Until We Meet Again(34)

well drag myself as low as possible.

I squeeze my eyes shut. No, you have to do this. If I’m going

to follow through with what I know is right, I can’t delay a

minute longer. Time to rip off the Band-Aid.

“Come sit by me,” Lawrence says. “I’ll read it to you.”

I grab his arm to stop him from sitting. “Wait.”

His deep brown eyes search mine, and they’re so beautiful

that I almost cave again. “We need to talk.”

“All right,” he says hesitantly, still searching my face. “Is

everything okay? You look a little pale.”

“I’m not okay.” The tightness in my throat winds into a knot.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“It’s more something that didn’t happen.”

“Not sure I understand.”

“It’s Billy Howard.”

Lawrence frowns. “What about him?”

“He wasn’t supposed to die.”

“What?”

“I knew someone related to him. In my time. And yesterday,

he just…ceased to exist.”

He studies me, thoughts flickering behind his eyes. “What

do you mean?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me. One

minute I knew him. Everyone around me knew him. I had

pictures of him on my phone. And then after yesterday, it’s like

he’d never was. Not even his best friend knew who I was talking about when I mentioned his name. The pictures are gone.

He’s gone.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Billy Howard wasn’t supposed to die. You were supposed to

be with him, but you weren’t because of me. And as a result,

Travis Howard is essentially dead as well. Don’t you get it? You

and I have messed with time. We’ve changed things that weren’t

supposed to be changed, just by knowing each other.”

Lawrence shakes his head. “But how could that be possible?

You haven’t come into my time, nor I into yours. How could

we have changed a thing?”

“Because you’re in the past. You’re not supposed to even know

I exist. Look, I think we can both agree that the simple fact we

can see each other is a freak of nature. Right?”

“Yes. But what does that matter?”

“This proves why it matters! Because people are vanishing,

Lawrence. Because of us. Because we’re playing with something

you just don’t mess with. I mean, for all we know, this conversation could be altering history as we speak. I could walk back

into my house and find out that Hitler the Fifth has just been

reelected Global Chancellor!”

Lawrence sets a hand on my shoulder. His brow is furrowed

with concern. “Cassandra, you’re very worked up.”

I back away from his touch. “Don’t tell me I’m crazy. You

need to accept it.”

“Accept what? I’m still not sure I understand what’s going on.

What are you suggesting we do about this?”

Now we come to it. I turn my face away from him, focusing

instead on the shimmering curl of waves.

“We have to say goodbye.”

Lawrence’s silence cuts into me, but I push forward with

what must be said. “You have to forget that you ever met me.

And I will forget that I met you. We have to leave this beach

and never come back again.”

“You can’t mean that,” he says.

“I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

“How are you so sure it does?”

“Lawrence—”

“This whole business with Billy Howard could be a coincidence. A misunderstanding—”

I smash my fingers to my temples. “People don’t just disappear, Lawrence! We can’t fight it. We have to move forward

with our lives as if none of this ever happened.”

“You think I can do that? Can you?”

“I can, and I will.”

His eyes intense, he pulls the folded sheet of paper from his

coat pocket and presses it in my hand. “Read this first.”

“No.”

“Please, Cassandra.”

“You’re making this more difficult than it has to be.” I pull

away from him, my heart pounding. “Look, it’s been really

amazing getting to know you. But this is where it ends, okay?”

He shakes his head. As I hand him back the poem, you’d

think I was slapping him across the face, “I wish it could work,

Lawrence. I mean that.”

“I’ll wait for you,” he says, his voice tight. “I’ll come out every

day and night, and wait on this beach.”

“Please don’t.”

“I will.”

“I have to go.” Band-Aid, Cass. The faster the better. I turn

away. “Goodbye, Lawrence.”

And then, all at once, he catches me in his arms. For an electric moment, he holds me, staring into my eyes with a power