His eyes bore into mine almost pleadingly as his hands rub my arms, and I open my mouth to tell him, but what can I say? The truth is too complicated.
Austin notices my hesitation, and his back stiffens. He takes a small step away from me. “Unless I’m the problem?”
Walls that have taken two weeks to topple erect themselves in an instant, and a fresh onslaught of tears spring forth. I shake my head at how right and how wrong his question is. A half laugh, half cry bubbles up in response, a mucus-filled, disgusting, blubbering sound that is not at all appealing.
His eyes widen. The protective facade falls away, and just before he pulls me back in and tucks me against his chest, I catch him mouth the words
Under my ear, the comforting sound of Austin’s heartbeat calms my own, and the feel of his strong hands rubbing soothing circles on my back makes me want to burrow into his skin. Warm breath fans across my cheek as he whispers, “I’m an idiot. It’s all right; I shouldn’t have asked that. I’m here. Whatever it is, I’m here.”
And therein lies the true problem, for soon Austin and I will be separated indefinitely, and he doesn’t even know it. And instead of focusing on his consoling words or the gentleness of his voice, the only thing I think is,
I don’t know what to do next. Should I tell him about Reyna and where I come from, and risk having him not believe me? Or do I feign a brave face—or at the very least, a non-crying one—and pretend we have forever?
I decide the best I can aim for is somewhere in the middle and throw my arms around his neck. My emotions have a mind of their own tonight, but I will do everything I can to make the most of the little time we have left. My hands lock behind Austin’s head, and the thought crosses my mind that maybe if I never let go, I can somehow bring him home with me.
The image of Austin in my world of rules and regulations, pretentions and propriety makes me laugh—which really comes out closer to a splutter—and I snuggle my face into the soft folds of his cotton shirt. Inhaling the crisp scent of mint and soap that will forever be entwined with his memory, I say, “No, Austin, you aren’t the problem. You are everything that’s right. And I am so glad you’re here.”
His chest expands with a relieved breath and I hear the sound of his lips forming a smile. He places a kiss on the crown of my head, then cups my face in the palms of his hands. “Where else would I be? I go where you go, simple as that.”
I lower my lashes to hide my reaction, and a third hand, smaller and feminine, pats my back—Cat. I look over my shoulder to see her sympathetic smile. If anyone can understand what I am going through right now, she can. We share a look that needs no words, and with reluctance, I step out of Austin’s arms.
“So anyone gonna tell me who that woman was?” Lucas asks, looking between us. “Or maybe what the hell that was all about, worlds of possibilities, portals, and changing history?”
He shifts his weight from foot to foot, and Austin’s body tenses. “What woman?”
Lucas ignores him and takes a step closer, lowering his voice as if worried someone will overhear. “Because either someone slipped some funky mushrooms on our pizza tonight, or that woman just disappeared into thin air. And last time I checked, that wasn’t possible.”
Austin wraps his hand around my elbow and repeats his question, this time more aggressively. “What woman?”
His jaw clicks with frustration as he waits for me to answer, and I realize there is no way to avoid answering him. I shift my gaze to Lucas, watching his hands flex and clench at his sides, his body poised as if preparing for a battle he does not understand, and exhale a resigned breath.
I look at Cat. “We need to tell them.”
She closes her eyes and nods once.
This will not be easy.
“All right, guys, let’s go inside.” She takes Lucas’s hand and leads him to the door. “I think you’re both gonna want to sit down for this.”
My cousin doesn’t stop in the living room where we sat before, but continues down the hall to her bedroom. “In case anyone comes home early,” she explains as I walk in after the boys. She shuts the door behind me and locks it, testing the knob to ensure our privacy, then slides her arm around my shoulder. I rest my head against hers.
It’s time the boys hear the truth. I only hope they believe it.
…
The air conditioner whirs overhead, sending shivers down my arms. The springs in Cat’s heavenly mattress squeak, protesting under the amassed weight of four bodies. Austin squishes the feathers of her pillow in his hand, and the scent of rose fills the air. I must admit, all those nights I spent lying awake at home, fantasizing about the first time I would ever share a bed with a boy, I never dreamed it like this. Unmarried. Fully clothed. And with an audience.
The awkward trepidation and uncertainty, unfortunately, was always part of the fantasy.
Lucas looks at me and plunges his fingers through his curls. We’ve been sitting here for a full minute in silence, perhaps longer, neither Cat nor I sure of where to begin. How does one tell someone such a fantastical tale? Then I remember my cousin confided this very thing to me two years ago (interestingly enough, also in a bedroom) during her own time-travel jaunt. I further recall how hard it was for me to accept the truth. I’m not even sure I fully believed it until I saw Reyna appear on the street, watched her clothes transform from the drab servant outfit into her costume of veils, and witnessed the two of them go inside the green tent and vanish a short time later.
But as often as I have played back Cat’s confession that night, marveling at the way destiny works, I never thought I would be on this side of the conversation.
The mattress dips as Lucas shifts, and I hear his breath catch.
“Cat, is that
Ripped from my memories, I shift my gaze to where he is staring and land on Lorenzo’s painting.
“Uh, yeah,” Cat says, turning to me. “It’s kind of an interesting story.”
She hesitates, perhaps waiting for me to jump in, but if such a thing as being an expert on explaining time travel exists, or at least a seasoned speaker on such a topic, my cousin would be it. I wave my hand, indicating she should go on, and she rolls her eyes.
“All right, then.” She tucks her legs underneath her and settles in like she is about to tell us a bedtime story, and proceeds to tell Austin and Lucas about her magical, fantastical trip back to the sixteenth century.
During the telling, Lucas’s eyebrows creep so far up his forehead that they nearly meet his hairline. Austin blinks his long, beautiful lashes, then fixes his deep blue gaze on me. His thoughts remain hidden in their depths, and I hug my legs to my chest, wishing I had some of Reyna’s powers so I could determine what he is thinking.
After explaining how it was she came to arrive in my time, she pauses, then looking at me, says, “And that’s where I met Less.”
“Wait, what?”
At his outburst, Austin’s thoughts no longer remain hidden. Blatant incredulity is written all over his face, and even though I have been exactly where he is now, most likely questioning and doubting the very same things he is—such as my cousin’s sanity or if this is all a joke—I can’t help wishing he would just accept the truth without question. That somehow, he would just
But that, I suppose, would be too simple.
Instead of answering him, Cat strolls over to her desk and opens a drawer. As she pulls out a bright purple binder and flips the thick pages inside, Lucas watches her every movement. He hasn’t said a word yet, not even a grunt or disbelieving snort, but the squiggle between his eyebrows implies he shares Austin’s concerns about her sanity.
Austin isn’t watching my cousin, however. He’s watching me. And afraid of what I will see when (if?) he finally does accept the truth, I cast my eyes to my lap.
Cat plops down in the middle of the bed, seemingly unfazed by their obvious doubt. Only those closest to her know how she hides her insecurities, and knowing her as well as I do, I see the slight tremor of her fingers, the
