The Edge of Forever (20 page)

“Wow,” Alora says in a breathy voice. I turn back around. She’s still holding her phone. Her cheeks are pink.

“I take it that was the right guy?”

“Yep. Oh my God, I can’t believe I found him.”

Without warning, she jumps up and throws her arms around me. I can’t move. All I can concentrate on is her body pressed against mine. I’m aware of every curve and every contour. Vika was the last person to touch me like this.

Alora pulls away, looking up at me. “Is something wrong?”

Yes. Everything.

“No,” I whisper.

Neither one of us can look away. I’m caught up in searching the details of her face. The concerned look in her eyes. The tilt of her nose. The curve of her lips. I can’t stop staring at those lips.

A pounding sound shatters the moment.

We break apart, our heads snapping toward the door.

“Alora, what’s going on?” Grace asks in a sharp tone.

Alora’s eyes slide to the yearbook. “Hide it,” she hisses while closing the laptop. I grab the yearbook and shove it under her bed while she pulls a large textbook out of a bag and places it on the desk.

“Ready?” she whispers.

I nod.

Grace’s brows are drawn together when Alora opens the door. Her face rapidly evolves from concern to confusion to anger. “What are you two doing in here?”

“Bridger was helping me study.”

Grace turns her attention on me. “I thought you said you had to call someone about your father.”

I feel myself blushing. This is going from bad to worse. It’s like I’m getting interrogated by my mother. But I can’t blame Grace. A guy who’s new in town caught alone in her niece’s locked bedroom doesn’t look good.

Alora interrupts before I have to tell another lie. “He was finished and I needed someone to quiz me. He told me you were busy with the Jamisons downstairs. And you know I need to pass this test. So . . .”

Grace’s face relaxes some, but she still doesn’t look convinced. “Fine. But I don’t know why y’all locked the door.
That
’s not necessary for studying.”

23

ALORA

APRIL 15, 2013

I
wipe my palms on my jeans as the bus creeps closer to the school. I can’t get Trevor’s threat out of my head. What if he tries to start something else with me? I just don’t want to deal with his crap anymore.

And I also have to figure out how to get to Covington to talk to Mr. Miller. The only thing I can think of is to ask Sela to take me, which means coming up with yet another lie.

I hate how I’m telling so many lies lately.

Bridger didn’t understand why I couldn’t borrow Aunt Grace’s truck, but he doesn’t know her like I do. Aunt Grace rarely lets me drive it, and when she does, she has to know exactly where I’m going and what time I’ll get back. If she thinks I’m hanging out with Sela all day Saturday, she won’t interrogate me.

Everyone files off the bus, lost in a sleepy haze. I stop by my locker without talking to anyone and head to class. Throughout first period I’m invisible. Everybody is buzzing because Naomi’s parents notified the police of her disappearing act. By the time I get to second period, things change. A few kids stare at me like they’ve just noticed my existence for the first time. Third period is even worse. I duck into girls’ restroom between classes to check if I’ve got food stuck in my teeth or something.

With every hushed word and every quick glance coming more frequently as the morning passes, I’m certain a rumor is going around about me. I’m also certain it has to do with Trevor, but I don’t know what it is. Nobody will tell me a thing.

At lunch, all it takes is one look at Sela’s horrified face to know it’s bad.

“Have you heard what Trevor’s telling everyone?” she asks as I plunk in the seat next to her.

The heavy weight on my chest doubles. “No,” I say slowly, dreading what she’s about to tell me.

She whispers, “He said that you two hooked up at Levi’s party.”

“What?”

“Girl, the stuff he said you did is nasty.” Her lip curls like she’s sucked on a lemon.

“But he’s lying!” My face feels like it’s on fire. “Oh my God . . . and everybody believes him?”

“I guess,” she says with a frown as she glances toward Trevor’s table. His friends are listening to him talk about something, probably getting off on whatever lies he’s telling them now. He flashes a completely obnoxious smirk in my direction.

I bury my face in my hands. I never thought I could hate someone as much as I hate Trevor. And to make things worse, the Brainless Twins show up and proceed to spew very specific details about what I supposedly did with Trevor.

“Knock it off, y’all,” Sela says. “Alora would never do those things.”

“Yeah, but a bunch of the guys said they saw Trevor come out from behind the pool house and Alora came out right after,” Jess says.

Sela waves her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Like Alora would go back there with him in the first place.”

Miranda says, “Lisa in my business class said she saw them too.”

My stomach is churning so much I’m afraid I might puke. “It makes me sick that you’d sit here and tell me that stuff like it’s the truth,” I say in a low voice. “You want to know what happened? I went back there because I was alone outside while all of you were in the house dancing.” Sela flinches like I slapped her. “When Trevor came outside, I hid behind the pool house because he’d started some crap with me earlier. But he saw me and followed. I told him to leave me alone and that I’d never go out with him, then he said I’d be sorry. End of story.”

I glare the Brainless Twins before I stalk out of the cafeteria, ignoring the stares burning into my back.

Sela catches up with me in the hallway. “Hey, I’m sorry, but I never said I believed any of that stuff. Besides,” she says, placing her hands on her hips, “you never told me Trevor threatened you. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I was scared. I thought if I told you what Trevor said, then Bridger would get in a fight with him. And if that happened, you know all hell would’ve broken loose and somebody would’ve called the cops.”

“Why didn’t you say something yesterday?”

“I just wanted to forget about it.” I look back toward the cafeteria. “I guess that’s impossible now.”

Sela hugs me. “I’m so sorry. Someone should de-nut that jerk.” She releases me and says, “So, you want to go back and finish eating? I’m actually starving.”

I shake my head. “No, I don’t think I could keep anything down. And I’ve got to make up that history test today, so I guess I should study.”

“If you must,” she says with a grin. “I’ll see you after school.”

Before she leaves, I decide to ask her about taking me to Covington. Might as well get it over with. “Can you do a favor for me this Saturday?”

“Maybe,” she drawls.

“I need you to take me somewhere,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. My mind races, trying to think of an excuse. Then the perfect lie crystallizes. “Well, me and Bridger actually. He has a lead on his father, but he needs to go to Covington.”

Sela chews her bottom lip for a second. “I can’t. I’ve already made plans.”

“You did?”

“I was gonna tell you. Cheerleading tryouts are in two weeks, so I planned to practice all day Saturday and Sunday with Jess and Miranda. And I really want you to come, too. It would be so cool if we all made the squad.”

I can’t believe it. After everything that’s happened to me today, all she wants to do is practice cheers? I shake my head. “No.”

Sela blinks. “But you promised you’d go out for the squad with me.”

“You were the one who wanted to make the team. I just went along because you wanted me to.”

“Really, Alora? You were all for it last week, then boom . . . new guy shows up and you suddenly change your mind. How convenient.”

Suddenly, I need to be alone. Away from her and everyone else. “You know what? Forget I asked for help. Go practice with your little friends. I don’t care.”

I turn and walk away.

By the end of the day, my head feels like someone is squeezing it. I’m positive I won’t pass the makeup history test, I can’t remember anything that my teachers talked about, I’m not speaking to my best friend, and everyone at school thinks I’m a slut.

Lovely.

Several guys ask me to do disgusting things to them while I’m on the way to my locker. By the time I get there, I have to blink back tears.

I barely get the door open when a voice behind me says, “So, have you enjoyed your day?”

I spin around and glare at Trevor. I’d love to slap the smirk off his face. “No thanks to you. Why did you tell those lies?”

His eyebrows shoot up. “What lies? I haven’t told any lies.”

Several kids around us snicker and someone says, “You two going somewhere?”

Trevor’s smile widens.

“No,” I snap.

This is ridiculous. He’s feeding off the attention. I bet he’d love it even more if I start crying. Blinking rapidly, I pull out the books I need for homework and slam the door. But when I try to move past Trevor, he places both of his hands on the sides of my locker, blocking me from leaving.

“Where you going?” he asks. I get a whiff of cologne and sweat as he leans close and whispers, “Go ahead, run back to your new boyfriend. Have your fun. But keep in mind I’m just getting started.”

As soon as he steps back, I rush past him. Clutching my books to my chest, I wipe my eyes and flee to the closest girls’ restroom. It’s bad enough everyone around my locker me saw me crying. I won’t let the rest of the school see me too.

At least the room is empty. I lean against the door, still holding my books tight, and try to hold back the sobs. It isn’t fair. Some stupid guy can make up a bunch of crap about me and everybody believes him without question.

I close my eyes as the pressure in my head builds. There’s no way I’m riding with Sela this afternoon. I’ll have to either take the bus or walk. I really wish I was home. For a second, I picture the inn as if I’m standing in the front yard.

My head feels light. I keep my eyes closed, hoping the faint feeling will pass.

When I open my eyes again, I’m standing in front of the inn. The sun is shining. Birds are chirping. My jaw drops and my books fall to the ground. I kneel down and run my fingers over the ground, feeling the spiky blades of grass. It’s real.

I’m at the inn.

“Alora!”

My eyes snap up. Bridger is running down the front porch steps. He helps me stand when he reaches me.

My chest heaves as I look around. The last thing I remember was standing in the restroom at school. And now I’m home. “How did I get here?”

Bridger’s eyes flick toward the ground. “I don’t know.”

“What? You were on the porch. You didn’t see anything?”

He swallows and looks back up at me, his face blank. “I was . . . reading. I didn’t notice you until just now.”

24

BRIDGER

APRIL 17, 2013

A
warm breeze blows as I wait across the street from Alora’s school. I left the inn a few hours ago. I told Grace I was going to check around town for news about my father. Instead I came here.

It’s been two days since Alora shifted. Two days in which she hasn’t said much to Grace or me. Two days in which I’ve let her suffer in silence. It’s killed me, watching her in so much pain. And that pisses me off. Her feelings shouldn’t matter to me.

But they do.

I can’t stop thinking about the way she looked right after she shifted. Her face was so pale. She had to have been close to wilding out, yet I didn’t tell her the truth. I couldn’t. Not when I don’t know how that would affect the timeline. So I let her think something was wrong with her. Now I feel like a furing jerk.

A loud bell shrills from the school—my cue to get moving. I cross the street and make my way to where the buses are parked. Grace told me Sela usually takes her home, but Alora admitted yesterday that they got into a fight on Monday. That didn’t surprise me. I’ve been here less than a week, and I’ve already picked up on a wedge between them—namely those two girls who met us at the party.

Students spill from the main building. As I search for Alora, I overhear some of them whispering about a missing girl. The fear in their voices is unmistakable. That makes me wonder if Alora’s future killer is here with her. My gut still tells me it’s got to be Trevor. But I could be wrong. It could be anyone. I just wish I knew for sure.

I have to look away for a moment when I finally see Alora. The sadness clinging to her makes me want to do something to make her smile again. I shake my head to cast the thought away. Alora is the object of my mission. Her happiness should be irrelevant.

But when she spots me and a hint of a smile touches her lips, I find myself grinning.

“What are you doing here?” she asks when she reaches me.

“I thought you’d like to walk home today.”

She glances at the gray sky. “No, thanks. It looks like it’s going to rain.”

“It could, but then again it might not,” I say with a shrug. “You can always play it safe and ride the bus, but where’s the fun in that?”

“Seriously, Bridger?” she asks, her lips twitching.

“Seriously. Live a little, walk with me.”

Alora pretends to think for a moment. “Well, if you insist.”

It’s strange how I feel almost weightless as we walk across the campus. But the feeling evaporates when a guy approaches us. His mouth is curled in a malicious sneer. I hear a sharp intake of breath from Alora.

“Hey, Alora, do you think you can fit me in your schedule this week?” he says, glancing at me. “Looks like you’re in demand now.”

Alora’s face turns scarlet.

“What the hell,” I say as I turn around, wanting to choke him.

Alora grabs my arm and hisses, “Stay out of it.”

I gape at her. “Why? He insulted you.”

“It’s nothing,” she says, her voice strained.

“No, it’s not. Why did he say that?”

“Please, leave it alone.”

Two voices scream in my head. One tells me to kick that guy’s ass. What if he’s the one who is supposed to kill her? The other says I have to let it go because I can’t change the timeline. No more than I’ve already done. “Fine. But you owe me an explanation.”