All of the sudden, I hear shouting from Alex and a car door slamming. What the hell? I run out the side gate, into the front yard and watch in amazement as Alex is about to get into a confrontation with Cooper.
“What are you doing here?” Alex’s chest is all puffed up, ready to take Cooper on.
“Just here to see if Etta needs a ride to school.” Cooper, to his credit, takes a step back.
It’s obvious he doesn’t want to get into a showdown with Alex and I’m glad he backed down. Even though Alex looks like he can hold his own, I know Cooper can take him down quite easily, judging by his build.
“If she needs a ride, she can ask me.”
Cooper catches me lurking by the side of the house. He looks somewhat embarrassed at having me witness the scene between him and Alex, but recovers quickly. “If it’s all the same, why don’t we just ask Etta?” Cooper tilts his head in my direction.
Alex’s face turns flush when he realizes that I’ve been standing there, watching the two of them. “Is this the guy who gave you a lift yesterday? What the hell is he doing here?” His eyes suddenly went wide. “Wait a minute. Is this why you turned me away last night? Are you seeing this guy?”
“Yes. Cooper gave me a ride yesterday and no, I’m not going out with him.” I hope Alex doesn’t notice that I avoided his other question. Oh yeah, about that. I can’t decide which of the two of you I want to be with more.
Cooper shoots me a confused look. Shit, I forgot he can read my mind.
“How do you even know this guy? Alex demands.
“Just from around.” I’m not about to explain Cooper to him. Forget curve balls, the universe is hell bent on striking me out. Why did Alex have to come over and talk to me this morning? This scene could have been avoided all together. “Alex, I need to talk to Cooper alone.”
“No. Etta wait,” Alex pleads. His eyes are brimming with jealousy. “You don’t have to talk to him.”
I hate to see him so upset, especially since he has no clue as to what’s really going on. “I have to Alex. Please, just wait here.” I walk over to Cooper and point to the SUV, indicating that we should talk in there.
I look at Cooper and the feelings I had when I first met him come rushing back. His presence alone gives me goose bumps. This is an entirely different feeling than when I’m around Alex. My whole body turns flush whenever I’m around him. My feelings are confirmed when I look straight into Cooper’s eyes as we head over to the Rover.
Alex is still behind me. I turn around to face him. “I just need a moment alone with him okay?”
“Etta,” Alex says again. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
I put my hand up to motion him to stop from coming any closer. “He’s my friend okay. He’s not going to do anything. Isn’t that right Coop?”
Cooper’s mouth twitches into a grin at hearing the nickname and he raises both hands up in the air, signaling a truce. “Hey, I’m not here to cause a scene.”
“See?” I say turning back to Alex. “We’re just going to chat for a second.” Satisfied that Alex isn’t going to physically stop me, I hop into the Land Rover, remembering to roll the window back up. Cooper must have rolled it down when Alex first approached him. The last think I need is Alex listening in on our conversation.
Setting my feelings for Cooper aside, I’m going to demand he tell me what he knows about my father. He may stir up some inner emotions I didn’t know I had, but he still has information I want to know, so for the time being, I ignore my feelings and determine to be all business.
“So, any word about my dad?”
Cooper stares at me, as if he was drinking me all in. “No. Has he been in contact with you?”
I shake my head in response. “So now what? Why are you here anyway? I still don’t know why you keep showing up if you don’t have anything new to tell me.”
He seems more relaxed, now that he’s not dealing with Alex. “Chalk it up to curiosity, I suppose.”
“You haven’t even given me your number so I can call you. How am I supposed to get in touch with you if something happens?” Does he view me as some kind of pet science project? Let’s take the poor orphan girl from the foster hell and stick her in another universe. “I suppose you find this amusing.”
“No, not at all,” he laughs. “There’s nothing wrong with me just checking up on you is there? I did bring you here after all. At least allow me the courtesy of making sure you’re okay from time to time. And before you say anything else, here is my number.” He scribbles something on a scrap of paper. “You may not always be able to reach me, but if you leave a text, I’ll get it eventually.”
Great, so there’s no guarantee I can even reach him if I was ever in trouble. I take the piece of paper and tuck it into my jeans pocket. I glance back up at him and I can’t help myself, but I have to ask. “You’re not the one responsible for my father’s mysterious disappearance are you?” I probably should have asked that from the beginning. At this point, it seems unlikely that my father is away on business. “You brought me here under the impression that my father was here waiting for me. It’s seems a bit sketchy that he goes missing only days before I arrived.”
“No. I don’t have anything to do with your father’s disappearance. I’m worried about him myself. And I’m not entirely sure why I agreed to bring you back. Maybe this was a mistake on my part.”
“I don’t understand. You said yourself that my coming back reversed whatever it is that put our reality in danger. Did it work?” I ask.
“To be honest, I don’t really know. Did you find anything out from your aunt?”
“I already told you she doesn’t know anything. Where do you think he is? I don’t even know what he does for a living.” Whatever it is, it must be important, judging from the house standing right in front of me. He’s probably some sort of big-wig in Washington.
Cooper pauses for a moment. “He’s a scientist—an independent contractor for the government.”
So he is some sort of government hot-shot. What, if anything, does his job have to do with alternate dimensions? It just doesn’t add up. “What part of the government?”
“Department of Defense.”
“Oh.” Okay, I don’t know why I asked as I have no idea if that’s good or bad.
Cooper shifts the conversation in a different direction. “So what’s up with the guy with the scowl? He seems overly protective of you. Are you involved with him?”
I can’t help but notice his expression is nothing short of jealous. It’s similar to the look Alex had a few moments ago. I don’t know what it means, but it pleases me to see Cooper squirm as I mull over my answer.
“What does he have to do with anything?” I play it safe and let him wonder about what’s going on between me and Alex. Plus, I’m getting nowhere with Cooper and this conversation is becoming more and more like a tennis match.
“Just the same, I’d be a lot more comfortable knowing you watched yourself around him.” Now, his eyes just show a display of concern. I know he isn’t saying it because he thinks Alex will harm me in any way. I imagine it’s because he doesn’t like seeing me with someone else.
“I’m not doing anything until you tell me why.” If I want to pursue something with Alex, it isn’t any of Cooper’s business. I may find him attractive and he may make my insides tingle, but I don’t know anything about Cooper, other than the fact that he can time-travel—or whatever it is he can do. Alex on the other hand is easier to figure out. He’s just a seventeen-year-old high school kid whose only major life crises revolve around sports and girls.
“Look, things aren’t exactly what they appear to be. That’s all I can say right now without altering the timeline. Just know I’m here to look out for you.” He starts the engine up. I think that is my cue that this discussion is over. “You better get back to your friend.”
I get out of the SUV and watch Cooper roll out of the driveway.
“Just who are you?�
�� I hear myself ponder out loud, watching as he drives away.
Chapter Thirteen
One Feisty Girl
Once he had gotten well away from the Fleming residence, Cooper slammed his fists against the steering wheel. He hated this. Etta had a right to know everything, but he couldn’t bring himself to give her the answers she so desperately wanted to know. When he had conspired to bring Etta back, he had known their mission was the right one, but what he didn’t realize at the time was how hard it would be. At least for now, he knew she was safe.
The constant traveling between realities was beginning to wear his body out. While jumps were, for the most part, non-taxing, continuous traveling was slowly beginning to suck the energy out of him.
“That bad, huh? Don’t stress yourself out. You said it yourself, this is the only way,” his wife said as he entered the house.
He needed to learn how to cover his expressions better, only it was hard to keep his emotions in check around her. He wiped his shoes on the mat by the door and joined his wife in the living room, where she’d been working all morning. “You’re right. I just feel like the biggest jerk, dropping her off in a world she doesn’t know.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I absolve you of all perceived wrong doings, even if it’s for the right reasons,” she teased him.
When they had made the drastic decision to alter their reality, Cooper’s wife knew her husband would have the toughest job out of the two of them. As a high ranking official on the Council, she stood by the Council’s decision as a whole, but she could tell the assignment was taking a toll on her husband—both mentally and physically. In many ways, it wasn’t fair what she was asking him to do, but they had agreed early on that it was for the betterment of their world.
He laughed. “You’re not the one I’m worried about. Etta is one feisty girl.” Cooper related the morning’s events to his wife.
“Feistier than me? Should I be jealous?”
Cooper had moved in towards his wife and drew her closer to him. He nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear. “You never have to worry about me, darlin’. I’d travel through all dimensions, hell and back even, to be together with you.”
After everything they’d been through, she knew in her heart that what he said was true. “I know.”
Chapter Fourteen
Boundaries
With Cooper gone, Alex immediately rushes over to my side. He’s acting as if I’d been abducted by aliens. Then again, since I’m not entirely sure where Cooper comes from, Alex’s apparent concern might be justified.
“Etta! I can’t believe you got in the truck with him. What did he want? You two looked awful serious in there.” Alex is taking his concern a little bit too far.
I can’t really blame him. For the last couple of days I’ve been acting totally bizarre and now I have Cooper showing up everywhere I go. “It was nothing, I promise.”
He doesn’t seem convinced. “Are you sure you’re not involved in something I should know about?”
“Nothing is going on. I’m sorry things got a bit out of hand.”
“How well do you even know this guy? He could have just driven off with you,” he scolds me. “How old is he anyway? He doesn’t even look like he’s in high school.”
I assure him that I’m fine and remain unscathed. “Seriously, I’m fine and I promise he’s just a friend.” I don’t know how many times I’m going to have to keep saying this. “If you really have to know, his dad works with mine and I asked him to stop by to see if his dad had heard from him. I’ve been missing my dad’s calls.” There. It’s as close to the truth as I can get without outright lying to him.
Alex’s shoulders drop and he begins to relax. “Jeez, Etta. Why didn’t you just say that from the beginning? I was beginning to think you had a stalker!”
I find myself laughing at his comment. Yeah, this wouldn’t be the first time someone’s thought that of Cooper.
“This isn’t funny Etta, what in the world did he say to make you all worked up?” Alex isn’t about to let this go.
“He didn’t have any new information about my dad, so I was kind of annoyed. That’s all.” At least this part is true.
I glance at my watch and notice it’s time to get ready for school. Alex, instead of going back home, has another idea in mind. He decides to wait until I change into my uniform and offers to give me a ride to Dominion. This is the last thing I need—more questions—but I take him up on his offer, because he isn’t giving me any choice. No one told me that dating came with so much drama attached.
After I finish showering, I’m almost ready to meet Alex downstairs when he pokes his head through my bedroom door, just as I’m zipping up my skirt. “You sure you’re all right?” He inquires again.
“Hey, privacy!” It’s nice having a potential boyfriend, but there are boundaries—and if not, there should be. I’m sure if Maggie knew he was up here she’d escort him right back down to the kitchen where he can sit and wait in front of a pile of blueberry pancakes or something.
But Alex is undeterred and enters my room once he determines I’m fully dressed. He makes himself comfortable on my bed and I don’t bother to stop him. “What’s wrong Etta?”
“I think Jaime’s on her way. She’ll need a ride too,” I answer instead. At least I think she’s on her way. Where is she when I need her? She’s always around during the most inconvenient times and now she’s nowhere to be found. The last thing I need is another moment alone with Alex. I really do like him, but the whole boyfriend thing is all new territory to me. Its bad enough I have to learn a whole new life.
“You know Jaime. By the time she finally finishes getting ready, school will already be over,” he points out. “So, what did he tell you?”
“You’re still with that?” I ask, moving over to the bed. “I already told you, nothing. Look I know I’ve been acting weird lately, but there’s nothing to worry about. Cooper is just keeping an eye out for me while my dad is gone.”
“I can do that too, you know. Etta, please. I just want to help. If there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”
This is clearly an argument I’m not going to win. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Making sure I’m not going anywhere, Alex slides over to me on the bed, as I inch further away from him. If I shift any more, I’ll fall off the bed.
“Why are you being so distant?”
“I’m not. I’m just uncomfortable with you being up here, that’s all.”
“Do you want me to go?”
I hesitate. “No.” I’m taking out my frustration out on him and I know I’m not being fair. “But I guess we should both head downstairs and wait for Jaime.”
Instead, Alex moves in even closer and touches my face, tracing his finger along my cheek. “Etta, I don’t ever want you to think I don’t have feelings for you.”
My hand finds its way into his and I lace my fingers through his. “That’s what scares me. I’m not…I don’t think…I mean I don’t know what you expect from all this.” My other hand motions to indicate the two of us. I’m fishing and I know it. I want him to tell me if he expects more than just kissing and hand holding. “I need to know what this means to you.”
Only he isn’t listening. “You are so beautiful, you know that?” Alex gently brushes his hand from my face to the back of my neck and brings it in closer for a kiss.
My body relaxes against his and I let my physical wants take total control. I’ve never let a guy get this close to me and I’m not sure if I’m ready, but right here, right now, I feel safe in his arms.
He starts off by kissing me gently around my lips, until our mouths meet in a mutual locked frenzy. My body begins to turn hot, then a tingling sensation courses through my body that only worsens as we get closer.
Suddenly, visions of Cooper filter through my mind. This makes me stop as soon I realize where this is going with Alex. It takes all the energy I have to push Alex off me. Here
I am, my first experience with a guy—my second, if you count last night, and I’m turning him away. “I can’t Alex.”
Thinking he’s going to be mad, Alex takes me completely by surprise. He stops trying to kiss me and looks me straight in the eye. “I understand Etta. Too soon?” He doesn’t appear to be angry, but he does look flustered. Maybe he really does have feelings for me that aren’t just physical. I imagine that if that’s what he’s after, he can always get that from Jenny. I’m sure she’d be willing to do whatever he wants.
“I’m sorry. This is all too sudden for me I guess.” As I speak the words, I discover I’m not sure if I mean being this close to someone or being in a relationship, but I figure being vague works in my favor until I can figure out which one I have the issue with.
Alex removes himself from the bed. “You’re right. Let’s go down and see what your aunt’s whipped up for breakfast.”
By the time we get downstairs, Jaime is waiting for us.
Jaime points to her watch, tapping her foot lightly against the hard wood floor. “What were you two doing up there? We’re going to be late for school.”
• • •
Today, Jaime doesn’t have to meet with any of her teachers during lunch. Since the sky is a bit overcast, we decide not to take any chances and eat in the cafeteria. I open my brown bag lunch and find a turkey sandwich, chips, and for dessert, a cupcake—housed in one of those individual plastic cupcake containers. I almost get teary eyed looking at my lunch. It’s nice having someone look after me that isn’t paid a monthly stipend.
I see a shadow fall across the table. Like yesterday, I assume its Alex, so I look up and smile. It quickly fades.
“So, where’s your boyfriend? He ditch you already?” Jenny laughs, her legion of minions stand giggling right behind her.
“Hey, Jenny, eat much?” Jaime points to Jenny’s daily ration of diet coke and fruit.
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