As the answering machine on his phone picked up for the fourth instance, I sighed and ended the call, dropping my cell into my purse. The museum steps were almost vacant, the last few stragglers leaving the now closed building and disappearing into the grounds, heading in various directions as they went about with their lives. A few of them glanced at me as they passed, looking down at my seated form as if they were surprised to see me there, waiting.
“Miss Blake,” a low and warm voice said behind me, causing me to turn around and look at the glass doors, a lock clicking into place as they shut for the last time that day.
“Mister Smithson,” I replied in surprise. “I thought you had gone home. I stopped by your office earlier, but it was empty.”
He waved his hand, providing no reason for his absence. After fiddling with his keys, tucking them into one of the pockets of his long, heavy coat, he sighed, looking out over the snow-covered landscape, and then focused on me. “How was your first day back? You’re feeling well?”
Nodding, I stood, brushing my hands over my slacks and flipping my hair over my shoulder. “I am, thank you. If you don’t mind my asking, how was your meeting with August Bancroft? I haven’t heard from him since I left him at security this morning.”
A confused light entered his small eyes. “Bancroft? I thought our meeting was canceled. You were the one who called and said he’d already found other employment, weren’t you?”
An icy sensation began to form in the pit of my stomach. Out of the handful of people who knew who August was, only one of them had a motive to do something like this. “Yeah,” I muttered. “I must have forgotten.”
His expression turned kind and understanding as he stepped forward, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry yourself about it. Things happen, and accidents such as yours are sure to bring some trials. We are happy to have you back, though. And grateful your memory loss hasn’t included your exquisite knowledge as a conservator! Take care of yourself, will you?”
Pursing my lips, I smiled and nodded, watching as he moved past me and started on his way to wherever he was headed. “I will,” I answered, folding my arms as he turned away. “Have a nice evening.”
“You too,” he called, waving without glancing back.
Another swirl of emotions I couldn’t sort out filled me as I was left alone, the sun setting and abandoning me to the cold lamplight and darkness. Soft, white flakes fell gently from the sky, adding to the already humongous piles of snow scooped away from the roads and walkways. My fingers were starting to go numb, left out in the cold, but I couldn’t move to put my gloves on.
Charlotte Mercer had to be involved in this. It must have been her who canceled August’s meeting. It wasn’t a far stretch to think he was with her now either, given the fact that he was missing and knew literally no one else from this century.
Anger ripped through me, and I shoved my hand into my purse, fishing out my phone and redialing his number. When the ringing gave way to the answering machine, I practically growled in frustration, hanging up and balling my free hand into a fist as I stared into the sky.
Why couldn’t he see how perfect life could be if we just let things be? Literally, everything we needed to be happy was right here. He wouldn’t have to be a soldier anymore, putting his life in danger for a cause he didn’t know if he believed in or not. There was healthcare and indoor plumbing, not to mention Chinese food and cable. We weren’t out slaving away on a farm every day, wondering if we were going to freeze to death in the night. I had a home to share with him here and a fantastic job doing what I loved. Most of all, my parents were alive! How could he see all of that, grasp how much they meant to me, and look me in the eye and say we had to put things back the way they were?
History had changed, that was true. But it wasn’t so different that the entire landscape of the country was ruined. Sure, Gabriel had butted into several places he shouldn’t have been. His plan to influence modern day politics had worked, landing someone—I assume his father—a job as a state governor. That was it! America was still the land of the free and home of the brave. Alexander Hamilton invented our modern banking system. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace. The fact of the matter was, nothing was changed so drastically that it mattered in the long run.
Yet, August had gone behind my back and met with Charlotte. He insisted things be exactly as they should be. The past was always on his mind, whether it be his desire to preserve it or the memory of us there together.
But Charlotte? He really had to run off with her the second he was on his own here? What the hell was he doing?
Unable to decide if I felt more anger or betrayal toward him just then, I huffed once more, my mind buzzing with all the things I would like to say and explain to him. For a few moments, I imagined the confrontation in my mind, going over every possibility, hoping hashing it out myself would help ease the hurt boiling inside to a low simmer.
It didn’t.
Grumbling to myself, I pulled my gloves on and thrust my hands into my pockets, stomping away from the building, down the long cement path to the parking lot by the street. Halfway there, I remembered I’d taken a cab to work and stopped, the turmoil inside me growing exponentially.
Fumbling with my gloves, I ripped them off and grabbed my phone, opening the app to call for a cab. The closest one was twenty minutes away.
Unable to hold my emotions in any longer, I looked up and shouted a couple curse words to the sky, letting all the pent-up feelings inside me loose in the sound of it.
“Olivia?”
Freezing, I turned, catching sight of the last person I’d expected to see here. “Dan?”
Emilia’s husband—ex-husband, I reminded myself—grinned, his brown briefcase gripped in his gloved hands as he carefully made his way over to me. Once again, I was struck by how familiar he was, even the way he styled his hair the same as it had been before I traveled to the past. Unfortunately, I knew that beneath those gloves his wedding ring was missing, the happiness of my best friends destroyed by the loss of their child.
A child who should have been alive.
Seeing him so suddenly halted the anger inside me, turning it to anguish for the suffering I had somehow caused. I could feel my face falling, quickly trying to rearrange my features so he wouldn’t think I was upset to see him. Thankfully, he seemed absorbed in making sure he didn’t slip, and my panicked emotions went unnoticed.
“Rough day?” He chuckled, stopping beside me. The familiar scent of musky cologne and old books wafted from him, his smile lighting up the otherwise dark spot in the path.
Taking a deep breath, the events of the day flashing through my mind, I closed my eyes, a brief laugh breaking from my lips. “Yeah,” I replied sheepishly. “I didn’t think anyone was around.”
“Obviously.” Looking me over he grinned. “It’s been a long time. How has life been treating you otherwise?”
Ignoring the sour feeling that returned to my stomach, I smiled. “Good. You’re right; how long has it been exactly?”
He pursed his lips, thoughtful. “Three, four years?”
It was a blow to my heart. Three or four years? How the hell had he and Emilia been separated that long? I guess that made sense. Jacob was a toddler in the correct timeline. Assuming Emilia had gotten pregnant at the same time and then lost the baby, it really would have been several years since it all went down.
“Seems a lot shorter than that,” I mumbled, memories of this last Christmas dancing through my mind, Emilia and Dan laughing over eggnog and playing with their little boy.
“M-hmm.” He stared toward the parking lot, eyebrows scrunching up.
An awkward silence stretched between us, the snow continuing to fall, the sounds of the city faintly brushing around us. After a moment, he sucked in another breath, shaking off whatever thoughts he’d been lost in, and motioned to the parking lot. “Where’s your car?”
A long sigh
escaped me, followed by a short laugh. “That is kind of a long story,” I explained.
“Do you need a ride? I can take you wherever you’d like.”
Smiling, I stared at him. He was still the same kind man I’d identified him to be. There had to be some way to get him and Emilia back together. That was my whole plan, wasn’t it? Fix things with my parents and give my best friends the happiness they deserved. What if this was fate, intervening and putting us on the same path once more, giving me a chance to fix it all? If I could get the two of them in the same room for a bit, surely they would realize they were destined to be.
“I would love a ride,” I answered.
Hopefully, if there were any such things as luck or fate, Emilia would finally be home when we got there. The rest would fall in to place after that.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come in?” I asked again, leaning over to stare at Dan through the open car window. “I could get you a drink or something to eat. Just to say thank you?”
“I’m fine. I’ve got dinner plans with a couple friends.” He smiled, both hands on the wheel, not rushing me off, but clearly trying to get going.
“You have to let me make it up to you somehow,” I pressed, feeling anxious as I attempted to get him to stay. There was a light on in the house, which I was hoping meant Emilia was inside. There was no way I’d ran into Dan on accident, I was sure of it.
“Knowing you’re home safe with Em—” His voice caught some as he said her name, as if his mouth had gone dry at the mere mention of her. A flash of pain crossed his eyes, a sadness filling his face for a split second before it all disappeared, replaced by the happy man I’d been with for the past half hour. “That’s enough for me,” he finished happily, clearing his throat and the awkward air his stumbling had brought about his person.
“She’s probably home,” I continued, grasping at straws. “Want to come in and say hi?”
He paused, considering it, and then shook his head. “No, I should get going. I don’t want to make everyone wait for me at dinner. Have a nice night, Olivia.”
Slowly pulling away from the curb, the window rolled up, and his black car purred gently down the road, slipping around the corner and vanishing from sight.
My shoulders slumped as I watched him go, my hopes at an easy reconnection dashed on the asphalt. With nothing left to do, I heaved a heavy sigh and trudged up the walkway to the house, kicking my feet on the door jam and swinging the entrance open.
“Em?” I called, hope strong in my voice.
“Not quite.”
Freezing, I stared at the invader, not sure if I should be scared, furious, or—surprisingly—jealous right then.
Charlotte Mercer was seated on the stairs, a cup of something steaming in her hands. It was the first time I’d seen her in person, but August had done such an excellent job of describing her and her uncanny resemblance to her brother that I had no doubt in my mind as to who she was.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered. “Where’s August?”
She shook her head, a smile gracing her lips. “Where is he? New York. When is an entirely different matter.”
The kitchen clock ticked in the dark, the quiet sound accompanied by the occasional passing of a car on the street outside. Headlights would wash through the curtains, casting beams across the wood floors, dancing up the stairs to where I sat.
Once again, I was struck by how normal everything seemed. The sitting area was by the front door, accompanied by a couple of tall lamps. An open floor plan made the otherwise small dwelling feel large, the only parts hidden being the laundry room at the back and the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. Googly eyes I’d stuck to the toaster when I first moved in still watched the farmhouse sink in the island. A stack of books rested on one of the steps next to me. The bedding in my room was unchanged, as were the clothes in my closet.
Everything was the same, yet I felt as if my entire world had shattered. It was at it should be, except for the one thing I’d discovered I couldn’t live without.
August was gone. He’d traveled without me, to another time in the past. I’d been left behind without so much as a goodbye or consideration of how I might feel about his plans to go.
Like I didn’t matter to him at all.
Truthfully, I couldn’t even blame Charlotte. She’d enabled him, but the decision to go had been all his. She couldn’t force him to leave if he didn’t want to. However, the woman had been ballsy enough to come to my home and tell me what she’d done, her pride at having broken us up evident.
Is that what we were, though? Broken up? I didn’t want to think so. However, my current abandoned state said differently.
Everything looked the same, but it was horribly, horribly different.
He’d had her deliver a note to me, as if that would explain and make it all okay. As I stared at it in my hands, I had the sudden urge to crumple it and throw it across the room. Instead, I smoothed it across my lap, staring at the slanted words, hearing his voice in my head as I read it once more.
My dearest Olivia,
Please forgive me. I realize you are upset at this decision, but I must do what you are not willing to. It is essential the timeline stays intact, lest we lose each other in the mess we have created.
I do believe that Time knows what is correct and what is false—and it is my duty to assist truth in all matters. The things I have learned with Charlotte today only reinforce that commitment. I urge you to speak with her and discover for yourself. Perhaps it will open your mind to pathways you have been reluctant to tread since returning to this time.
As much as it pains me to say, I believe you need to hear the truth. Your friends are not meant to suffer alone and without their child. You and I are not intended to be torn between different times. Your parents were supposed to die in a car crash. Time knows, and it will do whatever it can to set things right. I would rather help ease the suffering and speed the process along than wait for the pain brought on by forced adaptation.
Understand this: every action I have taken this day has been with the sole intent to protect you, especially my blatant and harsh sharing of the truth. I cannot live without you, Olivia. It is because of that I cannot allow Time to remain skewed by Gabriel Scott. I will take any steps necessary to ensure our future, even if it means losing you for a moment in the crossfire. If that be the case, I will do whatever possible to win you back. We belong to one another and, though we are apart now, I will remain yours until my very soul ceases to exist.
Yours, with love for all time,
August
The never-ending swirl of emotions I’d been filled with all day continued to battle inside me, the betrayal of the words winning over everything else. As I finished rereading the letter, I crumpled it, letting the page fall to the floor this time.
I understood his reasoning, I really did. Did I agree with it? Not at all. It was as if a dragon were roaring inside my mind, screaming that he was going to ruin everything I was trying to hold together here.
What was I going to do about it now, though? August was in the past. He’d left me here alone, leaving Charlotte to do his dirty work concerning me and no inkling of when he would return.
If he came back at all.
The thought ripped my heart in two. It was very possible I could never see him again. The man I had planned to marry and spend my life with was gone. He existed nowhere in this time.
I was somehow all alone once more.
Headlights shone through the windows, glaring straight into the house until the car outside turned off. Half hoping it would be him finished with his stupid mission already, I stood up, wiping my face and straightening my shirt. As keys jingled outside the door, I held my breath, trying to decide if I would run to him or keep my distance.
The entrance swung open, a shadowy form slipping through the narrow crack, and my breath caught, tears gathering in my eyes. She was wearing her favorite coat, the video game keyring I’d given her
for her birthday however many years ago clinking on the end table as she set it down. A low sigh brushed past her lips, and she scratched the top of her head, under the edge of the messy bun on her crown.
Rushing forward, I threw my arms around Emilia’s shoulders, squeezing her as tightly as I could.
“What the?” She jumped, twisting in my embrace, shock on her face as she looked at me. Recognition flitted through her eyes, and she relaxed, shoving me away as she crumpled against the wall. “Olive! You scared me half to death!”
Grinning, I shook my head, relief flooding through my body. “I’m sorry,” I replied breathlessly. “It’s just, I can’t believe you finally came home.” Throwing my arms around her, I hugged her tightly, refusing to let go when she squirmed this time. After a beat she gave up, laughing as she hugged me.
The connection caused the tears in my eyes to break free, the moisture rolling down my cheeks and onto her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, alarm filling her voice.
“Nothing,” I sniffled. “I’m so happy to see you.”
It was more than that, though. I hadn’t realized it, but I needed my best friend right then. The love of my life was breaking my heart, there were too many considerable decisions in front of me, and I was tearing at the seams. No one in the world could help me better at this very moment.
Em’s arms continued to hold me tightly, waiting for me to give some kind of sign that I was ready to let go. It was the most comfort I’d felt since returning to my own time.
After a minute, I stepped away, wiping under my eyes and sniffing. “Sorry,” I blubbered. “It’s been a rough day, that’s all. And I am really happy to see you.”
Glancing around, she shrugged, not bothered in the slightest. “Where’s your fiancé guy? I thought the two of you were staying here together.”
Abandoning Anarchy (The Lost in Time Duet #2) Page 9