iRobotronic

by Bella Street

  Trent went very still for a moment before giving a little shake to his head. “Uh, let me go check and see if she's here.” He adjusted his sunglasses and went around the building.

  Seffy turned her attention back to the car, looking for any sign that it might belong to Lani. There was a bottle of lavender botanical lotion in the cup holder. The girl always liked her lotions.

  “Sef!”

  She turned to find Trent hurrying toward her.

  “She's here!”

  Seffy gasped. “Can I see her? Just a peek?”

  “No way. If anyone could recognize you—even in a flash—it would be her.”

  “Okay,” she said. But disappointment quickly turned to awe. “So they really are here, and back in Montana at the same time. I think my head is gonna explode.”

  “Do you want to try Addison next?”

  “How about we go to the address that's on the mail?”

  Trent looked down the alley, seeming indecisive. “At some point we need to think about our plan for getting back tomorrow. Plus I'm getting hungry for lunch. How about you?”

  Seffy tried to decipher his expression but the sunglasses made it all but impossible. “Let's check the address. If that doesn't pan out, we're done with checking up on them. Unless we want to look for my headstone.” She widened her eyes. “Or do you think they had me cremated?”

  He grabbed her hand. “C'mon, let's go find a ride.”

  On the way to the Elysian Park neighborhood, Seffy wondered what her friends were doing without her. Were they even the ones who buried her? Or did she have other friends entirely? Head explosion commencing 3..2..1...

  She glanced over at Trent where he sat like a coiled spring next to her. “What are you so uptight about?”

  He kept his face averted. “My...parents live on Lani's street. Or they did in regular L.A.”

  “Whoa. Do you want me to spy on them a little for you? Make sure it's them?”

  He shook his head. “Even if we were back where we're supposed to be, I still wouldn't see them. We went our separate ways a long time ago.”

  Seffy thought about that for a moment. “Oh.” She looked at his clenched hands. “Sorry.”

  He sent her a sidelong glance. “What about you? The article said you had no family.”

  “I was in the foster system in Montana. I don't have any memories of my parents.”

  He blew out a ragged breath. “I think you have me beat for a tragic past. Geez, Sef.”

  She shrugged. “Hey, I try.” Seffy noticed his knuckles turning even whiter and suppressed an impulse to reach out to him. She followed his gaze to a house they were passing—a trim brick Tudor style similar to the one she'd lived in before. It was pretty with manicured landscaping. A Cadillac sat in the driveway. “Is that it?”

  He nodded tightly and looked away. “Down to the same make and model of the car.” The cab went a few more blocks and stopped at a cute little yellow bungalow flanked by hydrangea bushes. The driveway and curb were absent of cars.

  “It's smaller than our last house.” She looked at Trent, who seemed to be relaxing by increments. “Should we check to see if there's any alley parking?”

  He nodded and directed the driver. Around the corner, from the cross street, Seffy peered down the alley. Her heart kicked up a notch. “There's a Saab there like Gareth drove.” As she watched, the back door of the house opened and Gareth walked out followed by—

  “Oh my God. It's Verity.”

  Trent leaned over her shoulder for a look. “That blonde chick?”

  She elbowed him. “I swear you're drooling on me. Yes, her. She's the one I was at the tanning salon with.”

  “The one who you have to get to say that phrase.”

  “Yep.”

  “So this is the Verity that has your feathers all ruffled. I can see why.”

  Seffy smacked his arm.

  “What's Gareth doing with her?” As they watched Gareth put his arm around the blonde's waist and planted a kiss on her lips.

  Seffy scowled, feeling like she'd been slapped hard across the face. “Tramp,” she muttered.

  “Well, I guess that question got answered.”

  The couple got in the car together and she watched as they drove down the alley in the opposite direction.

  “Maybe the house is small because it's just those two living there.”

  Seffy threw Trent an annoyed look. “We got the address from Lani's car.” She reached for the door handle.

  “Wait a minute, where are you going?”

  “I'm going to find out who's living with who!” She got out and slammed the door behind her.

  As she arrived at the back door, Trent's voice sounded behind her. “Don't do it, Sef. You might not like what you find.”

  She ignored him and found a keybox. Turning the dial to the old combination, Seffy allowed herself a small smile when the little door opened, revealing the spare key. Bingo. She let herself in the door and walked into a bright kitchen. The pretty curtains and colorful décor attested to the presence of a female. After a moment, she heard Trent behind her.

  “I knew Gareth was in touch with his feminine side and all, but this goes a bit far. I think he and the blonde tramp are shackin' up.”

  “Shut up, Trent.” Seffy went into the living room, noting the shiny wood floors, tasteful leather couch in front of a blue-tiled fireplace, and all the potted greenery. On the fireplace mantle were several framed photos. She looked at each one turn, stifling an exclamation when she saw one with the four of them at the beach. She held the photo out to Trent. “Vindication.”

  He took the frame and studied the photo. “Damn, girl, we gotta get you fattened up again. You are hot in that bikini.”

  Seffy snatched the picture away from him and replaced it on the mantle. Leaving him behind, she headed up the stairs. She paused, wondering if she could sense her friends' presence here, but after a moment, she realized she felt nothing. Grimacing, she ascended the last step and found four doors angling away from the landing. A peek in the first door revealed Gareth's room to be all male, with no girly stuff about. Verity better not be living with them.

  Lani's room was easy since she had a little flowered plaque on her door. Addison's was the one with the cool, modern décor. The last door is either mine or Verity's. Seffy held her breath and pushed on the knob.

  Her eyes widened. What she saw inside answered one question but raised a whole slew of others.

  Chapter Eleven

  It was the large framed photo next to the bed that caught her attention. She slowly entered the room and picked up the frame, trying to take in the image now burning fresh holes into her heart and mind.

  It's just not possible.

  While the bedroom was clearly hers—the embroidered pillow with pink roses letters that spelled Seffy helped—she still didn't know how to stretch her brain around the photograph of her and Trent embracing, their figures eclipsing a setting sun, their lips only inches apart. It was obviously a random shot at the beach—and they were obviously comfortable in each other's arms.

  Even more obvious was that none of it made sense.

  She felt faint for a moment and had to steady herself. It was then she realized the room was cold and smelled musty. She looked around, suddenly seeing boxes here and there. Someone was in the process of packing her things up.

  Ugh.

  She heard a step on the stairs. Seffy quickly scanned the room, looking for any more incriminating photos, but didn't see any. A digital camera sat on the dresser pointing toward the bed. She jammed it in her pocket, worried Trent would grab it if he saw it. Seffy next opened the frame and pulled out the picture, folding and sliding it next to the camera.

  Trent must never know.

  He walked into the room and looked around. “Do you think they're moving you out so Verity can move in?”

  Tattered emotions collided with shock, resulting in blinding fury at Trent's offhand comment. Clenching her fist, Se
ffy pivoted and punched him in the stomach with all her strength. Then she pushed past him, leaving him doubled over in surprise. Seffy stomped down the stairs and crashed out the back door, needing the fresh air to feed her oxygen-starved brain. She turned away from the house, resignation high, and pulled the photo from her pocket.

  No way. There was Just. No. Way.

  It had to be a fake. But who would plant it? Why would someone do such a thing?

  Hearing Trent coming out the back door made her stuff the photo in her bra. She heard him lock up the door, then approach her from behind.

  “Hey, sorry about what I said in there. It was thoughtless.”

  Marshalling a semblance of composure, she turned around and faced him. Despite his contrite expression, her hand itched to slap his face. He had no right to be in her life, not in this universe, and not in the other. He was an interloper. He didn't belong—in the past or the present.

  “I don't know what you're thinking about right now, but you look scary.”

  “I want to go back,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “I'm done doing the memory lane thing.”

  His gaze sought to discern her secrets. “Okay.”

  Trent was silent on the ride back to the hidden room and so was she. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, zigzagging up and down dead ends or circling in an endless litany of disbelief. What had happened? In her real world, Gareth had just met Verity. They'd only gone out a couple of times. He didn't seem overly gung-ho about her though Seffy knew Verity was hungry for him. She was one of those aggressive types, which fit her Amazonian, tanned, blonde appearance.

  Seffy felt the dead weight of despair settling back into her heart and mind. She wanted to go curl up alone somewhere and grieve in private—grieve for the knowledge that Gareth eventually would've chosen Verity all along if it hadn't been for the blast thing that sent them nearly thirty years into the past. Grieve that even when they had a chance to make a go of it, she'd blown it. And the Gareth of just a few minutes ago seemed pretty damned happy-go-probably-gettin'-lucky with his new girlfriend.

  Parallel Seffy's dead body was barely cold in the ground and everyone had resumed their lives. If what Trent said was true—Verity was moving in to her old room—well, that was some poison icing on a very rotten cake.

  Tears stung her eyes but she forced them back hard. As soon as they were up in Trent's hidden apartment, she went into the bathroom and locked the door. Not the most romantic place for a good cry at a shocking revelation, but it was all she had to work with.

  Seffy sank onto the toilet lid and pulled the photo from her bra. She forced herself to study every detail. Photo Seffy wore a baby blue embroidered tank top with low cut jeans. Her skin was tan and her hair long with fat, shiny blonde curls. Trent's hair was pretty much the same stylish highlighted mess and he had a bit of a tan as well. He wore a white shirt open at the neck, untucked from faded blue jeans and rolled up at the sleeves. She'd always imagined him as a silk and slacks kind of guy, but the picture reflected his usual attire from the compound.

  The most disturbing part was their expressions. The whole gazing into each others eyes with utter devotion thing, along with their bodies pressed close and arms around each other, his hand touching the bare skin beneath her shirt near her hip. Were his fingers warm on that exposed expanse of skin? Could his intense expression be believed?

  God, it just didn't make sense! She scoured every pixel for signs that it was a PhotoShopped joke but nothing seemed out of place.

  How would they have met? Seffy never would've given him the time of day, because while he was undeniably gorgeous, he was in every other way repellent. She could imagine him making cutting comments at a party, but she never would've hung around to listen. Guys like him, with their bitter, world-weary slice-and-dice attitude were a dime a dozen in Hollywood. She'd learned a long time ago that they were best to be avoided.

  She became aware of the bulk of the camera in her pocket. Seffy pulled it out and located the power button, hoping it didn't contain an amateur sex tape. That was all she needed to discover on a day like today. The camera looked advanced and complicated and it took her a minute to figure out how to scroll through the photos. Several showed close ups of high end botanical products with fancy lighting—like something used for promotion.

  This must be Lani's camera. Was she taking pictures for the salon?

  The next few were of their house. Why would she be taking shots of where they lived? Seffy scrolled to the next photo and gripped the camera. The beach. Sunset. A couple. She gulped.

  Me and Trent.

  Photo after photo showed entwined hands, tender kisses, intimate looks. When the roaring of her pulse calmed somewhat, she suddenly wondered if the photos were posed. Maybe...maybe she and Trent were doing some kind of favor for Lani. Maybe Lani wanted pics of a happy couple to use for the salon. It made sense.

  A helluva lot more than the notion she had any kind of relationship with Trent.

  A shaky sigh escaped her. She could relax. It was just like Lani to ask her to do such a favor. How Trent had ended up in the mix was still troubling, but he was apparently comfortable enough to go along with it.

  Seffy hit the button to see the next photo. A triangular arrow glowed in one corner of the screen over an image of the couch she'd seen in the living room. A video. Her hard-won peace took a hit as she pressed the button.

  Lani's voice came out in a tinny imitation from the camera. Seffy turned away from the bathroom door, hoping Trent wouldn't hear it. She stared at the screen and watched as Lani gave a running commentary as she filmed inside the house.

  Why would she be doing that?

  “And here's the living room. Do you remember when we first moved in? What a mess it was?” Lani chuckled. “We worked so hard. And now it's gorgeous. Call me sentimental, but I just want you to have a record of the first place we lived after moving to L.A.” Her voice dropped. “A lot of memories here.”

  The camera panned to the dining room. “Mostly good times. But I guess things have to change sometime.”

  The camera went toward the kitchen. “Remember all our failed cooking experiments in this kitchen? You'd think between three women, one of us would have some culinary skills. Gareth's are only passable.” A long pause. “I wonder if Verity can cook.”

  Seffy bit her lip in rising anxiety. What the hell?

  A clicking sound from the video made Lani turn toward the front door. Seffy saw herself walk through the front door.

  Whoa. Alternate Reality girl in the digitized flesh.

  “Lani, what are you up to now?” A smiling, blonde Seffy dropped her purse on a narrow table by the front door.

  “It might be the salon's camera, but I'm using my own SD card, so chill, missy.”

  Seffy grinned. “You trying out a new hobby?”

  The camera shrugged. “Just wanted to get a video of the house before...I just thought you'd like to have something for old times' sake.”

  Something shifted in film-version Seffy's face. “Ah.” She approached Lani and suddenly the camera went dark. Apparently she and Lani were embracing. A moment later, Seffy was staring at her own chest as the other version spoke quietly to Lani.

  “It'll be okay, Addison will make sure things stay on the up and up.”

  “I don't know,” Lani said, doubt in her tone. “I hope Gareth knows what's he's getting into.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  An awkward pause. “But there's a good side, too. That's what I need to remember.”

  “Thanks, Lani. Your support means a lot.”

  “C'mon, let's go to your room. I want to show you something.”

  Apparently Lani forgot the camera was still recording as jerky images of flooring and feet flowed along the screen. How typical of the brunette. But in a way Seffy was thankful. What was happening? Why did she need support? Why was Lani upset about Gareth?

  The camera clunked unceremoniously onto what Seffy figured was the dre
sser where she'd found it, as she could see the bed in the distance. God, was this the last thing the camera recorded?

  Blonde Seffy plopped onto the bed looking at the unseen Lani expectedly. “What's up?”

  Lani walked into the frame holding a brown paper bag. “Well, you remember when we were at the beach last week, I said I was going to get some nature shots and stuff?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I planned to, but you and Trent were so cute, so I took a few of you.”

  Camera Seffy groaned while bathroom Seffy's gut tightened into a knot.

  “They were all good, but I got one made into an 5X7. Think of it as my going away present.”

  Lani was going away? Who was going away?

  Lani slid a framed photo from the bag and handed it to Camera Seffy, who accepted it and looked down at the image with a small smile.

  Sure looks like she's into Trent. Geez.

  “Lani, wow. I think you have a future in photography.”

  “Aw, thanks. But it was the subject that made the shot.”

  Other Seffy looked up at Lani. “Thank you so much.”

  Lani lowered herself until she was kneeling next to her friend. She glanced at the photo. “I thought this one really captured the love.”

  The other Seffy tucked a lock of salon blonde hair behind her ear. “Trent had told me he loved me many times, but that day...that was the first time I believed him.”

  Lani wrapped her arms around Seffy's waist. “I wish you weren't going, but I'm glad at the same time.” She pulled back. “I really am happy for you, but the idea that...Verity is moving in—”

  What? I'm leaving so Verity can move in? Seffy's fingers gripped the camera.

  “Sef?”

  Trent.

  For a moment, she didn't know if it came from the camera or the next room.

  “Are you ready?”

  Lani got to her feet as camera Seffy rose and placed the frame on the nightstand by the bed—right where real Seffy had found it.

  Lani embraced her. “Tell Trent hi for me.”

  Camera Seffy squeezed her one more time. “I'll see you later, okay?”