CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

I couldn’t breathe. We were going to be married? How? When?

“Don’t look at me like that.” He stood with a frown on his face.

“Like what?”

“Disgusted.”

“I’m not disgusted, Kaden…” I stuttered out, “I… I’m shocked.”

“Yeah, well…” He turned his back and walked through the orchard toward the farm house. “Then you’re free to go.”

I blinked in shock. “Go where?”

“Home.”

I caught up to him. “Wait a minute. I can’t walk by myself and I don’t know where to go.”

“Memphis will take you.”

I sighed. “Kaden. Don’t.”

He blew out a frustrated breath, but didn’t stop walking.

“This doesn’t help me figure out what’s right and what’s wrong.” I worked to keep up with his long strides.

He stopped, then turned to me, eyes dark. “I don’t know how I can help you with that. I have things to do.”

I crossed my arms. “All I want is to talk to her. Please.”

“You act as if I can summon her with the snap of my fingers.” He shook his head. “Believe me, it’s nothing like that. She just appears… and most of the time it’s not convenient.” His cheeks reddened and I wondered what she’d interrupted during her last visit. “And she just said to me, ‘You need to save your wife?’ How can I not listen to her?”

I looked away. “I don’t know.”

“Exactly. So… just know… that’s how it happened…” He grunted. “I have no expectations, so if you’re into my brother, I’ll just… you’ll never have to see me again.”

My mouth went dry. “I’m… not into Memphis. I’m not into anybody. And…” I swallowed down the lump in my throat, “now that I know what she said, it makes better sense.”

No amount of backpedaling would take the awkwardness away.

“So what are you going to do?” Kaden exhaled hard.

I frowned, confronted with the obvious. How could he act as if he was into me when he’d been with Jewels this entire time? I wasn’t about to let him two time me. “What about Jewels?”

“What about her?”

“Aren’t you like…?” I felt stupid for asking since he hadn’t defined their relationship, especially after he’d just admitted he was to be my husband. “An item?”

He looked at me like I’d farted. “That’s disgusting… how could you suggest such a thing?”

I blinked in shock. Just when I thought he couldn’t be any ruder. My sympathies went out for the poor girl. “It’s just a question. Geez.”

He shook his head and turned, walking away.

Beyond him Memphis stood with the fishing gear. My shoulders slunk down. I guess I wasn’t running away, at least not today.

~~|~~

The three of us returned to camp, and before I could speak to Kaden about my frustrations, his mother and father whisked him down the beach for a private discussion.

“Do they always do that?” I asked Memphis.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Don’t get me started.”

The slouch in his shoulders told me that he wished he were the important one, the one who had the news.

“Let’s go clean up the fish.” He motioned to the cleaning station. I followed reluctantly.

“He’s not telling me everything,” I confessed.

“Get used to it. He doesn’t tell me either. If I would have known…” His voice trailed off.

“Known what?”

His cheeks flushed slightly. “Never mind. Let’s just clean up the fish.”

“No, tell me.”

He paused, staring at me. His big blue eyes revealed his insecurity. “How pretty you are. I would have fought heaven and hell for you, Abby.”

His admission took my breath away. I ducked my head down, my cheeks blazing.

“Come on,” he said, chuckling. “Let’s get the fish on the fire.”

I followed and forced a smile as my new dilemma hit me. From the openness of his feelings, Memphis didn’t know future Kaden and I were supposedly married. Holy, crap. Married. I almost started laughing. Ever since I’d learned of Advice Meetings and boys, that’s all I worried about. And now, knowing it was Kaden, I wanted to take back the knowledge. I wouldn’t allow it. I would choose.

Memphis rinsed off the fish and pulled out their bones. I kept my distance.

“Can you explain the timeline thing again?” I asked. “You said we time jumped or something.”

“Oh.” His shoulders straightened. “The wrinkle, you call it. It links to a future timeline, but it’s not necessarily our future. Uncle Jeb says the future is uncertain. Just because you decide today to do something doesn’t mean if given the opportunity again you’d make the same choice. But then again, Aunt Clara says, ‘Who ya love, will be who ya love, and ya can’t fight it.’” I smiled at his sudden southern drawl before the implication hit yet again. Did I believe in fate? Or free-will. “And since the EA’s messed with time and so has Kaden, I’d say fate is screwed. Besides…”

My eyes wandered over to Kaden. They were still in a serious discussion. My future flashed before my eyes and my stomach roiled.

Memphis filleted the fish and my mouth suddenly went dry. “What about the bait thing?”

“That’s a very real possibility.”

“Why would it matter if time isn’t linked?”

Memphis lifted one shoulder. “Who knows? That’s a question for your Complement.”

Crap. I knew it.

I continued to watch as their conversation turned more heated. What were they arguing about? I could only guess. That Kaden shouldn’t have dumped me off and left.

“Where are Uncle Jeb and Aunt Clara anyway?” I asked.

“At the…” Memphis trailed off, then waggled his finger at me. “Naughty question.”

“What?” I lifted my hands. “Why can’t I know about this stuff? I’ve been here over a week now and you’ve even stopped blind-folding me.”

“Well… that was a freebie. Probation means probation.”

“Then how do I get off probation?”

Memphis’ lip curled and he shot me a look—one that sizzled my spine. I yanked my head backward. He couldn’t mean what his look implied. Memphis arched a brow and nodded his head. Then he placed the fish in a grilling basket and walked over toward the fire.

The reason I wasn’t at the main homestead, but here communing with a group of attractive single males clicked. If I became attached to Memphis or one of the others, then I’d confide in them, or better yet stay for love rather than just asylum. Lana needed me to have something to lose. Smart.

Memphis looked over his shoulder at me, the coy grin still on his lips. “Just one kiss’ll do it.” His eyes lit up as he waggled his eyebrows. “Well, that’s if it’s convincing enough.”

I sucked in a large breath, imagining such a kiss. But it wasn’t with him. Kaden flashed through my mind. And I blushed as my eyes found him storming toward me, a deep scowl embedded in his face. I could see him grabbing me and kissing me, hungrily, right here.

“Now would be a good time,” Memphis said low and he reached for me and tugged.

Caught off balance, I fell into Memphis’ chest and he steadied me. I looked up into his inquiring face. After Kaden’s admission, I just wanted to piss him off and show him who was boss of my feelings, though my body wanted something entirely different. If there was a difference between the two timelines, he couldn’t manipulate me with my future.

Kaden stopped midstride and glared at us.

“Hey, Brother. Care to dance?” Memphis laughed and dipped me down. Once upright again, I pulled out of his grip and smoothed my hands down my jeans.

Kaden’s eyes lost focus for a moment, then he passed us and jogged up the stone staircase without a word.

With a sense of longing, I watched him escape. “Where’s he going?”

“Who knows?” Memphis shrugged. “Don’t worry about him. Ready to eat?”

I shook my head, my appetite ruined. Nothing sat right with me. Not Memphis’ affection. Not Kaden’s admission he was my husband; nothing.

“Hey, Abby,” Van called out while walking past. I waved absentmindedly.

Nothing but that—the gentlemen of the colony. I chuckled on the inside, remembering I’d believed them to be criminals. They’d been nothing of the sort, and they were most definitely a far cry from the nerds in my DNA matebook. Had Lana pushed me to be with Memphis to spare my feelings since Kaden spent so much time with Jewels?

“Do you think he’s off with her?” I muttered to Memphis.

“Who Jewels? Probably.” Memphis snorted. “It’s ironic that she’s the only one who understands him.”

I rolled my eyes but the words stung. Kaden swore he didn’t have a thing with her. How could he deny that? I knew better and I resolved to catch him in his lies.

“Well,” I said while dragging my fingertips over Memphis’ shoulder. “I’m famished. Let’s eat.”

I hoped somewhere in the shadows Kaden lurked and took in an eyeful. After his confession, he’d see I wasn’t so easily swayed by what future-me decided. I’d choose and I still hadn’t made up my mind yet. Though I tried to make up my mind, my body had different ideas, confusing the hell out of me.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 565