18.
When I come back, I see the two men sitting on the bed, their backs facing me. They look like they’re having a serious, exclusive discussion, their heads mere inches apart and the hushed tone of their words make it hard for outsiders to understand what they’re talking about.
I stand frozen to my spot as I watch Nick’s shoulders shake violently every now and then, a clear indication that he’s definitely not holding it together. A rush of anger suddenly flows through me when I instantly recognize the man sitting next to him.
Clearing my throat roughly, I cause the two men on the creaking bed to jump in shock. They immediately turn around with wide eyes. I clench my jaw, glaring at Nick and completely ignoring Kevin. The blond’s jaw almost drops to the floor when he takes in my appearance. He quickly shakes his head to clear his mind, searching for words, but not coming much further than, “Wh-what?…”
I narrow my eyes, frowning deeply as I quickly glance at Kevin, then back at Nick, still not saying a word. Kevin looks completely lost, not knowing what to make out of Nick’s reaction to my presence and unsure of what else to do, he awkwardly looks around him, looking like a young kid who just got caught doing something he’s not supposed to.
Nick swallows, trying one more time to find his voice, “Wh-wher’ve you been?” He drawls nervously, squirming under my hard stare.
“I could ask you the same,” I finally rasp and Nick flinches at the anger in my scratchy voice.
“I-I…” he stammers, helplessly looking at Kevin, who suddenly seems particularly interested in a dirty stain that decorates one of the t-shirts on the floor.
“Y-you,” I mock, flaming in anger now. It’s one thing to stick a needle in my neck and run off with a potential maniac, but what really gets to me now is that Nick has seemingly found it necessary to bring Kevin into the mix.
“You should have listened to me!” I yell suddenly, feeling the last bit control slipping away fast. “When are you ever going to start to listen to people?”
Nick’s gaze immediately drops to the floor and his shoulders slump, looking just as much like the young kid that got busted as Kevin did just minutes before, “I was just…”
“Now we have to start all over again! You should have trusted me!” I spit, outraged.
Nick’s head shoots up quickly and I take a tentative step back as I see the anger in his face matching mine now, “Trust you?” he questions, incredulously, “Trust you?” he screams now and Kevin, who probably has no idea what we are talking about, looks at him in bewilderment, “Are you kidding me? I didn’t even know who you were! I still don’t! You think you can just show up one day, grab me and drag me everywhere you want? That’s not trust, Roland! That’s kidnap!” he spits, breathing hard.
I sigh, knowing he’s partially right. It’s not really all that much of a wonder that he trusted someone who he supposed he’s known for over twenty years more than he trusted me. In fact, if roles were reversed, I’m not sure if I would have trusted me either. Maybe if I would have explained things more, maybe if I had let him know just how big of a part he is to play in all of this, he would have believed me when I told him his friend was not really his friend. The only problem is, I can’t. The timeline, always the timeline. I have direct orders not to do anything that could jeopardize the line of time, to do only the absolute necessities in order to complete the assignment. I wasn’t even supposed to talk to Nick about anything, to even get him involved.
And now he’s brought Kevin too.
“Where have you been?” I ask calmly, despite my shaking voice, “And where’s Thom?”
Nick takes a few seconds before he replies, watching Kevin uncertainly, which makes me guess that he hasn’t told Kevin about Thom Burker yet.
Thank God.
“I... We were… he… we went to another motel,” he finally answers.
“Yes…?” I urge questioningly.
“I told him I’d call the others, that I would tell them I’d found him. He must have taken that in offense,” Nick adds, muttering.
I nod stiffly, scoffing when I imagine Thom freaking out at the prospect of having all four bandmembers involved. I can instantly fill in the remaining details of the story, “Let me guess, he did the same thing to you, as you did to me?”
Nick nods, looking down again, “I just- I don’t understand. He knew stuff… stuff only you know who, could know…” he speaks quietly, his eyes momentarily flashing to Kevin.
I take a deep breath, knowing exactly what he’s talking about, but not seeing how I could explain the fine mechanisms of time travel and forced capture to him. Not in this time anyway.
“It’s hard to explain,” I tell him instead before straightening my back and towering above the two sitting figures on the bed, “Just clarify one thing for me here, Nick,” I say pointing defiantly at Kevin, “What in God’s name is he doing here.”
This seems to spark Kevin’s courage to speak up, as he scowls at me in offense, “He would like to know by now what the hell is going on here!” he squeals, his voice rising in pitch with every word he speaks. Nick and I both completely ignore his demand though and I continue to stare at the younger blond until he gives in.
“He… I called him. He came searching for me and found me. End of story,” Nick says, deliberately avoiding my gaze, which tells me that it’s definitely not the end of the story.
“What does he know, Nick?” I hiss, grabbing his arm to force him to look at me. Kevin shoots up in anger, shoving me back roughly.
“Don’t touch him!” he snarls, the fury in his eyes unmistakable. I smile, faintly remembering Kevin’s protective nature over his brothers from long ago.
Whenever he got the illusion that they couldn’t stand up for themselves, he would be there to get them out of trouble, whether they wanted it or not. I knew Kevin has never been one you could make fun of. He was mister Serious, mister I Will Find Out What You Did No Matter What It Takes. Mister No Nonsense. He could get that look in his eyes that clearly told you not to mess with him. It looked a great deal like the one he wore now.
It’s exactly the reason why I can’t tell him what’s going on exactly. He’d be serious. He’d be rational. He’d make sure to lock us both up in a nuthouse and throw away the key. He wouldn’t be open to the concepts of time travel. I can’t blame him, cause I know I wasn’t either when I was his age. It’s probably the reason I chose Nick in the first place. He’s got that trusting, naïve, almost dreamy flair about him that you don’t see much in anyone besides children. I knew he’d believe me, simply because he used to spend so much time convincing everyone else time travel was a true thing, even if he wasn’t sure it was. The only thing I basically did, was confirm a long lost belief.
With Kevin… not so much.
I smile politely at the dark haired man, whose greying hairs shamelessly begin to shine through on his temples.
Taking a step back, I decide I don’t really need to know how much Nick has told his bandmate, cause as long Kevin hasn’t declared us both mentally unstable, he knows just about enough.
“What has Nick told you exactly about everything?” I question nonetheless, addressing him directly now.
The fiery gaze wavers as he quickly looks from me to Nick, back to me again, “I know it has something to do with my cousin,” he puts forward.
“Has he left the part out where he was supposed to tell you I could save your cousin?” I snarl, “or the part where he betrayed me and practically ruined everything?”
Kevin frowns, looking at Nick now, who looks about ready to disappear through the floor.
“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t know who to trust. I know now.”
“That’s not really going to help much, now we’ve lost him,” I growl. “He’s got your car, I presume?” My suspicions get affirmed when Nick nods slowly. “He could be halfway ‘round the country then by now.”
Nick’s smirk comes as a surprise and Kevin and I both watch him unsurely.
“What?” I ask after a few seconds.
“It’s a good thing my car has a GPS tracker then,” Nick boasts, smiling broadly.
My eyes meet Kevin’s, and for a second, I’m almost sure he recognizes me from something, as he gets this weird, faraway look. The moments over in an instant though and as we both look back at Nick, we begin to smile as well.
“Why didn’t you say so in the beginning?”
Chapter End Notes:
I just realized we still don't know where Roland has been exactly...
