The whole world shrank down to just me and him as I stood frozen to the spot, staring at Jack. Callan was next to him. He leaned in and spoke in Jack’s ear, and the two of them laughed.
“Keep an eye on Barnaby. I’ll be back in a second,” I told Scott as I walked away.
I wound my way through the dancers towards Jack and Callan, my feet moving on autopilot. In fact, they wanted to run to him so I could throw my arms around Jack’s neck and never let go. Time seemed to speed up and slow down all at once, and before I knew it I found myself standing in front of Jack. Callan noticed me first and nudged him, nodding in my direction. Jack turned to me, and my breath caught in my throat. My stomach flipped over as his gaze settled on me. I balled my fists against my sides, resisting the desperate need to reach out and touch him. His grey eyes still sparkled with amusement, but there was a distance in them that I hadn’t seen in a long, long time. I faltered. All images of being back with him, feeling his arms around me, his skin against mine, slid into the chasm that stood between us. All I could manage was to stare at him like a moron.
“Can we help you?” The rich, warm sound of his voice wrapped around me, and I lost the ability to form words. Not that I’d done a stellar job so far.
Callan moved closer, giving me his full attention, his lips lifted in a dark smile. “Who’s this, Jack? A one-night stand who can’t let go?”
Jack’s eyes didn’t leave me as he answered his friend. “No, I’m sure I’d remember her.”
My heart squeezed in my chest.
I thought so too, but apparently not.
Deep down, I had secretly hoped that as soon as Jack saw me he would remember us. Or at least fall in love with me all over again the moment he laid eyes on me. Instead he looked at me like I had several screws loose. My gawping silence had gone beyond anything slightly normal now. Panic rose as I scrambled for what to say. I could kick myself for coming over like this without thinking it through. I’d gone and done it though, so I only had two options: leave or tell the truth. And seeing as my feet were rooted to the spot…
I drew in a long breath.
Here goes.
“I… We know each other. Kind of…” I trailed off. How would I even try to explain things? “I know this will sound strange…” I launched into a brief and broken explanation of everything that had gone on, keeping it as succinct as possible. Trying, and failing, not to be discouraged by their incredulous expressions. “I know how this sounds,” I said when I had finished.
“It sounds like you’ve had a few too many vinos, sweetheart,” Jack said. He laughed it off, but I saw the wary look on his face. Although the circumstances of what I said weren’t true for him, he had to know I was telling the truth about some of it. He might not know me, but I still knew him.
“I get it, it sounds crazy, but you guys are no strangers to crazy, right?”
They exchanged a glance.
Jack drained his drink and set his glass down. “We should go.”
“You don’t believe me.”
“Come on, you admitted how crazy it sounds.”
“Crazier than aliens?” I said in a loud whisper. Callan’s glare hardened. “Think about it. Who you are, what you do? How would I know any of this?”
“Stalker perhaps?” Callan said.
“I know other stuff too.” I ignored Callan’s sneer and forced myself to hold Jack’s gaze, even though my chest was about to explode. “Private stuff.” Jack jaw tightened. I needed to tread carefully. Jack didn’t trust easily. If I pushed him too hard, he’d clam up completely. “Things I wouldn’t know if what I’m saying isn’t true.”
“If you know as much as you say you do, then you’ll be aware that’s not how things work for us,” Callan retorted. “It’s never that simple. You could have other ways of finding that stuff out.”
“Like what?”
“Reading minds?”
“Humans can’t read minds.”
“Who says you’re human?”
I sighed. Dammit, he was right. And I had nothing to prove my story was true. Jack hadn’t said anything, but his expression was far from welcoming.
“Everything alright?”
My head jerked around at the sound of another familiar voice. Freddie had appeared, his violet eyes once again disguised with moss-coloured contact lenses and his trademark thick-rimmed glasses.
My eyes filled with tears at the sight of him. I couldn’t help it. The last time I had seen Freddie, he’d been moments from death with a piece of metal speared through his chest.
“Hi, Freddie,” I said softly.
“This girl says she knows us,” Callan told him, the cynicism in his voice loud and clear. “Reckons she’s from the future—”
“I didn’t say I was from the future.”
Freddie frowned as I launched into another attempt at an explanation. At least he wasn’t laughing, but he was a sweetheart, so he’d never be that rude.
I raked my hand through my hair. “I probably shouldn’t have come over and sprung it on you like this. I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Can’t you do some Aethian thing to check if I’m lying?”
Callan snorted.
Looking at Freddie’s expression, a glimmer of hope bloomed in my chest. He never could resist a good puzzle.
“What do you want?” Jack finally said.
I stared at him. “What?”
“Earlier you said you needed our help. What with?”
A hand touched my back. “Hey, are you okay?” Scott asked, his face full of concern as his gaze flicked between Jack and me. “What’s going on?”
“I’m fine.” I took Scott’s hand and turned back to Jack.
“Someone has been spiking students at Riverdell University. My friend’s boyfriend has been acting strangely, and I think he might be…” I cast a quick glance at Scott. “I thought you might be able to help.”
Jack’s eyes dropped to where Scott held my hand. “We can’t. Let’s get out of here,” he said to the other two.
Callan downed his drink, then strolled towards the door. Freddie hesitated for a moment before giving me an apologetic look and leaving.
“Jack. No, Jack, wait, please,” I said as he turned to follow.
He stopped and turned around.
“What’s your name?” Jack asked.
“Eliza. Eliza Anderson,” I said in a shaky voice.
“I’m sorry, Eliza. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I think you have the wrong guy.”
And with that he was gone. My heart sank. Everything we’d been through, erased. Obviously it was better than being dead, but still. I wanted to run after him, but what could I do? They didn’t believe me, and they didn’t want to help. I didn’t know how to convince them. So I merely watched, my heart breaking in two as Jack walked away, out of the club and out of my life.