The Time Breaker

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

It had been an oversight, the night before, to hastily yank together the curtains without paying attention to whether they were completely closed.

Now, glaringly bright sunlight beamed through the small gap he’d inadvertently left and straight into Seb’s closed eyelids, jarring him awake from a fitful sleep. Stubbornly, he refused to open his eyes. It might be morning, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be awake. Not even a little bit. In fact, if he could sleep the day through he would.

Awake, he had to think.

Asleep, he could pretend everything was still okay.

Unfortunately, that thought was enough to chase away the fleeting remnants of blessed unconsciousness.

Rolling to his back, he flung one bronzed arm over his eyes, shielding them from the unwelcome intrusion of daylight while he contemplated what to do with yet another empty day.

What he should do was get up and go for a run. Except his usual enthusiasm for exercise had waned lately… along with his enthusiasm for pretty much everything else in his life. Of course, at least if he put his body through a gruelling workout he would be too exhausted to think for a few precious hours. That idea was compelling.

Or, he could go and hang around outside Max’s school again and resume his self-imposed “stake out”, which for the past several months had kept Max safe from Nate’s boys.

The benefits of this had been two-fold. Most importantly, Max was protected. But it had also provided some much needed entertainment in Seb’s otherwise monotonously dull life. Usually a couple of times a week, four or five of Nate’s crew turned up to loiter outside the school around fifteen minutes prior to the final bell. Their intention was to harass and intimidate Max into returning to the fold.

Parked discreetly down the street but still with a clear view, Seb had become increasingly creative in finding ways to scatter the boys before Max emerged from the school grounds, all the while remaining unseen.

The first time, as they’d leaned casually against the wire mesh fence, he’d sent a powerful zap of electricity through it and watched as their cool front abruptly disintegrated. One of them had been so dazed he’d reeled haphazardly down the sidewalk until he’d smashed head first into a power pole. Still rubbing their tingling limbs, they’d all bundled into the car and left.

Another time, he’d focussed on the car. While slashing the tyres had been an attractive option, Seb had decided that would only look like retaliation for the time his own tyres had been slashed, hence pointing the finger back at him. He wasn’t afraid of them, but nor did he want to start an all-out war. So, while the boys, now wary of the “electric” fence, had been pacing the sidewalk waiting for the school bell to ring, he’d willed the handbrake to release and given their car a mental push on the rear bumper. It had rolled down the street and slammed into a fire hydrant, doing a sizable amount of damage to the front of the vehicle and sending a geyser of water into the air. Nate’s boys, too distracted arguing amongst themselves over whose fault it was, had missed Max unobtrusively slipping away from school.

Seb’s favourite though, was the illusion he’d created of two police officers strolling towards the school. He’d made sure a small bag of white powder had fallen out of one boy’s pocket, clearly visible to the approaching officers. There had been a hilarious moment of freaked out terror, before they bolted. He’d never seen four guys run so fast.

These days, he took his humour where he could find it.

Of course, it was only morning now and he had a whole day to fill before he could head to the school. So, exercise it was.

Seb swung his legs wearily over the side of the bed, sitting on the edge while he nudged his phone to life. It read 5:52am on the twenty-third of May.

Which meant Emilia had been gone for one hundred and fifty one endless days. Days in which she hadn’t once made contact. He’d tried calling her, but she hadn’t answered. He’d tried texting, but she hadn’t replied.

Her desire to be left alone was obvious, but it didn’t change how lost he felt without her.

He missed her smile.

He missed her teasing banter.

He missed talking to her about their respective days.

He missed her presence in the house, which felt empty and huge without her and David in it.

He missed her cooking (every meal revolving around toast in some way, shape or form was wearing thin!).

Basically, he missed everything about her.

When he’d first read her note, he’d understood. Sometimes running away from grief seemed like a good idea. But he’d expected her back months ago.

Tomorrow, it would be exactly five months since she’d left and suddenly that seemed more than long enough. Patience was all very well and good, but at some point he had to take action. Especially if Emilia had decided she wasn’t coming back at all… a possibility that had haunted him for weeks. He wasn’t going to let that happen without a fight.

Springing to his feet, Seb crossed the room with long decisive strides and all but flew down the stairs to the living room, where he’d left his laptop. Firing up Google, he searched for flights departing New York later that day.

The way he saw it, Stacey had to know where Emilia was and demanding that information was likely to be more effective in person. If he had to use magic to get it out of her, then so be it.

Perhaps that was unethical, but he was a desperate man.

If he was lucky, Emilia might actually be with Stacey in North Carolina, but he doubted it. It was far more likely she was licking her wounds – many of which he’d caused her – by herself. His only hope was that after all this time she might be ready to forgive him.

Finding a suitable flight, he booked it and headed back upstairs to shower and pack.

For the first time in months, he felt almost light-hearted. Because the next flight he booked was going to be to wherever the hell Emilia had taken herself off to. And even if it meant camping out on her doorstep, he had absolutely no intention of coming home without her.

*

There was something exciting about staying in a hotel – that feeling that upon waking up there was a whole new city to explore and new experiences to be had. Seb hadn’t often had the opportunity to stay in hotels; he’d been too busy for holidays. This particular morning, though, he was able to fully enjoy that feeling of anticipation. Not, like many travellers, because he was embarking on an exciting adventure, but because for the first time in months he’d woken up looking forward to the day… because this was the day he would find out where Emilia was.

Too jittery to eat, Seb bounded out of the hotel foyer and climbed into his rental car. It was too early yet to turn up on Stacey’s doorstep, so he cruised the streets until he found an open coffee shop.

He rolled into the Duke University car park and found a spot that gave him a good vantage point of the dorm buildings. Coffee in one hand, phone in the other, he played games until he ran out of lives, while sporadically checking for some signs of life around campus.

It was summer break, so there wouldn’t be the same crowds of students as during the main semesters. But since Kevin had to be back for the summer semester in order to retain his football scholarship, Stacey had decided to do a few extra courses as well. In the end it would pay off, allowing her to graduate early.

If Emilia had been back, she and Seb would have filled their summer with missions for The Society. If he’d known she’d be gone for so long, he too would have taken some summer classes to keep himself occupied. Because without her, he had absolutely nothing to do except exercise, fish and attempt to paint, until the Fall Semester began.

What it boiled down to was he’d go crazy if he didn’t get her back.

A good couple of hours passed before the University began to stir. But finally, a few other cars began pulling in to the parking area. Locking the car behind him, Seb consulted the campus map he’d downloaded to his phone and headed in the direction of Stacey’s dorm, a multi-storey stone building surrounded by lush grass and huge trees.

When he and Stacey had been organising David’s funeral arrangements on Emilia’s behalf, they’d exchanged numbers. Until now, he’d resisted the urge to make use of her contact details and pump her for information about Emilia’s whereabouts. Now, he was beyond that level of courtesy.

Once he was camped out on the wide concrete steps leading into the dorm building, he sent her a text: I need to talk to you about Em. I’m outside.

The response was almost instant: I’ll be right there.

It wasn’t long before the door opened and Stacey stepped out. She was dressed ready for classes, but her hair was still wet and her face was bare of makeup. Seb felt a little bit bad about that, but not enough to offer to wait until she’d finished her morning routine.

‘Hey,’ he said quietly. ‘Thanks for coming down so quickly.’

‘No problem.’ Stacey settled on the step next to Seb and studied him keenly, until he began to fidget uncomfortably. ‘I figured you’d turn up here eventually. How are you doing?’

‘I’ve lost my best friend. How do you think I’m doing?’ he retorted, more harshly than he’d intended. But the way Emilia had completely cut him off without a backward glance was a festering wound not even close to healing.

Stacey gave him an all too knowing look. ‘I’d say Em’s significantly more than just your best friend, don’t you think?’

Seb looked away and didn’t answer. His chest ached but he stubbornly blocked off those particular thoughts.

‘I thought so,’ Stacey murmured in satisfaction.

‘How is she?’ He looked back at her, because he needed to see her face when she gave him the answer.

‘All thing’s considered, okay, I guess.’ Her mouth twisted and Seb read the concern in her eyes she didn’t try to hide. ‘She’s obsessed with finding David’s killer and, honestly, I’m worried about her… worried this obsession is going to eat her up inside. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love, but she’s just not herself.’

Seb closed his eyes against the pain churning in his gut. He couldn’t stand that Emilia was hurting so badly and not letting anyone close enough to help her.

‘Where is she?’ he asked gruffly. If Stacey was this worried, he had good cause for concern. He needed to get to her.

Quickly plaiting her long, damp hair and tossing it over her shoulder, Stacey looked at him, assessing his seriousness. ‘When she’s ready, she’ll come home.’

Seb jumped to his feet and began pacing in front of the steps, agitation making his stride jerky. ‘It’s been five months, Stace. I’m beginning to think she’s never coming back.’

Stacey titled her head to the side, still watching him carefully. ‘She will. Soon, I hope.’ She hesitated. ‘Have you heard from her?’

‘No. I’ve tried to contact her, but I get nothing back.’ He shoved both hands through his hair in frustration and cupped the back of his neck, continuing his pacing with his elbows sticking out like wings. ‘I don’t know what to do. But I do know, I can’t keep doing nothing!’

‘She has a new sim card,’ Stacey informed him, staring off into the distance. ‘She’s not in America.’

Seb ground to a surprised halt, but didn’t push for a more specific location straight away. Instead, he tried another angle. ‘Look, I can see you don’t want to tell me where she is. Which means she’s told you not to tell me. I get it, okay.’ He lifted imploring eyes to meet Stacey’s. ‘But a while back you told me if she didn’t forgive me, you had some things to tell me. Will you at least give me that?’

Stacey grimaced, no doubt wishing he hadn’t remembered that particular conversation. Bowing her head, she stared at the step in front of her for what seemed an eternity. And then she raised her eyes to meet his and nodded her head decisively. ‘Okay.’

‘Thank you.’

Students were beginning to trickle out of the building, throwing curious looks in their direction. Getting to her feet, Stacey automatically dusted off her backside. ‘Follow me.’

Seb did as he was told, not muttering a word in case she changed her mind. She led him a few metres away to a bench under a big elm tree, far enough away from the main thoroughfare to afford them some privacy. Sitting, she patted the seat beside her. ‘You should probably sit down.’

‘That bad, huh?’ He grimaced, but obediently sat beside her. He desperately wanted to know what the big secret was, but part of him wondered if he was better off in the dark. Because once he knew, he couldn’t un-hear what Stacey said.

Stacey bit her lip and shot him an anxious look. ‘If I tell you, I’m breaking confidence with Em, which I’ve never done before. I believe you care deeply for her, so I’m trusting you to use what I tell you sensitively. If you can’t do that, say so now, because she might not forgive me and I don’t want to lose my best friend either.’

‘I do and I will,’ Seb promised quietly, gazing at her steadily so she could see the sincerity in his eyes.

With a sad smile, Stacey began. ‘Do you remember how Emilia went to New York on her birthday?’

Puzzled by the relevance of that question, Seb nonetheless nodded in the affirmative. ‘I understand it’s not a good day for her, but she’s never told me why.’

‘I don’t know all the details, but David was significantly older than Emilia’s mother, Beatrice, when they got married and as a young wife and mother, she didn’t cope well with his long, unexplained absences – now that I’m aware of the time travel stuff, I understand why he was always away. But as far as I know Beatrice didn’t know the truth and I guess that would have been difficult. Plus, she had great aspirations of being an actress.’ Sighing, she brought her feet up on to the bench and wrapped her arms around her upraised knees. ‘I’m sure there is more to it than that, but when Emilia was still quite young, Beatrice left. There was no custody fight, she simply walked away and left Emilia with David.’

‘I had no idea. I kind of assumed her mother had passed away,’ Seb muttered, wondering why he’d never thought to ask about Emilia’s mother. Was he really that self-centred?

‘That’s what Emilia prefers people to think. I’m sure you can imagine how devastating it is when your parent doesn’t care enough to even fight for you.’

Seb’s mouth tightened grimly, but he didn’t comment. ‘What’s that got to do with New York?’

‘New York is where Beatrice lives – she thought she could make it on Broadway, but she was never good enough. She should have stuck with Ithaca’s community theatre and stayed with her daughter,’ Stacey said darkly, her opinion of Beatrice clear. ‘Instead, she married again and had twin daughters, who she adores. Every year, Emilia goes to New York on her birthday to see her mother. It’s the only contact she has with her and it’s not an easy time for her.’

Seb had thought there was nothing worse than having a dead family, but he was beginning to realise there were other ways to be without family that were perhaps even more tragic. ‘What happened last year?’

‘The twins needed costumes for a school recital or something. And because her whole world revolves around them, Beatrice stood Em up. After Em had been waiting for ages, she finally rang to tell her she wouldn’t be coming. She wasn’t even sorry!’ Stacey spat out, her grip tightening around her legs. ‘Beatrice loves the twins, but she can’t even spare a single measly hour for her first-born daughter on her birthday.’

Seb rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the ground, his thoughts traveling back to that day. ‘So that’s why David was so angry.’

‘I can imagine,’ Stacey said wryly. ‘He loved Em like mad. But that doesn’t mean he was always a great father. In the early years, he wasn’t around much… which, again, makes sense now I know why. Em was basically raised by Marion, their housekeeper. She adored Marion and Marion cared about her. But a few years ago, when Marion’s older sister needed her, she left without a backwards glance. I don’t think Em’s heard from her since, because when it comes right down to it, it was just a job for Marion. So that’s the second time Em was rejected by someone important in her life.’

Seb swore under his breath, wanting so badly to fold her into his arms and keep her safe. On the surface Emilia seemed so confident – he’d had no idea all that pain was simmering inside. How was it, when they’d both been badly hurt in their respective pasts, that he had walked around in a dark cloud for years and she continued to smile sunnily? No wonder she’d cracked under the strain and grief of David’s death.

‘I believe that’s why she stayed with Justin for as long as she did,’ Stacey commented.

‘Huh?’ Seb failed to see the logic in that absurd observation.

Stacey looked at him sideways. ‘When your own mother doesn’t love you, how do you think your self-worth would be? Em thought she was lucky Justin noticed her; in her mind she didn’t deserve to be treated better. She was terrified of losing him and it turned her into a doormat. I love her, but there were times I wanted to grab her and shake her until her teeth rattled.’

Scowling darkly, Seb warned, ‘Don’t even think about it.’

‘I don’t need to, because she met you.’

‘What’s that got to do with anything?’ Again, she was coming out with these strange, illogical comments that made absolutely no sense!

‘She was all snappy and snarky with you.’ Stacey grinned and dropped her feet back to the ground, twisting around on the bench so she could look at him directly. ‘I don’t know why or how, but with you she came out of her shell. And she started to realise perhaps she was worth a little more than she’d thought. I don’t know what you did, Seb, but you brought out the real Emilia.’

‘Oh.’ He was stunned, humbled… and then mystified. If he was so damn good for her then why had she run away?

‘Then you had to go and mess it all up!’ Stacey practically shouted and punched him hard in the arm, sparks flying from her eyes. ‘That night when you two finally acted on your attraction to each other, you made her feel special and wanted and then you ripped it away from her.’

Flushing, Seb looked away and rubbed absently at the spot she’d nailed him. Stacey didn’t need to tell him he’d messed up that night and everything following. He was well aware.

Stacey studied him thoughtfully, her frustrated disappointment fading. ‘I don’t think you’re quite getting the significance of my story,’ she said slowly. ‘Put yourself in Em’s shoes for a second. Imagine you’ve been rejected by just about everyone you’ve ever cared about. Imagine you meet a person, who becomes one of your best friends, and you have a moment together, a moment where some pretty nice things are said. Then imagine the next day you see that person kissing someone else, like everything that happened between the two of you meant nothing. Imagine how that rejection feels, piled on top of all the others.’

Her voice had been soft, but each word hit like a stab to the heart, as finally Seb comprehended the true extent of his thoughtless actions all those months ago. He paled and his hands started shaking with uncontrollable tremors. ‘I… I had no idea, Stace. Damn it, I would never have done that to her if I’d known. I was trying to protect her from all my crap and instead…’

His voice trailed off, words deserting him as self-recrimination pummelled his insides. How could he call her his best friend when he’d been such a dreadfully lousy friend to her?

‘Perhaps now you can understand why she cut you off.’ Stacey rested her hand on his knee and squeezed gently. ‘I don’t know what it is that’s holding you back from her, but I can see how much you care about her. The problem is, Em can’t see that and now she’s put barriers around her heart a hundred feet tall.’

Burying his face in his hands, Seb struggled to contain his rampaging emotions. How could he have done this to the only girl he’d ever cared about? ‘I need to see her, Stace. Where is she?’

Stacey hesitated, indecision playing across her face. ‘She’s grieving for David, but she’s also grieving for the loss of what she thought the two of you had. She doesn’t want you to know where she is, Seb, and I don’t want to betray her.’

‘Please.’ Seb lifted his head and stared at her with pleading, pain-ravaged eyes, hiding nothing of what he was feeling. He rubbed at his chest, the ache that had begun to disappear the day before returning with a vengeance. ‘How can I make it right if I can’t talk to her? Everything she thinks, isn’t true… it was all a show to protect myself. Her, too, because I’ve never been good enough for her and since she always thinks the best of me, I knew she wouldn’t understand that unless I showed her. I don’t know how I’m going to undo that, but I have to try. So please, Stace…’

Closing her eyes, Stacey pressed her lips together and was silent as she weighed her options.

Seb could almost see the cogs turning in her brain and, in case she was leaning towards withholding the information he desperately needed, he decided to turn her thoughts in the right direction. ‘You know I can make you tell me, right?’

Her eyes snapped open and she glared at him. ‘That wouldn’t be fair.’

‘I’m done playing fair,’ Seb snapped, his jaw pulsing. Suddenly, he was angry with her for keeping Emilia from him when he could have been making things right and his patience abruptly disappeared. ‘Trying to be fair has had me sitting in Ithaca for months twiddling my thumbs while Emilia’s hurting. I don’t want to force you, Stace, but I will.’

‘You better damn well fix this, Seb.’ Stacey drew a deep breath and let it out again with a hissing sigh. ‘She’s in Australia.’