SKIPPING TIME

Chapter 16.5

When Ray returned Cacee was still leaning on the warmth of Jess's shoulder. She started to lift her head but noted Ray's scowl. Scowling back, she moved closer to Jess and draped her arm across his chest. Her stomach reacted like this was its audition for The Lord of the Dance. Still, she did her best to look casually sophisticated, like she snuggled up to beautiful, unconscious boys on a daily basis—and like her newfound father physically flinching at the sight didn't bother her in the least.

She couldn't help but notice that Ray looked a lot better with his face washed and dressed in a button-down brown shirt and pressed khakis. Even with a black eye and swollen lip, he was a good- looking guy. It seemed like a weird thing to notice about her own dad but, since he was a virtual stranger, her brain automatically saw him as such.

Still, stranger or not, with him dry and clean, the resemblance between them stood out with startling clarity. It wasn't only the strange color of his eyes. It was the same coffee-bean shade of hair, the same arch to his eyebrows, the way he tilted his head to the side when something confused him, how his irises turned more purple than blue when he smiled...

Ray cleared his throat, snapping her out of her scrutiny. To her surprise, he held a pair of pink pajamas covered in smiling turtles. "Here, they're a little silly, but they'll be a lot more comfortable."

She sat up and looked at him in surprise. "Why do you have those?"

Ray ran his hand through his hair. She'd already realized it was a nervous habit. He said, "They were supposed to be for your mom. A long time ago, I thought she would be with me when I left the Station. I've got a whole box of her stuff over there. You're just about the same size as her."

She noticed how beat down Ray looked, and a twinge of her desire to know him returned. He didn't seem like he'd wanted to leave her mom behind. She tried to sound a little nicer as she asked, "Why didn't she come?"

Ray's shoulders bowed, as if the memory was heavy. "Nothing happened the way we'd planned. This is part of that story I need to tell you. But, in a nutshell, the people after me were supposed to be dead before we ran. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. Pete—." Ray winced, unable to hide his pain. He trailed off and shook his head. "It was too dangerous to bring her."

Too curious to let it go, she asked, "Who's Pete?"

"My younger brother. You're exactly like him. You two would have loved each other." Ray's voice cracked, and he looked at the ground. Something about the way he stood reminded her of Jess right then. He looked... defeated. Pete obviously died. How? Killed by the same men after Ray? How many years had Ray been running? And why?

Jess stirred and mumbled her name. She turned towards him, "Jess?"

He tossed his head, whispering, "Cace."

She leaned down, rested her hand against his forehead and frowned. Distracted by both her relief and her preoccupation with Ray, she'd somehow missed Jess's rising fever. Guilt bubbled up inside her as she scowled at Ray. "Why is he so hot? Why didn't you tell me he was sick?"

Ray said, "Some people run a fever after skipping, or it could be from his arm. He just needs Ibuprofen. I think he's close to waking, so I'm going to get him some medicine and leave you two alone for a few minutes."

She nodded, but kept her eyes on Jess.

He groaned as his eyes flickered beneath his eyelids.

"Jess?"

"Cace? Cacee?"

He sounded raspy and weak, but she still heard the urgency he said her name with.