice. “Aren’t I entitled to know these things?”

“I suppose you are, but you don’t know my wife. She gets pretty angry when I go around her instructions,” he says with a nervous laugh, continuing to lighten-up the mood.

“This isn’t funny, Cooper. Why five years?”

“Because that’s when you travel to that reality. Everything follows the destined timeline. Despite what you think, this isn’t a decision I made. It’s just the way things play out. It’s not your time to come with me now. It would create a paradox. Which means—”

“Yeah, I remember what a paradox is. So, basically what you’re telling me is, I won’t see you again for five years.” It’s the future there, I have to remind myself. Hell, he has a wife in that reality, in
that
time. It’s not my turn yet, so what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Sit around and twiddle my thumbs until it’s time for me to go?

“I’m afraid so, darlin’.”

“Ugh, I hate it when you call me that!”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I do it.” He tries again to cut the tension.

“What will the others be doing?” I can’t imagine it’d be much, without me there. “Where exactly did you take them when you jumped them from their realities?”

“To Thornberry’s reality. You know that. Only in present time. They will need that time to be debriefed and trained. By the time you arrive, they will be prepared. In the two years following your arrival, we’ll successfully be able to travel and that’s when the future you sends me to retrieve you from your orphan reality.”

Seven years, total. It takes seven years for us to begin the resistance against Thornberry. But what Cooper’s telling me is crap. Plain and simple. If the others can go ahead of me, why aren’t I allowed? “I’ll ask you again, why can’t I go now and prepare like the others?”

“Because everything happens on the premise that you remain here. You haven’t experienced the catalyst which drives you to fight. Simply put, there is no rebellion if you don’t stay here.”

“That’s crap and you know it,” I say defiantly. What does he mean by catalyst? Does something happen?

His shoulders slump in defeat. He knows I’m not about to give up the fight. Given he’s married to the future me, he probably knows me better than I know myself. Hell, he’s probably already had this conversation before. “I’m sorry, Etta. But this is your time to be you. You’ll be starting college soon and several years to enjoy before you arrive. It’s just not your time yet.”

I’m momentarily distracted by his last statement. “I go to college?”

“Of course you do.”

I guess I have a means to go to college now, so why wouldn’t I? I imagine myself being at a campus much like the one we saw at MIT. Could I really have a real life before going to the other reality? A montage of my life flashes before me: keggers and boys, maybe even a sorority. It doesn’t sound like my kind of thing, but I’ve just been told I’ll get the opportunity to explore my options.

“What if I mess up?”

Cooper gives me a puzzled look. “What do you mean, mess up? Mess up how?”

“The timeline. What if college is something that’s planned, but I decide now not to go. Or what if I go and I’m so happy I don’t want to leave. Does that ruin my chances of being with you in the future?”

“I suppose it could, if you made a major life altering decision, like meeting someone else perhaps,” he drawls.

No chance of that happening. “Doubtful. But what about the small changes? I’m not the same Etta who was supposed to grow up here. My life was changed the minute my dad dumped me in that horrible reality.”

He smiles. “No, that’s always been a part of the grand design.”

“Huh?”

“If he’d never taken you to that reality as a child, and you had grown up here, you would never have continued towards the path you were destined for. You still have yet to experience the loss and anger that spurs your determination to defeat Thornberry,” he says.

“Predestination paradox,” I say. Everything sinks in and I now understand that I can’t go with Cooper now. Every inch of my body begins to hurt at the realization of being without him. “Will you still be able to visit me?”

His eyes give him away. “I’m afraid not, darlin’. It would just make matters worse for you, and to be honest, complicated. It hasn’t been easy being around you.”

It dawns on me for once how difficult this all must be for Cooper. Sure, I’m his wife. But not yet. I wonder if it’s considered cheating, even if it is with the same woman.

“I get it.” But I don’t have to like it. “So, this is goodbye then?” There’s no point in arguing. He’s going to leave me here, whether I like it or not. I can at least make these precious moments count. I don’t want to spend it fighting.

“I’m afraid it is.”

“When will I know it’s time to meet you?”

He pulls me into a warm embrace. The kind you wait your whole life for and never want to let go from. “Oh, you’ll know, trust me. When the time comes, you’ll be prepared and ready to join us.”

As he steps away from the front door, I fight to keep my tears from flowing. I don’t want his last memory to be me crying like a child. I watch as he walks to his truck, not wanting to close the door that separates these final images of him walking away.

He turns to face me one last time before he says, “And Etta, no matter what happens, I love you.”

My body wants to run after him and beg him to stay, but my feet stay planted firmly on the ground, like a ton of weights. I know I can’t run after him.

It’s not our time yet.

The Year 2011

Battle Grounds

H
e managed to find her again, Jaime thought. It didn’t occur to her that he wouldn’t give up on trying to find Etta. As soon as she saw them at the table, she went right up to them in order to put a stop to it. Jaime pulled on Etta’s right elbow.

Etta looked up in surprise. “Hey, where’d you run off to? I was looking for you.”

While Etta tried to figure out why her best friend looked so peeved, Jaime addressed Cooper directly. “What are you doing here?” She hissed.

“It’s a free country, darlin’. I can patronize any establishment I want.” He countered back. He seemed to be enjoying the confrontation, although Jaime found it annoying.

“Hey, Jaime, I’m—” Etta tried to break away from her hold, but this only tightened the grasp she had on her shoulder.

“Come on Etta, we’re leaving.” Jaime attempted to drag her out of the place. She knew she was being overdramatic, but she had to get Etta away from him. By any means necessary, her father had instructed her.

“What? Why? I don’t understand,” Etta said, confused over the situation, as she looked over at Cooper. He didn’t make an effort to move from his seat and watched as Jaime pulled her out of the chair.

Jaime looked him square in the eye. “You need to go back to wherever it is you came from.” A few days ago, he was snooping around over at Dominion House. She already knew he was coming, so she was prepared for his arrival. She told him Etta didn’t live there, hoping he would just go away. Only he hadn’t. He somehow managed to track her down anyway.

“Why don’t we just let Etta decide?” His attention shifted from her over to Etta. “Etta, do you want to leave or do you want to stay here and talk? Don’t let her bully you into anything.”

A small crowd gathered where the three of them stood arguing. Jaime felt pretty ridiculous, grabbing a hold of Etta like that and demanding Cooper leave her alone. She promised her father she’d do everything in her power to keep them apart, but looking like a fool in front of strangers was not part of the plan.

“Come on Jaime, you win, we’re going now.” Etta grabbed hold of Jaime’s hand, allowing her to lead her out of the shop. Jaime was relieved her friend finally gave in. As they made their way out, she watched Etta peer over her shoulder to look at Cooper one last time. Instead of being annoyed their conversation was cut short, he still has the same amused expression on his face.

“We have to get out of here now before he follows us,” Jaime urged.

“I don’t think it’s going to come to that. When we get back, you’re going to tell me exactly what all that was about,” Etta said, still confused over the scene back at Battle Grounds.

Etta’s statement caught her off guard. She really didn’t think past getting her out of the coffee shop. “I’ll explain when we’re safe back at the home.”

When they got back to the room, Jaime positioned herself in the middle of her twin sized bed. She glanced around the room and then back at Etta. “I’m so sorry, Etta. I shouldn’t have left you alone,” she said.

“Yeah, about that. Where did you go? Cooper and I were just talking anyway. I don’t see what the big deal was. Why were you acting so weird back there?”

“I’m sorry I left you there all alone. I bumped into Bridget on my way to the bathroom and got sidetracked,” Jaime explained. “Look, I wish we could avoid this conversation all together, but there’s something you need to know.”

Jaime really didn’t want to scare her friend, but her father made it clear, Etta was not to be around Cooper. So far, from what she could tell, the guy’s been nice to Etta. He didn’t look like he posed much of a threat, but if what her father said was true, she didn’t want Etta anywhere around Cooper. In order for this plan to work, she must convince her that he poses a threat. Let Etta make the determination to stay away from him. “That guy you were talking to at the coffee shop? He’s been around here.”

“What…?”

“You heard me. He came by asking for you,” Jaime continued. “And somehow he manages to track you down over at Battle Grounds? That’s not good Etta. One minute he’s here snooping around, asking if I know you, and the next thing I know, you’re all cozied up with him at the coffee shop.”

“Did he say why?”

“No, he didn’t say. That’s why I got you out of there.” Jaime made sure she kept her tone serious or this wouldn’t work. “What if he’s some kind of a stalker?” Her face softened a bit. “Look, I’m sorry I left you there alone. I didn’t think I’d be chatting that long.”

Jaime hoped she wasn’t totally frightening Etta. She only wanted her to stay away from him. “It’s just freaky, that’s all. Sorry if I went a little overboard back there. You can’t be too safe nowadays.”

“You’re probably right. It is kinda weird,” Etta said.

Good
, Jaime thought. The subject is closed, at least for now. She could hear Etta fumbling and fidgeting in bed. She felt bad about the whole thing, really, but she was protecting her friend. That’s all that mattered.

“Hey, do you think…do you think maybe he’s some sort of relative or something?”

Jaime sprang up from bed concerned.
Damn, she did freak her out.
“Oh, Etta. I don’t think so. If that was the reason, don’t you think he would have said so from the start?” She then turned away from Etta and faced the wall. “You know, I have thoughts like that too. That some long, lost, family member will realize I’m in this hell-hole and take me home.” It was only half a lie. She knew her real place was back in the other reality, only she hoped her father would be able to bring her back home after she did his bidding.