“Right. Time travel,” I said without flinching.
“Oh,” she took a second, then shrugged. “That’s cool.”
As Cameron, Dina, Morgan, and Sam answered the same answers as before, I couldn’t concentrate. I had to get to the cliff right away. Now, in fact.
Unable to ditch school early, I raced home to change before I headed over to the cliff. I figured he wouldn’t show up until the evening anyway, since that’s when the stalking mishap took place. Did I need to recreate the event? Fall and call out for help?
Once I got home, I felt compelled to double-check Dad’s secret room in the garage. When I couldn’t find the button inside the drawer, I yanked them all out of the wall and accidentally cut my hand.
“Hey,” Dad barked. “What did the drawers ever do to you?”
“Oh.” My cheeks flushed as I swiveled around to meet his scowl.
I held up my bloodied hand.
He sucked in the air between his teeth. “Let me get you a towel.”
“Wait. Where’s the—you know.” I pointed to the drawer-less cabinet where the floor was supposed to open up to his secret room. “Where you study the—” I made the universal fang sign with my non-injured fingers.
“What are you talking about? Is there a black widow in there?”
I let out a huff. “I know, Dad. Don’t hide it from me,” I whispered.
“Know about what?” he whispered back.
He wrinkled up his brow pretty convincingly and waited. Without my powers, I couldn’t tell if he was lying or not.
“Never mind,” I said and stormed out of the garage.
“You forgot to put back the drawers,” he called behind me.
My head reeled as I quickly changed and tried not to get blood on my outfit. The more I went through my day, the more I began to believe this wasn’t a dream, especially after being injured. And my cut hurt pretty badly. I wanted more than anything for this alter universe to be real, but Nicholas had to be a part of it. Had to.
If somehow we time traveled or jumped time continuums, could I be the only one who remembered? My “thank you” for saving the world and sacrificing everything so people could live free of vampires. If Nicholas wasn’t at the cliff right now, waiting for me, I’d spend each day remembering how the love of my life disintegrated through my hands, never to see him again. How would that be fair?
Yes, I was extremely thankful to have my mother back, and my family and friends. But to not be with Nicholas, too? He had to be there. I wouldn’t rest until I found him.
I ran out of the house without telling my parents. The Quantum, unused to me driving her like a maniac, took her time to get to the trail entrance, though I floored it. I parked and bolted down the railroad tie stairs. Breathless, I ran with all my might intending to leap into his arms once we saw one another. My feet skidded around the corner, a huge smile on my face, as I neared the cliff. The fallen log sat empty on the trail.
I caught my breath and shook off my disappointment. I took a seat, nervous and twitching for time to pass. Once the chill of evening settled down amongst the redwoods, I chastised myself for not bringing a coat. When the sun completely set, taking with it the light and my security, I tucked my arms around my legs and shivered.
The past played through my mind, yet again. I’d left work and run out of gas, then trudged through the forest around dinnertime. I checked my watch again…only eight o’clock. How long would I have to wait? And why didn’t I bring my cell phone? After twenty more minutes, I yelped out a little. “Help.”
Nothing.
“Help me,” I cried out a little louder.
Something moved in the brush, jolting my heart rate. I took off running, unable to stop myself. Once out of the trail and in my car, I panted for air. Thinking he’d show up like before was ludicrous unless…
I flipped the key and sped towards Nicholas’ house. I knew where he lived. What was I thinking waiting outside in the dark?
Out front stood a for-sale sign.
I bounced my fist against the steering wheel. “No fair!”
My head fell back and the tears dropped down my cheeks. Who was I kidding?
Both parents greeted me at the door when I returned.
“Julia,” Mom said in exasperation. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling you. You missed dinner.”
“Sorry.” My eyes hit the wood floor. How could I even begin to tell them what I suffered from?
“What’s wrong? This morning you cried and Dad said you’d behaved weird in the garage and then you left without telling us where you were going and didn’t answer your phone. I was worried. This isn’t like you.”
“And disassembled my workbench, too,” Dad added.
I circled my foot around on the floor, noting the dirt from the trail had stuck to the sides. “I know. I had a crazy dream and it’s just haunting me. I’m sorry.”
“Where did you go?” Dad asked.
“For a drive.”
Mom tilted her head and looked at me softly. “Sweetie, if you are struggling with something, you can tell us. We can help.”
“I know. Really, it’s nothing to worry about.” I forced a smile. “It was just a really horrible dream.”
Mom pulled her lips into a line, the worry still evident. “Well, I’ve saved you a plate.”
My stomach lurched, rejecting the idea of food. All I could think about was going back to the cliff and waiting tomorrow. Maybe Nicholas would miraculously show up. I’d wait everyday if I had to.
After dinner, I found my phone on my bed—tons of missed calls from my parents and a few texts from Sam and Katie. Out of curiosity, I flipped through my contacts. Nicholas didn’t happen to be one.
On a whim, I texted a
<
to his number. Maybe he had a phone. Maybe he had the same number. Maybe he didn’t know where to find me. Maybe, if he didn’t know me, we could accidentally meet in this life somewhere else. Maybe I could go to L.A. to Preston’s house and find him.
The phone vibrated with a return text. My pulse zipped through my veins.
- Who is this?
My fingers shook as I texted back.
- It’s Julia. Nicholas?
The seconds ticked by, dragging the wait out way too long.
Please be him… please, please, please.
- You’ve got the wrong number.
My chest caved and I burst into tears again. Nicholas couldn’t possibly have existed in this universe. His father, a thousand-year-old, full-blooded vampire, would have needed to hook up with Alora present day in order for Nicholas to be born during my lifetime. Completely impossible.
I quickly looked between the mattress and box spring for the journal. Nothing.
With a soft moan, I curled up and clutched my blankets, hoping tomorrow I’d wake up and forget it all happened. The old me would fade away and I’d forget the love of my life before it tore my heart in two.
The next day came. I pried open my puffy eyes to look at the same stars on the ceiling, the same pajamas on my body, the same memories stuck in my head, grieving over the same guy. I curled up and moaned. Though I’d longed my entire life to be with my mother, the knowledge Nicholas might not be in this existence bludgeoned my insides to smithereens.
Rachel hogged the bathroom most of the morning and breakfast didn’t sit right in my stomach. All I wanted was to hurry through my day so I could wait again at the cliff. But when I drove away from the house, the wheel didn’t head to school. There wasn’t anywhere else in the world I’d rather be.
With my hot coffee heating my hands, I padded down the trail, noting the same familiar landmarks. I mindlessly turned the corner, ready to sit on my fallen log when I plowed straight into someone.
“Excuse me,” I said, unable to tear my eyes away.
A boy with piercing blue eyes, light brown hair, and a chiseled chin stared back at me, assaulting me with his beauty.
“Julia?” he whispered as if speaking my name would change that fact.
My tongue lulled around in my mouth, impeding my voice. I crinkled up my brow. “Do I know you?”
He stared for a moment before disappointment crossed his face. Then he hung his head and looked away.
“Never mind” he said softly and moved past me, down the trail I’d just walked on.
“Wait,” I called out. Something about his gait and the way he held himself was familiar. “I’m serious. Do I know you?”
He turned, pain pressing into his face. “No. I don’t think so.”
“But you know my name. How?”
With a tuck of his hands in his pockets, he pushed his foot against the dirt. “Lucky guess.”
I bit my lip. A lucky guess? No. Something inside insisted I not to let him go until he told me. “What’s your name?”
His jaw clenched. “Nicholas.”
I clutched my heart and studied him harder. Could it be him somehow?
“Nicholas Kendrick?” I swallowed hard.
Light entered his eyes as he walked closer. “Yes.”
“Nicholas Kendrick who promised to protect me forever. Who lied and said he killed a mountain lion on this spot. The one I can’t live without?”
He closed the gap between us and brought his hands to my face. “That and so much more.”
Our lips crashed into one another’s, hungry and untamed. I didn’t know how it was possible, but with my eyes closed and his hands touching me, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I kissed Nicholas, my Nicholas.
“How?” I said between rough gasps, tears streaming down my face.
“I don’t know,” he said, running his lips along my jaw line. “I woke up at my home in Texas with my mom and dad, and the first chance I had, I bought a plane ticket and flew out here to find you. I figured you had to be here. I just hoped you’d remember me.”
I ran my hands through his hair and admired his eyes. He slightly resembled the Nicholas from before. “How? Preston was a vampire. He couldn’t have been your father in this life.”
“I thought the same thing and looked up my family tree. Preston Alaster Kendrick happens to be one of my great-grandfathers from way back. Alora, my mom, who’s actually a very nice person by the way, married William Preston Kendrick III. With everything I know from the past and this consecutive life, I don’t know how I could possibly be both Nicholases, or what it all means. I just woke up with his memories and I had to find you.”
“So you aren’t really Nicholas, but you are?” I reeled back. “This is insane. Why do you live in Texas?”
“But, I am Nicholas and we’ve always lived in Texas. In my other life, Preston relocated us to L.A. to hide from Alora. That’s the only reason we’d left.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I don’t get it, either, but I assure you. I’m him, though I don’t look like him.”
I touched his face, tracing his cheeks and lips. He kissed my fingers. “So why do we remember? No one else does. Not Sam, my dad, Katie. What happened?”
“I think since you stopped them, the curse broke and returned us to the timeline without vampires. But in order for us to find each other, we needed our memories, because I look different and I live in Texas.”
I gawked. “So, I get everyone I loved back?”
“I guess.” He shrugged.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed. “This has been so horrible. I waited here for you all evening last night and wracked my brain over it.”
“I got here as soon as I could.” Nicholas took my hand. “All I know is that I love you and I can’t live without you. And if God is going to go through such lengths to bring us together, what we have is heaven-sent. I don’t ever want to be apart again.”
I exhaled and snuggled deeper into his chest. “I couldn’t agree more.”
The rest of the day I didn’t worry I’d skipped school as we recalled and compared memories from our two different timelines. I kept catching myself, wanting so badly to read his emotions and had to rely on my powers of intuition and observation instead. But nothing felt more complete than sharing this experience together. I wasn’t going crazy after all.
We eventually ended up on the cliff overlooking our beach and stood together, eyeing the sand with jealousy as the seashells below mocked us. He no longer had the power to fly down so we had to watch the waves from afar.
“We’ll have to find another way down.”
I bit my lip and looked up into his blue eyes. “Want to go to the cave?”
“The sea cave?”
“No.” I pierced him with a look of sincerity. “The lair.”
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
Something inside me needed to know that chapter was truly over. If we got there and the cave wasn’t there or was empty, I could live my life in confidence, knowing without a shadow of a doubt vampires didn’t exist.
“I just need to see it, to be sure.”
Darkness shrouded Nicholas’ face. “If that’s what you need, then okay.”
The past mingled with the present as we drove down Bonny Doons Road. The memories struck me hard, of Sam slowly dying in the backseat and Luke’s fear mingling all around us. I had to remember they were alive and well in this world. But were the vamps really gone? Could they never take my loved ones away from me again? As we pulled off onto the gravel road and parked, I clutched Nicholas’ hand tight.
“This is it,” I whispered and we looked at one another.
My heart began to rattle my body once I touched the car door handle.
Together we exited the Quantum, moving silently toward the spot where it all ended. The memory of the bloodlust vibrating up from the ground sent a chill over my bones. Deep underneath all the rock and sand, we’d all been buried. Everything felt recent and distant all at the same time, fighting my reasoning.
“How did you get caught anyway?” I asked.
“I found Sam and Luke in the car. When he said you went inside, I freaked. You were in the den of vipers and I couldn’t get in to get you out. Before I knew it, we were surrounded. Cain’s men were fast and furious.”
I glanced over at the ridge Phil and I hid behind, and pointed. “Alora found Phil and me over there and made us go inside. Since the vamps had killed the cell phone network, I couldn’t call you.”