Skipping Forward

by Bethany Wicker

  Maybe it was visiting Maddox in the past or maybe it was because of Rhett, but I’d forgotten about the accident for a moment. Like a bucket of cold water, reality hit me at the sight of Mom crying on the couch with Dad embracing her for comfort. No dinner was cooked and I wondered if they even ate at all.

  “I’ll make everyone something,” Rhett offered and left me to head into the kitchen.

  I followed swiftly after him because I didn’t want to see my mom crying. It pained me. She was the rope that helped tie this family together, so she couldn’t crumble. The funeral must’ve made Maddox’s death more of a reality like it did for me.

  Rhett searched through the cabinets while I observed. He pulled out pasta, red sauce, and some herbs.

  “Spaghetti is the perfect remedy for a wounded soul,” he stated.

  “You say weird things sometimes.”

  He shrugged. “You’ll get used to it.”

  He began his work. I offered to help but he declined it a little too quickly for my taste. I didn’t say anything else after that. Not even to compliment him about it smelling great.

  Mom and Dad meandered into the kitchen at the aroma that had filled the air. They sat at the bar with me and it was perfect timing because Rhett was just putting it together. He even served us.

  “You have to keep him around.” Dad grinned after taking a bite.

  “This is pretty amazing for being canned sauce,” I added.

  “It’s all in the seasoning and herbs,” Rhett stated as he took the empty bar stool by me.

  “Should we move to the table?” Mom asked in a low voice.

  “I think we’re just fine sitting here,” I answered and we ate just like that.

  “Meals are quiet without Maddox,” Mom whispered as we were finishing up. “I never noticed how loud he was because he was always playing those games of his. I wish I could go back and spend more time with him.”

  Her confession struck a chord in me. It was unfair that I could go back and relive moments with Maddox, but his mom couldn’t. At least one of us could though.

  Her eyes turned on me and narrowed into a hot glare.

  Whoa, what just happened?

  “You claim you can travel into the future, so why can’t you go to the past? Go back and save him. Save my son.” The conviction in her voice stopped the words in my throat.

  “Sweetheart, do you hear yourself? This isn’t Molly’s fault. Don’t give into your daughter’s lies. Maddox is gone and it’s all my fault. I was the driver. Take your anger out on me, not Molly.” Dad pressed his clenched fists against his eyes. He was trying not to cry in front of us.

  “It isn’t your fault.” Mom rubbed Dad’s back. “It was that drunk driver’s fault.” She faced me again. “I’m sorry, Molly. I just wish we could get him back.”

  “I know, Mom. I do too and if I could fix this, I would,” I replied solemnly.

  I left out the part of already attempting to. It would’ve just stirred up some bad feelings. I wasn’t going to try to convince them about my gift anymore. They would blame me for not being able to bring Maddox back, just like I blamed myself.

  Rhett placed his hand on my knee. “How about we go get a good night’s rest?”

  “I still think it’s weird that you’re sleeping here, but I thank you for being there for Molly so I can be there for her mom,” Dad stated with sincerity.

  “Your parents don’t mind you sleeping over at your girlfriend’s place?” Mom inquired.

  Rhett looked away and it was obvious that he was trying to decide how to answer the question. “To be honest, my parents don’t even know I’m here. They aren’t around long enough to know.”

  “Oh, sweetie,” Mom jumped down from her stool to give Rhett a hug. He looked so awkward and even cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, dear, but we’re a hugging family, so you’ll have to get used to it. Thank you for dinner. I think I’m going to take a hot bath with a glass of wine. I’m not finished crying for the night.”

  “Mom—” I started, but didn’t know what to say so closed my mouth.

  “I know, Molly. We will all get better with time. Until that time though, I want to mourn for my son. Love you sweetie.” She kissed the top of my head before heading to her room.

  Dad gave us both a nod of the head and followed behind Mom. He was usually the talkative one, so it was weird to see their roles switched.

  “Want to go to bed? You’ve managed to fit two full days in one. I know you’re exhausted. I can see it in your eyes,” Rhett explained.

  I sighed. “That I am. I don’t think I’m going to be much company for the rest of the night.”

  “That’s understandable. Come on.” Rhett grabbed my hand and led me up the stairs.

  It was odd to be getting used to his presence and I was glad our fight earlier didn’t deter him at all.

  When we got to my room, I said, “You realize we had our first argument earlier?”

  “I’m surprised you remembered that with how hectic your day was.”

  “Of course I did. It was another milestone in our relationship.”

  “Want to kiss and make up some more?” He waggled his eyebrows.

  “Sorry, babe, but like you pointed out, I’m exhausted. Let’s get some sleep.”

  We snuggled under the covers and I waited until Rhett was the first one to knock out. Then, I allowed myself to cry until I finally fell asleep. Spending a memory with my brother took more out of me mentally and physically than I would’ve thought.

  ~*~

  I didn’t go to school the next day, but Rhett did. Even though I stayed home, I knew I had a lot of make up work piled up that Rhett’s been bringing home. School work made the perfect distraction and I concluded that I wouldn’t visit Maddox today. I needed to recoup my energy and get a better grasp on my mental state. I would go crazy if I kept feeling like I did.

  So, most of the day was spent immersed in my textbooks. Most of the work was completed by the time Rhett got home.

  “Are you ever going to go back home?” I questioned when he entered my room.

  “Do you want me to?” He raised his eyebrows.

  “Not at all.”

  “I’m going take a quick shower and then I’ll cook again tonight. I already stopped at the store and I’m going to cook the country fried steak again. You just have to promise that you won’t try to skip again.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that, trust me,” I vowed.

  “Alrighty then. I’ll be out in a jiffy.” He gave me a quick peck before jogging to the bathroom.

  While he was cleaning up, I continued to push through my homework. At this rate, I should've been finished by the time he was out, but I got stuck on a math problem. Rhett exited the bathroom and must’ve seen the frustration on my face.

  “What subject are you stuck on?” he asked curiously.

  “I can’t figure out this dang math problem. It looks like some other language,” I grunted.

  He chuckled. “I’ll help you with it after dinner.”

  “You aren’t our maid or chef. You don’t have to do that.”

  “What cook or help you catch up on your work?”

  “Well, I meant the cooking, but you really don’t have to help me with my homework if you don’t want to.”

  “It’s a good thing for you that I want to then.” He kissed my nose and left the room.

  I continued staring at the empty space where he’d been. He always did sweet things like kiss my nose and throw in little compliments here and there. He was such a great guy and I was taking it for granted. We hadn't said ‘I love you’ since that one time. I would have to fix that tonight.

  Giving up on homework, I made my way to the kitchen. It was relaxing to watch Rhett cook. The way his muscles shifted as he moved. It was a sight to behold. It was even better knowing that the parents weren’t here. I could drink him in without being disturbed.

  I was shocked that Mom and Dad weren’t home because th
ey always seemed to be these days. Just like me. Poor Rhett was bound to get sick of hanging around me soon. I had to admit that I was pretty boring these days. Each day was spent sleeping and crying.

  My stomach growled.

  At least I still had an appetite.

  “When are your parents coming home?” Rhett questioned while focusing on what he was doing.

  “I’m not sure.” I was perched on a bar stool and started kicking the bar. “I guess I’ll give them a call because they should’ve been home by now.”

  My fingers tapped at the phone until they found Dad’s number. It rang three times before he picked up.

  “Hello?” he answered.

  “Where are you guys?”

  Dad sighed. “Your mom wanted to visit Berty to get out of the house,” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “and now I’m stuck here. Don’t count on us coming home for at least a few more hours.”

  “Is she better over there?”

  “Yeah, she is. I think the house has too many memories of Maddox in it. We may have to discuss moving.”

  “And lose all those memories? That doesn’t sound right.”

  “We’ll talk about it another time. I have to go. Your mom’s giving me her evil eyes for being on the phone. Love you.”

  “Love you too, Dad. Be safe coming come.”

  “We will.” With that, he hung up.

  Rhett paused in his cooking for an explanation.

  “They’re at Aunt Berty’s and won’t be back soon. Looks like we’ll have leftovers.”

  “Oh well.” Rhett shrugged. “It’ll still be good tomorrow. I think it’s better the next day to be honest.”

  “No way,” I argued. “It’s always better fresh.”

  “Not true, pizza is always better the next day.”

  “Let’s just agree to disagree before we go into a long, drawn-out, pointless argument. Sound good?”

  “It’s fun to argue about some things. Keeps it interesting.”

  “Never pegged you as a combative person.”

  “I’m not combative in the sense that I’m quick to fight. I just enjoy it to spice life up every now and then.” Rhett grinned cheekily.

  “So, I’m boring unless we argue? How confrontational of you.”

  “You of all people are not boring. You spice things up on a daily basis, but there’s no such thing as too much seasoning.”

  I started fiddling with the set of keys that were sitting on the counter. The conversation ended at that.

  A few more minutes passed and Rhett announced that dinner was ready. I was proud of myself for not skipping ahead this time and I got the feeling that Rhett was too. As he carried the food into the dining room, I set the table.

  My face heated when I recalled that it was going to be only the two of us tonight. Rhett didn't appear to be flustered or affected by it at all. Not even as he hovered over me to put the country fried steak and french fries on my plate. He took the seat next to me after fixing his plate too. My hands were sweaty as the grasped they ketchup and squeezed a bit on my plate.

  “Shoot, I forgot the white gravy. Hold up.” Rhett jumped back up and dashed into the kitchen.

  He returned within seconds and poured the gravy over my steak and then his. We started eating after that and didn't talk until we consumed it all.

  “Why do you still make me anxious?” I quirked an eyebrow at Rhett.

  “Not sure. I’ve never given you any reason to, but let’s go tackle that math problem.”

  “Let me ‘tackle’ the dishes first. I’ll meet you up there.”

  He carried the dishes to the kitchen sink before heading to my room. By the time I got to my room, Rhett was spread out on my bed and had my math textbook open with the impossible problem next to it. My heart swelled.

  “I love you.”

  His head twisted towards me quick at my statement. A beautiful grin graced his face. “I love you too, babe.”

  I joined him on the bed. I wasn’t sure what overtook me, but it went against every rational part of my brain. Instead of looking at the problem he was pointing at, my lips lunged for his and successfully made contact. It took a second for Rhett to react, but he swiftly deepened the kiss. It quickly became more and more passionate and soon, our shirts were on the floor.

  Rhett pulled away. “We need to stop, Molly. I want you to be ready for when this happens.”

  “I am.”

  Those two words were the only motivation Rhett needed and he picked back up on the fervent kiss. I closed my eyes and savored the moment. His hands unclasped my bra and my heart rate picked up.

  When I opened my eyes, Rhett was breathing heavily next to me. I was resting on his arm and we were both completely unclothed.

  I’d just skipped my first time.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Fate didn't want me to have any good moments in life. It wanted me to suffer. I couldn't have at least a little happiness. First Maddox and now this.

  Rhett must’ve noticed my sobs because he jumped up and pulled his arm out from under me. He took the warmth with him and I shuddered at the chill.

  “Crap, crap crap, I knew you were going to regret it. Don’t cry, babe. Please, don’t cry. Do you want me to leave? Because I will leave if so,” Rhett babbled sounding panicked.

  “I-I s-skipped through i-it.”

  “You time skipped forward?” Rhett asked incredulously.

  I just nodded my head in response.

  “But I didn’t even smell the metal like I usually do.”

  “I d-didn’t e-either.” I blubbered.

  “Come here.” He curled up next to me and pulled me into him. The no clothes things was a tad awkward considering I couldn’t remember doing anything.

  “M-maybe I c-can g-go back,” I whispered between tears.

  “I’m not sure if that would be a good thing for your mentality.”

  “Well, I have to try.”

  I kissed him and this time smelled the metal as I focused on when.

  I opened my eyes and Rhett was kissing me. I stiffened before returning the kiss. He was just unclasping my bra. I blinked once and found myself in the same scene as before. Rhett was panting and had his arm under me. The only difference was that I was cuddled further into him this go round.

  My sobs were louder this time. Rhett reacted the same way and started asking questions. I just pointed to me head and he understood what I was trying to tell him. I watched his expression flip from panicked to sad after he read my thoughts.

  “I’m so sorry.” His voice was pained and he pulled me back into him.

  “It’s n-not your f-fault. I’m d-defective.”

  “You are not. You’re still just as perfect to me as before. I just wish I wouldn’t have taken your innocence if I knew you wouldn’t even remember. You liked it if you’re wondering.”

  He was trying to make me laugh, but I wasn’t feeling it just yet. Right now, I just wanted to curl into a ball and bawl until my eyes hurt.

  “Babe, let’s not try that again, okay? At least not any time soon.” Rhett’s voice was hesitant as he spoke.

  I nodded and cried harder into his chest.

  “Maybe we should put some clothes on before we fall asleep. We got lucky that your parents didn’t come home, but we don’t want them to catch us like this.”

  He had a point, but my body wouldn’t respond. Rhett dressed himself first and being the amazing guy he was, he helped me slip into my pajamas. We snuggled under the covers and the tears continued to fall until I fell asleep.

  ~*~

  The next morning, I was so thankful it was Saturday. I didn’t have to worry about Rhett going to school. Even though he was another reminder of what I forgot, I still needed his presence. He’d been right. Going back that second time was way worse for my mentality and overall moral. Another reason to add to the list of why my gift was bogus.

  Mom and Dad were eating breakfast when Rhett and I walked down. I wasn’t sure what time
they’d gotten in because I’d already been passed out. Thankfully, I had a dreamless night. Seeing Mom now, I knew she had a similar night to mine. She had dark bags under her eyes and looked so pale. There was no sparkle in her eye these days.

  “So can we expect you to sleep here every night?” Dad asked when we were in sight. He sounded worried.

  “Only if you’ll continue to allow me, sir. I don’t want to step on your toes,” Rhett replied.

  Dad groaned but didn’t say anything.

  Mom was the one to respond while she looked between us. “Your father went and checked on you two when we got home and could tell you’d been crying, Molly. If it wasn’t for you Rhett, Molly would’ve been dealing with those terrors by herself. Like we mentioned before, we are appreciative for what you’ve done, but you two better not betray our trust.”

  “We won’t, Mom,” I answered with a meek smile.

  Technically, we didn’t break their trust since they are just now telling us this.

  Rhett’s cough told me he heard my thoughts. Mom and Dad looked at him expectantly. He gulped and stated, “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good,” Dad said. “I made waffles and bacon, so you two come and grab something to eat.”

  “I’m not really hungry,” I admitted.

  I didn’t really have an appetite after the horrifying events of last night. I might not have had a nightmare last night, but the thought of what I missed still plagued me.

  “Can you at least try to nibble on some bacon?” Rhett pleaded. “You have to try to eat something or you’ll just feel sicker.”

  Mom and Dad shared a glance of approval as they watched for my reaction.

  I sighed. “Okay, I’ll try.”

  Rhett handed me a small plate of bacon and I did as he requested.

  “Keep that up, Rhett, and you can stay as long as you like.” Mom winked. She was trying to be funny, but her voice fell flat with sorrow.

  Mom wasn’t going to break down anymore because she’d already been completely broken, crumbled into nothing. There were no pieces left to break.

  We all ate breakfast and silence and I managed to force myself to eat two strips of bacon. It was delicious, but still made me feel like I was going to vomit when I’d ingested them. Greasy food usually did the trick but not today. The black cloud that hung over my head made it hard to remain positive.