I laughed out loud, and then I lunged at them. For a moment, I let myself forget about everything else, the mission, the timeline, the weight of knowing what was supposed tohappen tonight. I was just eighteen again, goofing around with my best friends, living in the moment.
But then I saw him.
Jeremy was standing at the backyard gate, swaying slightly on his feet. Even from across the pool, I could tell something was wrong. His usually perfect hair was disheveled, his clothes wrinkled, and there was something off about the way he was moving, unsteady, unfocused.
Was he... drunk? Since when was Jeremy a drinker?That was something I couldn't remember from our past.Was he drunk when he came to fight Leo in our real past?
"What the hell..." I muttered, hauling myself out of the pool.
This wasn't supposed to happen. Jeremy was supposed to be safe at his piano lessons, then dinner with his music friends. He wasn't supposed to be here at all.
And he definitely wasn't supposed to look like this, lost, upset, and clearly not in control of himself.
Everything we'd planned, everything we'd worked for, was about to fall apart.
I just hoped Lily was executing her plan effectively because my part had just gone to hell.
CHAPTER 30
Lily
Lily: We are home. Everything went well.
Lily: We are going to have dinner now. Leo is a little down.
Lily: How about you?
The planwith my family had gone perfectly. We'd spent the entire day at the amusement park, riding every roller coaster, playing carnival games, and enjoying all our favorite treats. Leo had won me a stuffed elephant at the ring toss, and for a few hours, we'd all felt like kids again.
Now we were back home, settling into our evening routine. I'd taken the first shower so I could help Mom with dinner preparation. We'd made Leo's favorite homemade pizza with way too much cheese, which was, of course, my idea, to see if I could cheer him up a little.
Even though Leo seemed distracted during dinner, there weremoments when he genuinely laughed at Dad’s terrible jokes and actually looked relaxed. Seeing him enjoy the trip, even a little, made me feel like I’d really managed to take his mind off whatever had been bothering him. It felt like my effort had paid off.
After dinner, my parents had settled in the living room to watch a movie together. I'd volunteered to make popcorn, but as I stood in the kitchen waiting for the kernels to pop, I realized Leo had already disappeared to his room.
A part of me wanted to spend more time with him while I could, to savor these peaceful family moments that I knew were precious. So I decided to invite him to stay with us for the movie.
I knocked softly on his door. "Hey, we're planning to watch the latest Hunger Games movie. Want to join us?"
No response.
Maybe he was already asleep. I checked my watch; it was 8:00 PM. That was early even for someone who'd spent the day walking miles around an amusement park. Maybe he had his headphones on and couldn't hear me.
I opened the door slowly, trying not to disturb him if he was sleeping.
And my heart suddenly stopped.
Leo wasn't in his room.
The window was open. His bed was made, but there were clothes scattered on the floor. The outfit he'd worn to the park. He'd changed and left.
I ran down the hall, checking the bathroom, my room, and my parents' room. Nothing.
There was only one place he could have gone. I didn't want to believe he'd snuck out, but knowing what had really happened ten years ago, the answer was painfully clear.
Panic rose in my chest as I hurried to change out of my pajamas, calling Kyle over and over, but every call wentstraight to voicemail, and each unanswered ring only made my anxiety grow.
What the hell was going on? Why wasn't he answering?
