Paradox (Travelers Series Book 2)

by Claudia Lefeve

  “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.

  Epilogue

  The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions

  The Year 2011

  Battle Grounds

  He 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.

  Jaime felt bad lying to her friend, but her father made it perfectly clear that Cooper not take Etta against her will. It pained her to know her friend could be in danger and couldn’t tell her the truth.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Etta finally agree and turned over in her bed, staring back at her own barren side of the wall.

  • • •

  It’d been several days since Jaime had seen Cooper sneaking around. That and Etta hadn’t mentioned him in awhile. She soon began to relax about the whole thing and was grateful her dad’s plan seemed successful. She only hoped now, that she’d done what she’d been sent here to do, she could go back to her own reality.

  After her weekly session with the house shrink, which Jaime thought totally unnecessary since she really didn’t belong at Dominion House, she came back to an empty room. Etta hadn’t returned since class, so Jaime figured she was over at Battle Grounds, grabbing a cup of coffee or something. The weather was decent, but a little chilly, so she grabbed her coat and headed over to find Etta.

  As she approached the coffee shop, she spotted Etta talking to Cooper. Damn, she thought. If she made another scene, Etta would end up getting suspicious. But she promised she would keep her best friend safe. “Etta!” She cried out to her friend.

  She watched as Etta and Cooper exchanged glances. She could see Cooper tell Etta something, but she was still too far away from them to overhear. From where she stood, it looked like he wanted her to leave with him. Jaime had to run fast in order to prevent her from going off with him. Only this time, Jaime caught up to them in time.

  It was all about this moment, Jaime thought. She raced over to the table where they were seated, gaining speed as she approached them. Etta watched as her best friend ran towards them and glanced back at Cooper.

  She then heard Etta say, “I’m sorry, Cooper. I just can’t.”

  • • •

  Look for Book 3 in the Travelers Series, PARADIGM

  Summer 2012

  Why Dominion?

  ‘Old Dominion’ was the nickname given to Virginia by King Charles II in the 1600’s and is still used as a nickname today. Many businesses, schools, and organizations still reference the moniker: Old Dominion University, Old Dominion Speedway, Dominion Power, and Kings Dominion amusement park.

  Acknowledgments

  Once again, I have so many fabulous folks I wish to thank. There wouldn’t be any consistency in my parallel universes without the help of my beta readers: Rachel Della-Loggia, author Martha Bourke, and the dynamic mother-daughter team comprised of author Kate Copeseeley and her mom, Wallene Stoddard. Thank you guys for making sure Etta still kept her kick-butt attitude and ensuring my worlds didn’t collide! To my friend Bryan Taylor, who not only insisted there be twins in my story, but that they be named Chase and Chance. I also owe my mother, Irene Ybarra, a huge thanks, for being the Comma Queen that she is, and for spending the first few weeks of her retirement proofing my work. A huge thanks to my husband, Dave, who cooked, cleaned, and took care of my overall well-being as I wrote Paradox. And last, but certainly not least, a big debt of gratitude goes to my readers. There wouldn’t be a second book without your continued support.

  About the Author

  Claudia Lefeve was born and raised in the Gulf Coast border town of Brownsville, Texas; a curious place where folks see curanderas in lieu of shrinks, tortillas are served at every meal, and even gringos speak Spanish. She currently resides in Northern Virginia with her husband and two pugs.

  For more information about the author, please visit www.claudialefeve.com.

  Want to know what happens December 21, 2012, the day of the Mayan prophecy? Please continue reading for the following excerpt from Jaguar Sun by Martha Bourke, a fabulous friend and one of my favorite indie authors.

  An excerpt from

  Jaguar Sun

  By Martha Bourke

  Chapter One

  I was standing by my locker when it happened. I was listening to the twins standing next to me babbling in Spanish. Sadly, I didn’t speak a word. (Hopefully they were discussing how cute I looked in my new Diesels.) I managed to decipher the name Matt from their conversation and suddenly realized they weren’t talking about me, they were talking about my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend! Crap.

  “Hey! We have a no-Spanish rule when it’s about guys!” I protested.

  “Oh, Maya, it’s no big deal. Damian was just saying how hot he thinks Matt looked in AP English this morning,” Alyssa said. Right on cue, Damian flushed a delicate shade of pink. Seriously, he was the most adorable gay guy on the planet.

  “All I’m saying,” I said, “is that if you expect me to take part in the conversation, use a language I can actually understand.”

  I don’t know what I was getting all worked up about. It’s not like I didn’t experience this a hundred times a day. At El Desierto, my pointless high school in the New Mexico—yep, you guessed it—desert, you either hung with the Hispanics and spoke Spanish or you had white friends. Sadly, being a Hispanic with a freakish inability to speak Spanish did not help my already nonexistent status.

  “I just think that maybe you should make more of an effort. It’s not like you’re not Hispanic,” Damian said.

  “Yeah, well, my Hispanicness ditched me when my loser-mom did,” I reminded him.

  We all shared knowing looks as I paused to think about my loser-mom, who’d abandoned me and my dad, and my friends tried to think of what to say. (I mean, what kind of mother takes off on you when you’re four? And goes to Las Vegas? I’m sorry, but could that be more cheesy? Cheesier? Whatever.)

  Alyssa giggled. “’Hispanicness?’ Is that even a word?”

  “Yes and no. It’s not in the dictionary; however, it is used in daily conversation, which, as I’m sure you know, is often how a word is added to the dictionary anyway,” Damian explained.

  Lyssa crossed her eyes. “Seriously, Maya, you should just have your grandma help you.”

  I knew that they both had the sweetest intentions, as always. But I spent so little time with Grandma, I wasn’t about to waste it working on my foreign language skills. No. Way.

  That’s when I saw it. A dark shadow was moving along the wall. It paused at the end of our row of lockers, crouching there as if it were hunting something. Hunting me? A chill ran down my back. I started shaking uncontrollably. That was when the nausea hit.
>
  “Uh, you guys, I gotta make a run to the ladies’—girly issues. I’ll meet you in English!” I tore down the hallway and nearly knocked over Ashley Daniels, a member of the famed (and ho-ish) EDHS cheerleaders.

  “Freak!” She yelled as her minions scrambled to pick up her books.

  I hooked around the corner and into the girls’ bathroom. Thankfully, I was alone. For a moment, I just leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath and get a handle on my stomach. What the hell was that thing? I walked over to the mirror and looked at my reflection. The dark, sad eyes of my grandmother’s people stared back at me. I looked at my long dark hair, olive skin, and high cheekbones. Locals often mistook me for some kind of American Indian. But I was from a different tribe. I was Mayan. It was Grandma’s idea to call me Maya.

  The girl in the mirror now looked like a stranger. I was sweaty, pasty, and I had dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep. Had I just imagined it? How could a shadow just move all by itself like that? And it looked like some kind of animal. Okay, I told myself, there is no way there is some large animal roaming the halls of the school. But I had seen it, hadn’t I? What was happening to me? I splashed some water on my face and attempted to pat it dry with a paper towel. (Why do school paper towels feel like you’re using an actual piece of paper to dry your face? Seriously, should I be able to take one back to class with me and use it to take notes on? I’m just sayin’.) I peeked out the door. The hallway was empty. Crap, crap, crap. I was late for English.

  I couldn’t focus at all during morning classes. I replayed what had happened that morning over and over in my head. I kept expecting the shadow to appear again at any minute. By the time we all met at the cafeteria for lunch, I was a nervous wreck. As the twins and I sat down at our usual table, I was met by two very annoying sets of eyes.