In Your Time novel Chapter 22

I was mostly quiet for the rest of the party. After running into Tara, it didn't seem that fun anymore. Braden seemed to be able to go on and enjoy it, but something kept nagging at the back of my head. Maybe it was because my feelings for Braden were different they were before I got to know him. I bared it until we got back to the house. I went straight up the stairs to my room. I just wanted to be alone for the moment. There was a level of respect I thought I'd earned from him that just wasn't really there. Unfortunately, Braden followed me to my room.

"Hey, you've been unusually quiet all night. Did something happen?" He asked. I scoffed as I felt the threat of frustrated tears welling up in my eyes. I pushed the urge down and tried to calm myself, but it wasn't working. The only option I had to keep my sanity was to just say it. It would bug me for a while if I didn't.

"I don't know what happened between you and Tara, but using me to try and hurt her wasn't cool. Plus, she wasn't the only one you hurt. I just want to be alone right now, Braden, please," I said quietly before I turned to get my pajamas out of my dresser.

"What do you mean?" Braden asked. I sighed and closed my eyes before I turned back to Braden with my pajamas in hand.

"I'm trying to say that being blatantly used like that to make another girl jealous really hurts. And I'm trying not to get more upset than I already am," I explained. His face went to one of realization.

"I didn't really think of it that way," he said softly.

"I know. You had a very one-track mind at the moment. You weren't really thinking about anything else. Can you leave so I can change?" I asked as I moved to the door. I felt arms wrapped around me from behind as Braden stopped me with a hug.

"Phoenix, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking in the moment. I wasn't trying to hurt you," he said softly near my ear. Even as upset as I was at him at the moment, his words and actions still managed to move me.

"If you have no intention of being more than friends with me, I suggest letting me go," I said flustered.

"Well you are my fiancé," he joked as his grip on me tightened slightly.

"In name alone," I reminded him. Braden finally let me go and turned me to face him. His hands rested on my shoulders, making sure I wouldn't run away.

"Not entirely true. I don't know why you make me worry about you so much. I wouldn't worry so much about you if I didn't care," he said. I didn't know what to say. On one hand, he said he cared about me, but on the other, he wouldn't have used me if he cared enough.

I felt it again. The lightheadedness and stomach dropping feeling from before came back. I gasped as I doubled over on the floor.

"Phoenix! Phoenix are you okay?" Braden asked as he went to the floor with me. It was too late to try and kick him out. Hopefully, him seeing wouldn't change too much. Hopefully nothing too revealing would even happen, but it was happening again. There was no doubt about it. I knew the feeling too well by now. I was being pulled back. Braden stood quickly. I held on to his arm to stop him as I panted.

"Don't tell your parents," I breathed as I felt the pull of the time travel hit me. Everything went black before I was flying through the colors again. When I reached a stopping point, I was staring through the colors at the scene of the lab again. The number of people working on the machine had doubled. My dad looked like he hadn't slept in days as he tapped away on a tablet. I was back in my own time but I couldn't get out. I was stuck watching everything from inside the warp.

"It should be working! Why hasn't she come back?" My dad asked in frustration.

"We haven't quite figured out the logistics of how to pull her out. She should be there, but without a physical force, she'll be stuck inside the warp as long as it's on," another scientist explained.

"But anything we put in that room will just get sucked in too," my dad said as he slammed the tablet down. Someone put their hand on his shoulder in a comforting motion.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out. We'll keep testing it, and we'll get her back," they tried to reassure my dad. He sighed and shook his head.

"No, we also have to think of the physical toll it's taking on her body. Time travel isn't kid's play. We could potentially kill her if we pull her back and forth too much. We have to think of another way. Or find the right solution and get it right the first time," my dad reasoned out loud.

"I'm sure we'll think of something. For now, she's probably been stuck in the warp for a while. Let's shut it down while we try to think of solutions," another scientist said. My dad sighed before looking to where I was. It felt like he was looking right at me, but I knew he couldn't really see me.

"I'm sorry, Phoenix. I should have never let this happen to you. Sit tight wherever you are for now. I'll think of a way to get you back," he said. With one last look, he picked the tablet back up and shut down the machine. I was pulled back to 2017 before everything went black again.