Page 72 of Within the Space of a Second
Time. The one thing I have to my advantage, that I can bend to my will. Closing my eyes, I slow my breathing. Fire erupts within my chest, racing into my abdomen and along my limbs, heating my entire body. I open my eyes, and I’m standing in the cleaning closet, the air warm and stuffy. I sprint to McGregor’s lab, bile rising in my throat. I release a breath when I find him, standing in his white lab coat, goggle-covered eyes glued to the Petri dish in his hand.
“Rose,” he says, without looking up.
If my timing’s right, he hasn’t seen me for over a month. But he’s here, working toward Parker’s cure. Just as he promised he would.
“I—I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. And sorry I never thanked you for helping us…” I scratch my forearm. “And for every moment since.”
He nods and returns to his work, as if I’ve just told him today’s weather forecast. “Blood collection kit’s above the sink,” he mutters, tipping his head to the cupboards on his right. “I’ll need new samples of blood every time you visit.”
I walk over and open the wooden doors, finding what I need. “What’s the date?” I ask.
“July seventeenth,” he says, sliding liquid along a horizontal metal column until it melts. He records something in his notepad, smiling down at the page. “You finally figured it out?” he asks, without looking up.
Faith. Trust.
“I think so.” I walk out the door, McGregor’s voice echoing along the corridor.
“Another four weeks should do it,” he says.
Blood whooshing in my ears, I open my eyes and I’m standing on a rolling hill with a solitary, crooked tree. Memories rush through my head, old and new twisting together like a strangler fig smothering its host. I clutch my temples and draw in a deep lungful of humid air. The longer we spend in the past, the worse it will get. My stomach shrivels and I trudge across the grass toward the crooked tree.What if he’s already left?
Thunder rumbles beyond the hillside, the mountains in the distance hazed in menacing clouds. I reach the tree and smirk at the small Alpha symbol carved into its base. I plonk down onto the lush grass and lean against the tree. Lightning flashes in the distance, those ominous clouds drifting closer. I hack at my nails and wait, the light spatter of raindrops cooling my skin.
“Rose,” a warm voice calls behind me. My eyelids flutter closed, and I release my first free breath in months.
I stand and turn toward Parker, who’s crossing the quiet country road at the edge of the field. Shame swirls like lava in my stomach, but I force my legs forward to meet him.He’ll forgive me.Sporadic raindrops plop onto my skin, each gust of wind tugging strands from my braid. The sky’s darkened in the short time since my arrival, the clouds now rumbling directly overhead.
Parker meets me in the center of the field with a wide grin. He yanks me in for a hug and I relax in his arms, breathing him in. My heart twitches.Traitor!
After a moment, he pulls away, holding me at arm’s length as he searches my face. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just needed some time.”
His smile falters, the light behind his eyes dimming. “Some time? What are you talking about?”
Thunder booms, and the clouds above us relent, drenching us both.
“Let’s get out of here and I’ll explain,” I call over the torrential rain.
Parker’s eyes narrow. “Explain it to me now.”
I cringe. He wants to have it out here. “I wasn’t well, Parker. You know that. Holding you with me was getting to be too much. I needed to put myself first for once.” A bolt of lightning flashes across the sky and I flinch.
“So… you left me here?” His despondent tone claws at my insides.
“Don’t look at me like that. I knew you’d be safe here. You need to understand—”
“Understand? I’ve been waiting here in this field all day,” he calls over the storm.
“It’s been a little bit longer than a day.” I clear my throat. “For me.”
His face scrunches, and his narrowed gaze shoots to mine. “Are you serious? How long?”
I bite the inside of my cheek, and a coppery tang fills my mouth. “You felt my echo. YouknowI—”
“How long, Rose?” his voice raises.
Lightning strikes at the same time thunder booms, the sound reverberating through my chest. The storm’s now directly above us; water pools in my Docs. “Long enough for McGregor to develop a cure.” Parker scans the cloud-hazed view, the skin around his eyes pinched. The silence eats me alive. “I want to take you to him right now.”
