Timepiece (Hourglass 2)

She blew out a deep breath, and I jumped about three feet in the air. “This is a game changer.”

“What is?” I asked, a little too loudly.

“I don’t have a choice now. I have to ask Abi if I can look for him. The pocket watch isn’t an option anymore, and Jack has to be found.”

“What are the chances she’ll agree?”

“Low.” She stood up.

“You’re going to do it now?” The thought made me a little frantic.

“Why would I wait? The deadline isn’t getting further away, and who knows where we’ll have to go to get to Jack. Not to mention that I don’t know how to actually find a person, because I’ve never been allowed to do it.”

“Wait, Lily, you need to think about what you’re going to say,” I protested. “You’re about to drop time travel and screwed-up time lines and crazy rips and … possible death on an old lady.”

She snorted. “Don’t ever let Abi catch you calling her an old lady. You could seriously end up losing boy parts.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Abi can handle it, but I’m not sure I can. Not alone. Will you stay?”

As long as you’ll let me.

I swallowed, hard. “I’ll stay.”

Chapter 34

A tall woman with spiky silver hair and brown eyes walked into the apartment, and then paused. I stood. The way she was looking at me, I was shocked I hadn’t yet burst into flames.

“Who are you?”

Lily had warned me that her grandmother could make grown men piss their pants with one look.

Pretty much.

Lily spoke up. “This is Kaleb Ballard.”

“Kaleb is a friend?” Abi’s emotions were a mixed bag. Distrust and anxiety. At least she wasn’t angry. Yet.

sighed and opened the door wider to let me in. “Almost since we came to America. I was eight.”

I followed her into the living space. “How did you end up here?”

“We were with family in Miami for a little while, but my grandmother wanted to come north.” She took my jacket and hung it neatly on a peg by the door. “Ivy Springs was small and still run-down back then. Thomas was just starting his renovations, and a realtor introduced my grandmother to him. The guy who owned the building wanted out, so Abi got it for a steal. It was still a stretch, financially, but we made it work.”

“What’s it like, living above the shop?” Some walls were exposed brick, others a soft white. She sat down on a couch with bright blue cushions and lime green throw pillows. Everything was tidy, and the room smelled like vanilla and citrus. Like Lily.

“Hard to get away from business. Abi can be a slave driver.”

I sat down beside her. “I’d like to meet your grandmother.”

“I don’t know. If you think I’m tough? She’s been known to make grown men piss their pants with one look.” She put a pillow behind her back and adjusted her position, flipping her legs over my lap. She rested her head against the padded arm of the couch. “Do you mind? My back is killing me.”

“I don’t mind.” It felt intimate. I didn’t know what to do with my hands, so I left them sort of hanging midair. “Do you get to talk to your parents very often?”

“Not really.” I felt a flash of the pain I’d seen on her face when she told me she and her grandmother had escaped. “Communication there isn’t like it is here. Everything is monitored. Mail, phone calls. Cuban citizens don’t have any access to Internet, so even e-mail is out.”

“I had no idea it was that bad. I feel really stupid. And Americanized.”