Glitch in Time Read online

  “I have no earthly idea what you mean.”

  The two of them laughed some more as Rae literally clamped her hands over her mouth in shock. A pair of students looked at her curiously, and she furiously waved them on their way.

  What the hell is going on here?! Laughing and talking?! One-armed hugs?!

  If she hadn’t known better, she’d say it looked almost like a normal father-son relationship.

  “I just want you to be happy,” Tristan said softly, when they quieted down. He ruffled his son’s hair with a fond smile, but his face was serious. “You know that. Your friends do, too.”

  Devon’s shoulders fell with an imperceptible sigh. “Look, I know that we’ve been through a lot in the past few weeks. But I’m seriously fine. I don’t know why everyone is—”

  “And I’m just saying…you don’t have to be.” Tristan waited until Devon finally looked up and met his eyes. “It’s alright to not be fine, every now and again. The world will keep turning.”

  Devon tried to look away, but Tristan squeezed his shoulder.

  “I promise, Devon. It really will.” It was a touching moment, but realistically, there was a limit to how much men could show their emotions. Father and son both looked away, and it was quiet for a long time. Then suddenly, Tristan perked up his head and flashed a smile over Devon’s shoulder. “Speaking of your neurotic companions…”

  Devon turned around to see Julian slowly walking towards him. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and he was staring with the wary expression of someone approaching a sleeping bear.

  “I foresaw that you were going to be angry with me,” he called from a safe distance, “so I decided to give you a ride.”

  Both men flashed him a welcoming smile, but he took not a single step closer. Intrigued, Tristan lowered his voice curiously. “Can’t he see that you’re not going to hurt him?”

  Devon never stopped smiling. “Not until I decide that myself…”

  Tristan clapped him chidingly upside the head, and he finally broke down. The future shifted favorably, and Julian strode confidently forward. “Jules! Good to see you.”

  Tristan extended a hand, and they shook warmly. “You, too, Mr. Wardell.”

  WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING?!

  Julian’s eyes flashed momentarily white before he cocked his head towards the lot. “We’ve gotta go, Dev. We’re going to be late for the ultrasound.”

  The ultrasound? Rae jerked back like she’d been struck in the face as her eyes welled up with instant tears. Molly’s having an ultrasound?

  “Shi—Shoot, that’s right.” Devon flashed his father a quick farewell grin before setting off across campus with his friend. “See you later, Dad.”

  “Bye, Mr. Wardell!”

  “You know, your mother and I would love to see you for dinner at the house one of these nights,” Tristan called as the two boys headed off in the opposite direction.

  Devon nodded dismissively, completely unaware that, in reality, it was the first such offer that he’d gotten in years. “Yeah, we’ll set something up.”

  “Friday?” Tristan replied quickly, unwilling to let his son leave without nailing down a time.

  Devon rolled his eyes with exasperation, and flashed a grin over his shoulder. “Fine. Yes. Friday.”

  Tristan’s smile was both paternal and smug. “I’ll see you there.”

  Devon waved over the back of his head as he and Julian headed off to the parking lot, taking long strides across the grass. “See you!”

  The three men went their separate ways, but Rae stood frozen in shock. Plastered to the wall like she’d been painted there. A cartoonish, stunned version of herself.

  What…the heck had just happened?

  * * *

  Forty minutes later, she had yet to answer that question. She was sitting alone at a diner, in a booth pressed up against the window. Ironically, it was just a few blocks away from the diner where she’d recently gotten a job, but at the moment her head was too caught up to make the connection.

  She was far too preoccupied with the things she’d just seen. With the brief glimmer she’d gotten of what the world would be like without Rae Kerrigan…

  Ellie was a teacher. Devon was on speaking terms with his dad. Molly and Luke were finally able to have a normal pregnancy. The Kerrigan name wasn’t hanging heavy over the world, because there hadn’t been a Kerrigan around for a long time.

  All in all, things were…better?

  Were they better? Was it possible for her to sit here subjectively and say that the lives of her loved ones and the world she’d sworn to protect might be a little brighter with her gone?

  A shaky breath caused her shoulders to tremble, and she sank lower down in her seat.

  It had always been her biggest fear. Her biggest one. That she was going to endanger the people she loved. That, because of her name and legacy, someone close to her would get caught in the crosshairs. They would get hurt. They would maybe even die.

  It had already happened far more than she cared to admit. And although they denied it, although they wrote it off as ‘fighting the good fight,’ she couldn’t help but bear some of the guilt and responsibility herself.

  It had kept her up for nights on end. For years of nights on end. Tossing and turning. Trying to come up with ways that she could protect them. That she could shoulder the burden alone.

  But never once, in all that time, had she realized what her true fear was. Not that she was making their lives undeniably worse. But that their lives would be undeniably better without her.

  “You all done, honey?”

  Rae glanced up to see a waitress smiling down at her, waiting with outstretched hands.

  Her tableside manner is much better than mine. I should take notes.

  With a defeated little sigh, Rae nodded and handed up the uneaten plate. She’d probably lost five pounds in the last three days just from not eating. The dizzy spells were soon to come.

  “Yeah, thanks.” She laid some money down on the table, aware that she was using up the very last of what she had left, then reached into her pocket as her phone buzzed. Only one person on the planet had the number, so she wasn’t surprised when Randall’s voice crackled across the line.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, listen, I had a server cancel on me so I’m shorthanded tonight.” He sounded flustered and stressed. “Do you think there’s any way you could come down?”

  An hour ago, she would have apologized and hung up the phone. An hour ago, she would have been flying through the English countryside on her way to Samantha’s childhood home, ready to kick down the door and show the little devil what a Kerrigan could do.

  But that was before she found herself suddenly wondering if it was the right thing to do. It was before she found herself wondering if it would so bad to stay Rae Carson for a while longer.

  Everyone was getting along great without her. They didn’t have the constant shadow of her last name, and the constant problems it entailed hanging over their every move. She and Devon were starting something. She’d had a place to stay, and a job that was picking up steam.

  Hadn’t she always wondered what it would be like to have a normal life? In a strange, twisted, convoluted way…wasn’t this her chance to find out?

  It was also a decision made considerably easier when Rae realized that she no longer had enough money to fill up Julian’s car with gas.

  “Yeah,” she said softly, glancing down the street in the direction of the grill, “I’ll be there in just a few minutes.”

  “You’re a gem. See you soon.” He hung up without another word.

  Rae slowly pushed up from the table. The sun had set, and it had started to rain. Winters in London rained almost exclusively. There was hardly ever a day without it. She stared up pensively as she wrapped a scarf around her neck and began walking over to the diner. Julian’s car could stay unattended here for a few hours. It felt good to walk. Helped clear her head.

>   A few minutes later, as promised, she pushed open the door to the grill. The lights were off, the room was empty, and as far as she could tell Randall was nowhere in sight.

  What the hell?

  “Hello?” she called tentatively as she made her way inside. A flash of lightning lit the walls blue, and she blinked to get her bearings. “Randall, are you here?”

  He’d sounded stressed. Hadn’t it been busy?

  “So…finally found a job that suits, have you?”

  Rae whirled on the spot to see a petite girl standing in the corner. Her face was painted in shadow, but as the lightning flashed again her lips curled up into a sinister smile.

  A smile that Rae found herself returning.

  The muscles in her body tightened as her eyes glowed with rage. “You made a big mistake coming here. But I guess I should really thank you.”

  Samantha clenched her jaw, but jutted out her chin defiantly. “Oh yeah, why’s that?”

  The lightning flashed again, and Rae took a step forward.

  “It saves me the trip…”

  Chapter 11

  “Where’s Randall?” Rae hadn’t moved an inch. But Samantha hadn’t told her not to. For the time being, they were both temporarily frozen in place. Sizing each other up as they plotted their next move.

  Samantha mockingly cocked her head to the side, a childish gesture made all the more gruesome given the present circumstances. “Who?”

  Rae’s eyes flashed, but she kept her temper under control. “The man who owns this establishment,” she answered in a low voice. “The man who I’m assuming you made call me just a few minutes ago. That innocent man. Where is he?”

  “Oh…him!” Samantha let out a high-pitched giggle. “I let him go ages ago. Told him to close up shop. No reason for him to stay, after all.”

  Somehow, despite the treachery she knew the girl was capable of, Rae believed her.

  This wasn’t about Randall, any more than it was about the rest of her friends. Truth be told, it wasn’t even about Simon. At least, not anymore. This was deeper than that. This was personal.

  It was about beating the daughter who had survived. Beating the daughter who had beaten Simon. Who had overcome the horrors of his influence, and come out on the other side with the one thing the other daughter no longer had.

  A soul.

  “How do you like working here?” Samantha said suddenly, glancing around the diner with a smug little smirk. “I have to say, I think it’s freaking adorable that you got a job.”

  Rae didn’t take the bait. Didn’t rise to her taunting. She was here for one reason and one reason only. To take this girl out of the picture. “Is that why you called me here tonight?” she asked softly, taking a careful step forward. “To see me wait tables? Does that give you the thrill you’ve been looking for?”

  Samantha scoffed. “Like you can begrudge me a thrill or two. Look at your life!” Rae raised her eyebrows and she quickly amended. “I mean, look at your old life.”

  Rae shook her head, not following. “My old life sucked. Didn’t you read the papers?”

  For the first time, Samantha didn’t look sinister or threatening. There was a fervent glow in her eye. That same sort of manic energy that Rae had seen the first time they met.

  “No…it didn’t,” she replied softly. “It was exciting, and dangerous, and important.” A faint shadow flickered across her face, and for a moment she looked almost sad. “Your life mattered.”

  Rae paused mid-step, looking her up and down. She wasn’t sure Samantha even realized what a telling thing that was to say. What a depressing realization to come to light. “And you think your life doesn’t?” she asked quietly.

  Samantha snapped out of her trance with a defiant grin. “It does now. When you take down the queen bee, that leaves a natural power vacuum. One that I intend to take full advantage of once you’re finally out of the picture.”

  For a split second, Rae lost control. Dark hatred was etched into every line of her face as she imagined exactly what it was that Samantha was picturing.

  A seat at the table. A room in the house. A place in the circle.

  To take Rae’s place on every single level that mattered. Who knows, since she had already soured on the idea of Gabriel, she might even turn her eye to Devon.

  As if sensing her thoughts, Samantha took a sudden step forward. She was careful to always keep a barrier of space between them. One that usually included a couple of chairs or a table. But she wanted to be close. She wanted Rae to see what she was holding out in her hand.

  “You know, you guys were out for a long time when I put you to sleep that night.”

  Rae took another step forward, then froze. A prickle of dread was bubbling away in the pit of her stomach. Something was coming. Something bad.

  “Well, it was a long day,” she said through gritted teeth. “You know, trying to save over a hundred people from a fire you started…”

  Samantha grinned. “You all exceeded my expectations and beyond. But that’s not what was so interesting about that night. Do you want to know what was?”

  The girl was just playing with her now. It was a game, and they both knew it. Every step that Rae took, she took one to compromise. Surely, if Rae got too close, she would tell her to black out, or miss, or run back into the rain. But for now, at least, they could speak as equals. For now, the game was afoot.

  “I don’t know,” Rae bantered testily. “Maybe the fact that you effectively erased me from the lives and memories of everyone I’ve ever loved?”

  Samantha frowned thoughtfully, as if she was weighing the answer.

  “Close, but no. Actually, what was interesting was what I found in Devon’s coat.”

  That dread was back. So was Rae’s temper. Both threatened to boil right over. A sound like a low growl rumbled out of her chest, and her hands balled up into fists.

  “What were you doing in his coat?”

  “I was cold,” Samantha answered flippantly. “It was a long hike back into town, so I decided to borrow his jacket.” Her eyes glittered with sudden excitement as she held out something in her hand. “You’ll never guess what I found in the pocket.”

  Her fingers opened, and there it was. Lying flat in her palm.

  Rae’s engagement ring.

  Her heart stopped cold just upon seeing it. The beautiful diamonds glittered even in the dark. Catching the faintest rays of moonlight, and scattering blue rainbows over the dingy walls with every flash of lightning.

  It was stunning. It was precious.

  And it was hers.

  “Give. That. Back.”

  The words fired out in the darkness, carrying with them a chilling promise. That ring had no place in Samantha’s hand. If she continued to hold onto it, then Rae would take it back.

  Hand and all.

  Samantha hesitated for a split second, thrown off balance by the sudden shift in tone, then continued in her little sing-song voice. Hugging the wall as the girls slowly circled each other, she taunted, “I have to know…did he ask you already? Or was this supposed to be a surprise?” She gushed like a kid dying to find out what happened to the characters on her favorite TV show. It was a total disconnect from what was actually happening. It was a total disconnect from real life. “I would think that now would be a weird time to propose, but I guess there’s never really a right time with you people, is there? So, tell me, when was it? Did you already know?”

  Rae said nothing. Not a single word.

  “Come on,” Samantha whined, “tell me! You said yes, didn’t you? There weren’t any residual feelings about Gabriel? You said yes to Devon when he asked?”

  Rae cleared her throat softly, then looked her right in the eyes. “Samantha, I’m going to say this one more time. And then I’m going to tear that ring out of your cold, dead fingers. Give. It. Back.”

  For a split second, neither of them moved. The only sound that could be heard was the clock on the wall, and the soft pattering
of the rain.

  Then Rae lunged.

  Samantha leapt back with a shriek, stuffing the ring back into her pocket as she dived out of the way. Her foot caught on the base of a table and she went sprawling to her knees, but before she landed she managed to say one simple thing: “Stop chasing me!”

  Like flipping a switch, every muscle in Rae’s body locked up at the same time. She fell like a statue to the floor, coming down hard on her knee which twisted beneath her. “Damn it Samantha!” she cursed as she landed, trying her best to gauge the damage as the little hellion picked herself up off the floor. “Is it so impossible for you to fight fair?”

  It was sprained, that much was sure. Over the years, there weren’t many appendages on Rae’s body that hadn’t been sprained at one point or another. She was familiar with the feeling.

  “Fight fair?” Samantha panted as she got to her feet. “No, Rae. I fight to win. You think I’m stupid enough to come at you in hand to hand? I have a little more sense than that.”

  With that, the girls fell silent again. One lying on the floor, gritting her teeth against the waves of pain. The other standing above her, shivering with belated adrenaline as she gazed down.

  Finally, when she felt like she had things under control, Samantha crouched down in front of her fallen hero, staying just out of reach. “You know what?” Waves of the fiercest loathing rolled off her, twisting all her other features. “Devon wanted to use this ring so badly…I say we let him.”

  Rae fought against the blinding influence with every inch of her, struggling to lift her eyes. “What are you saying?”

  A look of triumph flashed across Samantha’s face as she reached down into her pocket and pulled out the ring again. Then, with a little smirk, she slipped it onto her own finger. “I’ll be his bride.”

  And that was when everything snapped.

  Rae felt it happen in slow motion, like a cutting a rubber band. All that it took was an ungodly amount of focused concentration…then the power of persuasion fell away.

  “What did I say?” she asked quietly. Samantha looked at her curiously, and when she didn’t answer Rae slowly pulled herself to her feet. “Out of your cold, dead fingers.”