15 Minutes: A YA Time Travel Thriller (Rewind Series) (11 page)

I
rush past her with my head ducked down and take the stairs two at a time. Once
I’m in my room, I slam the door, plop myself on the bed, and cry until every
tear in me is drained. I fall asleep with my mouth propped open, and drool runs
down onto my pillow.

****

It's
eight in the morning, but I don’t remember dreaming or the passage of time.
Suddenly, my eyes are open, my chest is tight with anxiety, and the memories of
losing Molly at the mall crash into me like a freight truck.

No
one has woken me, and there isn't any noise from downstairs. I’m guessing today
I won’t be going to school, but I don’t want to go downstairs and hang out with
my mom all day. I have things I need to figure out. I still need answers, and I
can’t find them being stuck inside the house all day.

I
get up and put on a pair of jeans and the darkest hoodie I can find, navy,
which is better than nothing. I brush out my long hair and tie my curls back in
a ponytail. I check the mirror. My face looks exhausted, and my eyes are
haunted.

I
hear a knock at my door. I hold my breath and close my eyes, waiting for
whoever it is to go away. When I think they’ve gone, the knocks renew.

“Lara,
you awake?”
Jax’s
voice is full of sadness and worry,
and I don’t have any choice. I go over and pull open the door.

Jax
is standing with a small tray full of
breakfast goodies, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, which I haven’t seen him in
before. From the worn expression on his face, I don’t think he slept at all
last night.

“Thought
you might be hungry.”

“Thanks,”
I say, doing my best to smile as I take the tray from him and put it down on my
desk. My stomach rumbles as I look at the muffins and Danish. I wish he had put
a cup of coffee on there, but it’ll do. “Any word?” I ask, unable to look at
him.

“Not
yet, but the FBI thinks the call will come tonight. We need to stay here and …
wait.”

Trying
not to cry again, I say, “Good to know.”

“You
can come downstairs. Mike needs the distraction. Mom … she’s calmer. She’d like
to talk to you.”

“That’s
why you came to bring me breakfast, right?” I ask bitterly.

Jax
places a hand on my shoulder. “Come down when
you can.”

I
sit down and bite into a muffin. It tastes good, but I can’t enjoy it. Not
really. If I never see Molly again, I’m not sure how I’ll ever enjoy anything
again.

After
breakfast, I get ready, but I take my time. I’m in no rush to head downstairs
or to the confrontation that’s sure to follow. I jump when my phone rings and
hunt it down in my purse.

 
“Hello?” I say, even though I don’t recognize
the number.

“You
have two days.”
 
I can’t tell if the
digitized voice is a man or a woman.

“Two
days for what?” I ask, feeling my gut tighten.

“Two
days to return what belongs to me, Ms. Montgomery, or you will never see your
sister again.”

I
glance over my shoulder at the door, and the voice continues, “Don’t go to your
parents or the police. If you do, I’ll see to it that Molly dies, and it will
not be easy for her. Understood?”

Is
he watching me? I go to my window and lift my blinds. “How do I get it back to
you?”

“We
will call you again tomorrow morning. Make sure you don’t miss the call.”

The
line goes dead.

Every
nerve in my body tingles, feels on fire. I have no idea what he’s talking
about, or where I might be hiding it, but I need to find out.

Fast.

Molly’s
life depends on it.

I
take another bite of my breakfast and chug some milk before I collect my
things. I hurry down the stairs, slinging my book bag over my shoulder as I
reach the living room. A few FBI agents are sitting on the sofa, and the coffee
table has been converted to a workstation with computers, monitors, and
equipment I don’t recognize.

Mike
crushes me in a full body assault hug as soon as I enter the room, bringing me
to my knees. “I’m sorry, Lara. I’m sorry.” His eyes are glistening.

I
stroke his hair back, feeling like road kill because he feels the need to
apologize. “I’m the one that should be apologizing to you. It’s not your fault.
It’s mine. All mine.”

“You
told me to keep an eye on her, but I didn’t. I was excited and forgot.” Mike
hangs his head and bites his lip.

The
disappointment on his face burns my heart. “Did I say anything else? When I
told you to take care of Molly, what else did I say?”

He
shrugs and gets a far off look on his face. “
Dunno
.
Only … keep her close. And to look out—”

“Look
out?” I edge him on with quiet urgency. “Look out for … ?”

“The
woman with the purple hair.”

A
scene flashes in my mind. Something cold like metal presses against my neck,
and then electricity is jolting through my body. The world goes dark as I’m
thrown into the back of a van.

When
I can see again, a dark, shaded face, framed by purple hair, leans in and
whispers to me. “You have to protect that video you took at all costs. If
anyone finds out you have it, they’ll kill you.”

I
flash back to the present with no idea when or where this happened. Did this
happen to me? Or the other Lara before I changed the past?

I
leave Mike to go to the bathroom. I flip the light on and peer at my neck,
where I felt the jolt of electricity, and sure enough I see two purple marks on
my neck. As if I was attacked by a vampire.

Or
a Taser.

I
take my hair out of its ponytail and ruffle it along my shoulders, so no one
else will see. When I exit again, Mike is gone and Mom is standing there
waiting for me. Her eyes are rimmed red. If there is a hell, she appears to be
there.

“Hi,”
I say quietly, awkwardly. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to say.

She
frowns and comes to me. Putting her hands on my shoulders, she kisses my head
and pulls me in for a deep, warm hug. I close my eyes and give a relieved sigh.
I lie against her, wishing she could hold me forever.

“I
never should’ve—last night—I’m so sorry, Lara. You’re hurting. I’m hurting. I
shouldn’t have.”

I
nod but can’t speak.

“You’re
my baby too. You know that? But Molly is only a little girl. I … get so scared.
I don’t want to lose any of my babies, ever.”

“We’ve
been through a lot lately.”

She
strokes my hair from my face and kisses my forehead, her chin quivering. “That
we have.”

“I
guess we really need that vacation once Molly gets back.”

“Umm-hmm,
once she gets back,” Mom whispers. “We’ll have the best time. She loves it when
you take her down the water slides.”

“Me
too. Can’t wait to do it again. I promised her …” My voice trails off as I’m
hit with a memory.

I
sit on Molly’s bed. Around her neck is a locket, inside which I attach a tiny
computer chip. She smiles at me.

“Keep
it safe for me, Moll.”

She
nods, happy and
relaxed. She thinks
it’s a game.

But
it’s not.

What
if that was what the man on the phone wanted? What if Molly has it? Would I be
stupid enough to steal something from someone dangerous and hide it on my baby
sister?

I’m
pretty sure the answer is an obvious yes. Making good decisions is not my best
trait, I think it’s fair to say. “Ahem … Mom, do you mind if I go out? I need
to do some research for a paper I’m doing. Plus, it’s a team report. I need to
get Donovan to help me.”

Mom
shakes her head adamantly. “Absolutely, not.”

“Mom—”

“I
said no, Lara. Your school will understand. I’m never letting another one of my
girls out of my sight again.”

I
relent as I begin coming up with a plan. “Okay, I’ll be up in my room. Need to
do a few things.”

I
bump into
Jax
in the hall. “Things better now with
your Mom?”

“Yeah.
Things are as good as they’re going to get until …” My voice trails off as I
stare at the carpet.

Jax
sighs. “Please try not to upset your Mom
anymore. She’s been through enough.”

“I
won’t. Promise.” I hug him and he squeezes me real tight, until I can barely
breathe. “We’ll see Molly soon, I know it.”

He
chokes on a sob, trying hard to maintain control.

I
kiss his cheek. “I love you, Dad.”

The
words escape my lips even before I realize I’m saying them. I feel shock flood
my face. How can I feel that
Jax
is my dad? My dad is
in prison. How does any of this make sense? I can only think of one reason; I’m
losing the Lara I was and melding into the new one.

Jax
pats my cheek. “Been so long since I’ve heard
that. I’m real glad, Lara. Real glad.”

“Me
too.”

I
barely eke out the words before ducking into my bedroom. I grab my backpack and
stuff it with everything I think I’ll need before I toss it out my bedroom
window. I turn on some music, so they’ll think I’m studying or something.
Hopefully, no one will realize I’ve snuck out for at least an hour. After
making sure the coast is clear, I sneak out my window and start the trek to
Donovan’s house, careful to stay off the main roads, where police might find
me.

The
door is answered by a servant, who ushers me into the grand entryway. The
floors are marble, and lush curtains frame the dozen elegant windows.

“I
will let Donovan know you are here, Miss.” He leaves with a bow.

I
peek into the family sitting room. It’s equally as breathtaking and elegant.
Family portraits stare down from the wall above the brick fireplace. I go
inside and touch the leather sofa—soft as a baby’s bum. On the glass tabletop
beside the sofa is a lamp and a plaque. I pick up the plaque.
Rewind’s MVP Two Years running
.

This
is why I’m here. I need answers only Senator Patricia James would have, but if
Donovan feels as protective about his parents as I do of mine, I need to be
extremely careful.

As
I consider my plan of attack, an unstoppable memory dances on the edge of my
mind.

****

I
am young, maybe five, and sitting in the apartment I shared with my parents
before Mom died. It’s a large brownstone, not great but nicer than where I
would grow up after she died. I’m playing with an assortment of blocks when an
argument from the kitchen draws my attention.

“It’s
only dinner, John. A work dinner. You know how important my research—”

“Another
one? Every week it’s another excuse to work late, Miranda. I can’t keep leaving
work early to pick up Lara from daycare. I’m going to lose my job.”

During
a moment of silence I sneak over to the kitchen. I hear Mom mumbling, but I
can’t make out the words.

“Oh,
don’t give me that!” Dad rages, throwing his hands over his head in
frustration.

“My
job is important. I’m onto something big, John, big. If I can do it, I will get
a promotion, maybe be in charge of the whole department one day. Do you know
what that means for you? For Lara?” Mom pours pasta from a pot into a strainer
for my evening dinner of mac and cheese.

“Don’t
pretend it’s about us. It hasn’t been about
us
in a long time. You’re getting too ambitious. What about us having another
baby?”

“I
want that. Of course I do. I love you, John. More than anything. Please don’t
make this about something it’s not. One dinner this week. One. That’s all I’m
asking. Please.”

Dad
finally agrees, nodding. They embrace long and warm, making me smile.

“And
this Mr. Montgomery, he isn’t good looking, is he?” Dad jokes.

Mom
laughs. “Not as handsome as you. No one could make me want to give you up,
don’t you know that?”

“When
you look at me like that I do.”

****

Mom
was having dinner with
Jax
.

This
news hits me like a ton of bricks. Maybe they were only colleagues who became
closer during the trial. Or maybe what I don’t want to admit is true. Mom was
having an affair, and Dad was suspicious, but she was ready to cut it off based
on her resignation letter. She loved Dad and didn’t want to give up on him.
When someone tried to kill her, she obviously changed her mind, at least when
Dad became the lead suspect.

 
“Hey,” Donovan says, snapping me from my
thoughts.

 
I leap up. “Hi. Can we talk?”

He
nods and leads me up the stairs. His large room is decorated in simple browns
and tans. I sit on the edge of his giant bed, and he sits beside me, but for a
long while we are an ocean’s breadth away until his hand slowly inches out to
mine. When his fingers squeeze mine, I squeeze back. I look in his eyes and see
his sadness, his regret. I feel it too.

“I
shouldn’t have kissed Rick,” I say, the truth of the words crushing my chest
like a boulder. “I’m sorry.”

“Why’d
you do it?” His words echo around us as if we’re in a grand hall.

“It
was a dream, the childish dream of a girl who moved away when she was eight.” I
twist my lip to the side. “Then the dream was in front of me, and it just
happened.”

Donovan
stares at me, unblinking. “Just happened.” His voice is void of emotion.

“I
know that doesn’t make it easier.”

“Makes
it worse.” His words lash out at me.

“Will
we be okay?” I asked.

“I
don’t know,” he says, turning towards me.

I
fall silent, wishing I could take the kiss back. I wish Donovan hadn’t seen it.

“No
word yet?” he asks.

Grateful
for the change in topic, I shake my head. “Not yet. They think they’ll call by
tonight.”

His
eyes widen. “Man. She’s so…little.”

 
“Do you remember when your Mom worked at
Rewind?”

He
gives me a funny look. “That’s a strange question.”

“Humor
me.”

His
eyebrows rise. “Well, not much. I was pretty young. I remember seeing you
there.” He knocks his knee into mine.

I
laugh nervously. The touch of his skin against mine makes me shiver. My heart
leaps, but I wish it hadn't. I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m beginning
to feel more comfortable with Donovan than with Rick. I smile, and my hand
edges further into his. He clasps his other hand over mine tightly. I can
remember loving Rick, kissing Rick, but I can’t remember what it felt like.

Donovan
leans in to kiss me, and I hesitate. I think of Rick, everything we shared in
the past, everything already gone because I traded it in for this crazy world.
Could I win it back? My feelings for Donovan were growing. Could I risk what I
feel for Donovan, everything we’ve built, for the hope Rick might really fall
in love with me one day?

I
bite my lip, and Donovan strokes my cheek with the back of his hand. “What are
you so afraid of?” His eyes are sincere, warm.

“That
I love you. That I might lose you too. That I’m a screw up caught in the middle
of this big thing I can’t talk about.”

“We’ll
figure it out together,” he whispers.

When
he moves to kiss me, I have no will left to resist. I close my eyes and lean
forward to meet his lips. I welcome his urgent kisses. I welcome the
distraction. Simply feeling that someone wants me, that he loves and
appreciates me, feels good. Rick will never love me as he used to. I can tell
that from the look in his eye, and when I’m with Donovan, love and warmth fills
me. I’m afraid to think about what that means.

Donovan
kisses me harder, more passionately. His arms tighten around me, and I wish the
world would fade away. I wish I could forget about saving my dad, Molly,
everyone and stay there.

“Thank
you,” I whisper for a million reasons, and a shocked smile spreads over
Donovan’s face. “For not giving up on me.”

“I
can’t imagine how hard things were for you last night.” I see the worry, the
fear in his eyes.

I
nod. “I need to tell you something, but you can’t tell anyone else.” When he
promises he won’t, I continue. “The kidnappers called me. They want something
of theirs I have.”