Hourglass

“Really, I’m sure the footage is stored in a computer somewhere.” He had two fingers over his lips, making every effort to hide his burgeoning smile.

Slamming the umbrella to the ground, I fisted my hands on my hips and glared at him.

He let go with a deep belly laugh. It would’ve been contagious if I weren’t so furious. My senses were reeling. I felt denied.

“Sweetheart, listen.” The term of endearment stopped me cold. Nothing else would have. I could not explain away the affection in his eyes because I felt it, too. “We’re in dangerous territory here.”

“Right now the only thing that’s dangerous is me, especially when I get my hands on Thomas.”

“Emerson—”

I tilted my head to one side. “I think you have nickname clearance now.”

I tried to appreciate his smile without focusing on his lips.

“Em, it was a good thing you saw that camera when you did.” Michael sounded as if he were trying to convince himself. “We could have had a major disaster on our hands.”

“Right now the earth could fall off its axis, and I wouldn’t give a rat’s behind.”

Michael’s gaze skimmed over my bare shoulders, and he reached out to gently pull my jacket around them. “I’ve known since before we met how it would be between us. But knowing didn’t prepare me for you. I’m sorry.”

“I wish I could say I was sorry.”

“The rules about … fraternization … are in place for a reason.” He gestured to the fence and then closed his eyes. “This can’t happen again.”

I’d never had a real relationship. Back before my world went pear shaped, I indulged in the occasional fantasy involving a movie star or pop singer like any other normal teenage girl, but the last few years had been spent in an on-again, off-again with Joe Pharmaceutical. I had no idea how normal relationships worked to begin with, and Michael and I were far from normal. Talk about going from zero to sixty in eight seconds or less. I should contact the Guinness Book of World Records, category: “making up for lost time.”

Michael ran his hands over his face again. “We don’t need to be confused when there’s a bigger purpose.”

“I’m not confused at all.” Just worked up. “And what bigger purpose? It’s not like we’re saving the world.”

He said nothing.

“Michael?”

I considered flipping him over my shoulder again to make myself feel better. I told him as much.

“I think it’s time you explain that particular trick.”

Michael and I sat on the flat section of roof outside our bedroom windows. We’d reconnected after going back to our respective lofts; it was late after all, and I didn’t want my brother to ask any questions. Considering Thomas and his spying habit, I was already going to be in for it due to the evidence captured by the security camera. I hoped he would believe nothing happened.

Not that it did. Of this I was painfully aware.

We kept a safe amount of distance between us. No matter how far away Michael sat, I still felt an insatiable pull toward him. It grew stronger all the time, as if our centers were connected. Made it hard to concentrate.

“How did you become a teenage ninja?” He didn’t bother to hide the teasing in his voice.

“I took martial arts as my physical education elective at school. I was the best in the class. Once the semester was over I pursued my black belt at a private studio. I passed the test for brown right before I came home.” I sensed his doubtful look rather than seeing it. The streetlights didn’t quite shine high enough to light our perch above them, and the moon was a waxing crescent. “I know. It was a shock to me, too, but it was a healthy way to take out my frustrations.”

“It’s not been very healthy for me,” he said, his chuckle quiet in the night air.

“I’ve gone easy on you. Tell me, will my ass-kicking abilities come in handy when I’m ‘saving the world’?”

“It’s not the whole world, exactly.”

“Just the contingent forty-eight states?”

He sighed. “I’m not talking geography.”

“Details, please.”

Michael pulled his legs up, resting his forearms on his knees, his long fingers intertwined. “I’m trying to keep you out of trouble, Emerson. And that involves my keeping quiet for now. It’s not easy for me, but this is the way it has to be.”

“Not easy for you?” I scoffed. “How about you spill the information, and I’ll take care of myself?”

He looked up at the sliver of moon hanging in the sky. So did I.

“Michael, you need to understand I’ve been asking questions for the past four years. In my head, out loud, every way you can think of. And I’ve never gotten any answers until you came along.”

“We can’t cover four years in one night.” He slid his hand across the roof toward me, palm down.

I slid my hand toward his, palm up, the shingles rough on the back of my hand. Our fingers barely met, yet every inch of my skin responded. The desire to close the distance so more of me could touch more of him was overwhelming. My breath caught in my chest, and I looked at him.

He pulled away without looking back.

I left my hand open to the night sky. “How long before you tell me everything?”

“Not long, I promise. Can you wait?”

“Do I have a choice?”

He didn’t answer.

“You have no idea how frustrated I am.” About so many things.

“Give me until tomorrow. Tomorrow, I promise. I just want to make sure we do this the right way. Trust me?”

“Yes,” I answered, breaking my own rule.

Chapter 16

You want a ride to work?” Thomas asked as I grabbed my backpack. I was wearing my trusty pink rain jacket because it was raining. Again.

“No, it’s not that far.” My hair was already wet anyway. I’d had some difficulty motivating myself to wake up and shower and hadn’t had time to dry it. After I’d climbed in my window last night I could still sense Michael, could almost hear him breathing on the other side of the wall. It took sleep a long time to pull me under, my thoughts racing too fast for my brain to keep up.

As I walked to Murphy’s Law, I wondered why I had never seen Michael in a car. How did he get around? Probably he snapped and appeared places at will. Or maybe he time traveled where he wanted to go.

Or maybe he was delusional, and I was one small step away from buying it.

I snorted out loud, not even bothering to be embarrassed as a man in a Confederate soldier uniform looked at me strangely. He probably wasn’t really there anyway. I’d have liked to kick him just to see, but I didn’t want to take the chance.

Time travel? Saving the world? Had I fallen into a straight-to-DVD release? How could I believe Michael was telling me the truth? It was all so crazy. If I had learned about rips before I experienced one, I wouldn’t have believed it. Lots of unbelievable things happened. Every day. Things like gravity.

But time travel? Saving the world? At seventeen?

I pushed open the door to the coffee shop so hard I almost knocked the welcome bell from the doorframe. “Morning,” I mumbled to Lily as I walked past her, reaching greedily for the espresso machine.