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Reece’s gaze drops to Evan’s hand that holds mine. A scowl furrows his brow. “Well, let’s hope she lasts long enough to learn about it.”

I jerk my hand from Evan’s. Suppressed rage and fear erupt. I push against Reece’s chest, shoving him back into the wall. My forward momentum crashes me into his chest. His eyes light up with an emotion I don’t recognize before the veil lowers, leaving his anger.

“
Then leave me here if I’m such a pain in the ass. No one said you had to help me.”

His shoulders stiffen and he grabs my wrists, outrage burning in his eyes. “What? And leave Dumbass to do it all by himself? It would have been a suicide mission.”

“
Well, we’re out of the building. Take off if you want!” I rip my hands free and shove him again. “I don’t need you.”

“
I wouldn’t say that just yet, if I were you,” he sneers. “You may need me more than you know.”

“
Julia,” Evan wraps his arms around me and pulls me back. “We need him.” I hear the defeat in his voice.

“This is bullshit.” Reece mutters. “Let’s go.” He turns and points at me. “I’m not getting caught because of you so you better keep up.”

Evan moves toward him. “Back off, Reece.”

Reece looks more pissed than ever. He spins around and starts running.

“
I can carry you if you want.” Evan stares into my face with a protective gaze.

“
No.” I shake my head. “I can run.”

Evan checks to make sure it’s clear, then takes off after Reece, pulling me behind. I have no idea how far half a kilometer is, but it sounds farther than I’m capable of. I focus on the corner of the building.
Make it there. Just make it to there
.

We run along the edge of the building. Reece’s dark figure is farther ahead. It’s easy to see he’s sprinting. I can’t help but wonder if he’s running away from me.

When we reach the edge of the building, Evan slows down and glances around the corner, then heads for the next building on the other side of the parking lot. As we run for cover, I look into the trees. Streaks of red and pink fill the sky above the horizon.

Reece has disappeared. I can’t tell if he really left us or he’s too far away to see. We make it to the edge of the second building when I see headlights coming toward us.

I panic and dig my nails into Evan’s hand, sure we’ve been caught.

But Evan waits, his thumb stroking the back of my hand.

The car turns at the corner and parks next to us. The dark windows make it difficult to see who’s inside. The engine’s so quiet I’m unsure if it’s even on. It reminds me of an older Volkswagen Beetle, the top, front and back rounded, only this car seems newer and more streamlined. A lid in the rear pops open and Evan looks at me, apologetically.

“
You have to ride in the back. I’m sorry.” He pulls me toward it. My feet are so numb I can’t feel them and I stumble. He catches my arm and hugs me. “I wish you didn’t have to hide in there, but it’s the safest way.”

I nod. It makes sense. “It’s okay.”

He appears torn, biting his lower lip. “After you climb in the back I won’t see you for awhile.”

“
What?
Why?”

“
They’re going to be watching me, so you can’t be with me. Not yet.” His voice cracks.

I nod, fighting back my terror. The thought of being in Evan’s world without him makes me feel vulnerable. He had to be incredibly brave to come to my world on his own.

He leans his forehead down to touch mine. “I know you’re scared,” he whispers. “I’m scared too. But I promise I wouldn’t leave you with Reece if we couldn’t trust him.”

“
He hates me.”

He shakes his head, his eyes sad. “No, trust me. He doesn’t.” He wraps his arms around my back, smashing me to his chest. I welcome the warmth and the closeness. Evan makes me feel protected and I’m about to lose that. His lips lower to mine, making his reluctance to leave me clear. I kiss him back with an earnestness I don’t try to hide. He raises his head, his eyes burning.

“
I know you think I see her when I hold you and kiss you, but I know you’re not her. Still, part of her is in you. I can feel it.” He kisses me again. “Wait for me.”

I nod not trusting my voice to answer.

His mouth lifts into a grim smile as he grips my arm and helps me in the cramped trunk. He covers me with a blanket lying on the floor. Standing, he grabs the edge of the lid with both hands.

“
I know you don’t believe this, Julia, but I do love you.”

Before I have a chance to answer, he slams the lid shut, plunging me into darkness.

Chapter Twenty

I have no idea how long the drive lasts. The cold penetrates through the metal floor and walls, seeping into my bones. The compartment’s tight and I have to curl up to fit, the lid only inches over my head. At least I can use my own body heat to keep warm.

The boys’ muffled voices drift through the backseat until we stop. I feel the car door slam shut, leaving an unnerving silence. Evan must have gotten out.

He left me.

Calm down
. This isn’t a surprise. He told me he would, but being in his world alone with people intent on killing me fills my head with hysterical terror.

Goose bumps of fright mingle with bumps of cold until there’s no distinguishing the two. My chest tightens.
Oh God, no. Please. Don’t let me freak out in here
.

You’re not alone
. My subconscious thrusts into my mind.

I’m not alone. I have Reece.

I wish that knowledge filled me with more reassurance. I wish he didn’t find me so repugnant. I wish I’d been nicer to him. He risked his life to save me and I repaid him by shoving him into a wall and screaming at him.

Way to go, Julia
.

We continue to drive. The cold permeates every inch of my body until my violent shivering stops and sleepiness creeps in. Something needles my consciousness not to go to sleep.
Stay awake. We’re almost there
.

The car hits a bump and my body bounces and hits the lid.
Stay awake
.

I realize the car has stopped. The lid pops open flooding the trunk with a dull light, slipping through the cracks of my eyelids.

“
Okay, let’s go.”

I force my eyes to open. Reece stands in front of me, but the room is darkly lit. Although I can’t see his face, I recognize his voice. I try to sit, but my arms are too heavy to push me up.

“
Julia. We don’t have all day.”

I hear his irritation and really want to get out, I just can’t get my arms and legs to cooperate.

“
Julia?” His voice raises in alarm.

“
I’m trying.” I mumble, the words slurring.

He leans over, pulls off the blanket, and grabs my hand. “You’re freezing! Can you get up?”

I try to shake my head, utterly embarrassed. “No.”

His arm scoops under my legs and swings them over the edge of the trunk. He tugs my upper body out, making sure my head doesn’t hit the lid. Violent shivering takes over my body.

“
I’m sorry it took so long. My dad was late leaving for work this morning.” Reece puts his arm around my back. “Can you walk?”

“
Yeah,” I rise off the trunk edge but can’t feel my feet. My legs give out and he catches me in his arms, setting me back on the edge of the trunk.

“
I’m sorry.” I shift my eyes to avoid looking at him and scan the room, surprised to see we’re in a garage. “Where are we?”

“My house. My dad works forty-eight-hour shifts at the hospital and he just started one this morning so we have until the day after tomorrow.” He rubs his face as he looks at me then to a door. “I have to get you inside. Put your arm around my shoulders and I’ll help you in.”

“
My feet are so cold I can’t feel them.” I’m thankful my mouth seems to be working now even if my teeth chatter.

He lifts my arm over his shoulders and holds onto my hand. “Okay, let’s try this.” He wraps his other arm around my waist and hoists me up.

I lean into his side, soaking in his warmth. I take a step and start to sag, but his hand pulls on my arm over his shoulder and the arm around my waist tightens.

“
I’m sorry. I’m not usually this needy.” I mutter in embarrassment.

Reece laughs, a rich throaty sound that echoes off the concert floor. We take a couple more steps. “Could have fooled me.”

“
You caught me on a bad day.”

He laughs again. The satisfaction from making him laugh catches me by surprise. “I think that’s the understatement of the century.”

We take several more steps. “Are you sure it’s really 2011 here? It seems so futuristic.”

“You didn’t time-travel, only moved to an alternate universe.” He sounds condescending, as though I’m stupid to not realize the difference.

“
Only
.”

“
Well…” He stops in front of two steps up to the door. “Hang on.” He holds tight to my hand and takes a step up, dragging me up the stair with him.

I silently curse my frozen feet. I hate that I can’t walk on my own.

Reece climbs the next step and lets go of my waist to open the doorknob. I put more weight on my legs, happy to discover I can now stand.

As we enter the house, I sneak a glance at him, curious. I can’t help but compare him to the Reece I know. Well, sort of know. He’s the same height, shorter than Evan but taller than me, not a hard feat to accomplish.

He sits me on a sofa upholstered in the softest fabric I’d ever felt. I sink back into the cushions while Reece leaves the room, then comes back with a blanket. He tosses it over my lap then kneels down to tuck it in around me.

“
Thank you.”

He looks up, the hood still covering his head. The dark gray fabric clings to the sides of his cheeks, encircling his face. He’s paler here, but everyone is. His eyes seem greener, which is odd until I think about the startling blue of Evan’s eyes. This Reece doesn’t have the freckles the other Reece does, but the differences appear more than physical.

“
You’re more serious.”

He freezes, his hand still tucking the blanket under my leg. His intense gaze watches me as he waits.

“
I’m sorry, it’s just that you’re the only person here I actually know in the real world.” I shake my head. “I mean
my world
. It’s odd seeing you here as someone else when I know you back home.”

He leans back on his heels, the surprise evident on his face. He swallows nervously. “Evan?” The word comes out scratchy. He clears his throat. “You didn’t know him there?”

“
No, not really. He was popular.” I twist my mouth. “And I wasn’t. I saw him but never spoke to him.”

His eyes soften. “And me? How did you know me?”

To my horror, a new round of shivering breaks loose and my teeth clatter.

Reece stands. “I’ll be right back.”

He leaves and comes back with a white mug. He sits beside me and hands it to me. “It’s hot tea. My mom used to drink it. I thought it might help warm you up.”

I uncover my arms and take the mug, absorbing the heat into the palms of my hands. The warmth flows down my throat, warming my insides.

“
Thank you.” I take another sip. “This is really good. Probably the best thing I’ve had here so far.”

“
Really?”

The way his face lights up with smug pride reminds me of the Reece from my world. For some reason, I’m suddenly curious to know what his hair looks like. Without thinking, I lift my hand to his head and slip the hood down, my fingers brushing his hair.

His eyes burn, studying me.

“
Your hair is shorter,” I murmur. “And darker, which makes sense, I guess. Your hair in my world looked sun-streaked and you’re not in the sun here.”

“
Sun-streaked?”

“
You know, when you’re in the sun so much it lightens your hair.” My hand’s still on his head. My eyes widen in horror and I pull it back abruptly, sloshing my tea. It spills over the rim, leaving an orange splotch on the blanket. “I’m sorry.”

“
It’s okay. It’ll wash out.”

I didn’t mean the tea.

“
I can’t imagine being out in the sun. Doesn’t it burn?”

“
What?” His question pulls me out of my stupor. I’m still thinking about touching his head. “It can, if you stay out in it too long or if it’s a really hot day, but most of the time it feels good, comforting. I can’t imagine living without it.” I bite my lips, realizing what I said. “I’m sorry. That was a terrible thing to say when you live without it your whole life.”

He watches me for a moment. “You’re different, too.”

“
Really? I’m not sure Evan really sees me, only her.”

When he hears Evan’s name, he stiffens and the emotion on his face shuts down to indifference. I’m not ready to lose this connection with him.

“
You asked how I knew you. Do you still want to know?”

“
Yeah.” The shyness in his voice surprises me.

I sink back into the sofa. It’s my turn to feel bashful. I scrunch up my nose. “I only met you a week ago. I guess it was a week ago since I’ve lost track of time. Anyway, it was just days before I left.” That’s an odd way to put it.
Left
.

“
You only knew me a few days?” He sounds surprised.

“
Yeah, the first time was when someone pushed me into a wall at school and you helped me pick up my papers.”

“
And?”

It seems so long ago, a lifetime ago, but it’s only been days. How is that possible? The corners of my mouth lift into a grin. “And you thought I was a complete idiot.”

He smirks. “I find that hard to believe.”

“
Trust me, it’s true.” I laugh and tilt my head. “I can’t say I blame you. Then I saw you later that day, after school. I’d just missed the bus and you offered me a ride home since I had all my books… it was so weird because I’d just met you, yet I had this feeling I’d been with you before.”

He’s silent, watching my face.

I smile and a weird tingly feeling spreads through my chest. “Then you made up some bogus rules to help me survive my new school. Like ‘don’t let them see you’re scared’ and ‘don’t lose yourself.’”

“
Then what?” He asks, his voice lower.

“
Then you took me home.”

“
Was that it?”

I stare into his hopeful face. Should I tell him more? It wasn’t him. I wasn’t the Julia he and Evan knew. I sigh. “You called me the next day. I was really surprised. Honestly, I knew I wasn’t your type, but it made me happy especially after what happened with Evan.”

“
What happened with Evan?”

What happened with Evan reminds me of the situation I’m in. “Never mind.”

He stares at his lap. “Did you like me there?”

Did I? There was something there, I can’t deny it. “Yeah, I liked you.”

He looks up, with an arrogant smile. He looks shockingly like the Reece in my world. Why does that warm my heart so much?

My feet begin to tingle and I shift to tap them on the floor. “But it wasn’t
you
. And I’m not
her
. So in the end, none of it matters.”

“
No, I’m not him and you’re not her.” Sadness laces his words.

I groan. “Everything is such a mess and so confusing.”

“
This is Evan’s area of expertise, not mine. He thinks we’re basically the same, no matter what world we live in, we’re born who we are. But I’m not so sure. I think that experiences shape us into who we become. You know, the whole nature versus nurture.”

We sit in silence as I tap my feet into the rug under my feet. Feeling has begun to return, bringing pins and needles with it. “That doesn’t explain why I couldn’t draw a stick person before the accident, and then I could draw really well after. It’s like somehow I absorbed your Julia’s artistic talent.”

His eyes narrow in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“
After the accident I began to draw, only it was mess of doodles and squiggles. Evan was the one to pick out the Celtic love knot.” I ignore his scowl and continue. “Then I realized I was also drawing his name.”

He shifts in his seat, then stands. “Look, I don’t need to hear anymore about how much she loved him, okay? I’ve heard enough to last a lifetime.” He starts to walk into the kitchen.

“
But why did I draw your name too?”

He stops and slowly turns to face me.

“
I’ve been drawing both your names for months, before I even knew either of you.”

His shoulders twitch.

“
Why would I draw both of your names?”

His eyes burn with anger and confusion. “How the hell would I know? Why don’t you ask your boyfriend? He seems to think he has all the answers to everything. He said he was going to find you and bring you back,” he waves his hand in my direction. “And looky there, he did. Only he neglected to think about what was going to happen to you once you came back.” He tugs his hand through his hair with a growl and sits, releasing a heavy breath of air. “And so did I.”

Evan said he just came to see me, not to bring me back. My head swims with dismay. He lied. My mind latches onto something else Reece said. “Wait a minute. You helped him cross over?”

He laughs with snort. “Somebody had to. He couldn’t do it on his own.”

“
Why would you help him?”

His eyes are glassy as he presses his lips together. “Because I loved you too, in spite of everything, and when he said you were alive on the other side and he was going to get you, I decided I had to know for sure.”

“
Know what?”

“
Whether you loved me or not.”

“
Oh, Reece…”

“
It’s okay. I saw you two together. I know you picked him.”

“
But I don’t love him. I like him, but I think he still sees her, not me. He gave me hope, something I’d been missing for so long. But then you, I mean the other Reece talked to me and…” I groan leaning back. My feet feel like they’re on fire and I stomp them on the floor.

“
What’s wrong?”

“
My feet are warming up and they hurt.” To my aggravation, my eyes fill with tears.

He leans down and pulls my feet into his lap. Pressed between his warm hands, the pain increases.

I can’t hold back the tears.

“
I’m sorry,” he says quietly. “I should have been nicer to you this morning.”

“
No.” I shake my head. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper. You didn’t have to risk your life to help me.”