Page 42 of Reversal of Fate

23 – Clockwork Black

Los Angeles, Sunday, September 28, 2025

They’d overslept. It was no wonder: Carter had made love to her twice more, until she’d finally urged him to rest so his body could heal. Julie had lain awake for a long time after Carter was already sleeping, thinking about all the things he’d told her about her fate. In her heart, she knew he’d spoken the truth about what would happen to her if she stayed here, even if her mind was still catching up.

Carter had woken her at eleven o’clock and told her to get ready. They showered and dressed quickly.

When they were ready, she asked, “What about my friends? They’ll file a missing person’s report.”

He pointed to her desk. “You’ll have to write a letter to them.”

“But what will I say?”

“You’ll tell them the truth.”

“The truth? But you said nobody could know—”

“A part of the truth. The part that will assure that we’re not changing anything in this timeline.”

She sat down at her desk, pulled a blank sheet from her printer and a pen from the drawer.

“You’ll tell your roommates that Todd came to rape you, but that a stranger who heard your screams came to help you, and prevented it, but that you can’t stand the thought of everybody knowing what happened to you, or of you having to testify in a court of law. That’s why you’re going away for a while to clear your head.”

“And Steve? He was involved too.”

“But he wasn’t involved in the original timeline. You’ll have to leave him out of your letter, or it may change his life, and thus the future, my future, our future.”

She nodded. She understood, and began writing.

When she was done, she put the envelope addressed to Tonia and the girls on her bed and packed a small backpack with her most important items. She cast a last look at the room, before she and Carter sneaked out through the laundry room on the first floor so they wouldn’t be seen by any of her roommates. They couldn’t risk any of the girls seeing Carter and perhaps recognizing him from Emily’s video.

They walked to the bus stop and waited, when Carter brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

“I know it’s hard knowing you’ll never see them again. But I promise you, my family will welcome you with open arms. My sisters will adore you. My mother will spoil you.”

She smiled through the tears that clouded her vision. “As long as you’re with me, I’ll get through this.”

Carter squeezed her hand. “I’ll be there for you. Always.”

His promise gave her strength.

Soon afterward, they got off the bus and walked the last few blocks to where Carter had been staying since his arrival. It was a motel. She didn’t know why it surprised her, but it made sense. A motel provided a certain amount of anonymity.

His room had been trashed, evidence of the fight that had taken place there the previous day.

“Good thing I told the maid that I didn’t need her to make up the room on a daily basis,” Carter said, then walked to the small closet and opened the top drawer of the two-drawer chest inside.

Julie stood next to him. He reached into the drawer, but it was empty. He pulled the second drawer open, but it too was empty.

“Shit!” Carter cursed and looked at her. “The watches are gone.”

Shock coursed through her. A moment later, she guessed what had happened. “Todd. He must have taken them when you blacked out.”

It was the only thing that made sense.

“That fucking bastard,” Carter cursed. He looked at the clock next to the bed. “We have to find him and get them back. We’ve got less than fourteen hours until the time jump.”

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