I might be dead tomorrow, but I have tonight with Adam. I want to make it count.
I roll on top of him and reach for the front of his jeans to undo the fly. As I pop open the top button, his mouth tears away from mine. “Elena—” He breathes heavily. “I can’t…I mean, I’ve never—”
I freeze with my hand on his jeans. “Never?”
“No. But I want to. Now. With you.” He looks away, clearing his throat. “I just…wanted you to know. In case it wasn’t good or something.”
Oh my God, I’m such an idiot. We’re moving way too fast. I don’t want Adam’s first time to be rushed and desperate and in some strange place. My first time was like that, in the back of some guy’s car. With Adam, I want it to be special.
I might never get that chance with him. But he still deserves better than this.
I climb off him reluctantly. “I’m sorry. I got carried away.”
“Elena…” He sits up and reaches for me, sliding his arm around my waist.
“We’ll have time later,” I say and hope it’s true.
“Will we?” He stares off into the distance, then meets my eyes. “Elena, I don’t want to go back to our time.”
“You don’t?” Adam has every reason to go back. Why would he give up his future?
“We could stay in the future. Not go into the aperture. Live the rest of our lives here like this, together.”
It’s tempting, so tempting, but I shake my head. I might not be giving up much by staying here, but Adam will lose everything. “Your mom needs you. And the cure—you have to develop that someday.”
“I know.” His head drops. “I just…my future self said he never saw you again after we got back.”
I touch his chin and lift his head up. “You’ll see me again. I promise.”
But the same fear is inside me. Why didn’t we contact each other after we got back? Was it future shock, making us forget this moment ever happened? Or was there just no time between when we got back and my death?
“Good, because I’m not going anywhere.” He smiles and he’s so cute, with or without his glasses. And far too good to be with someone like me. “I said I’d protect you after all.”
I curl up beside him, resting my head on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me and holds me against him. I can hear his heart pounding and place my hand on his chest, feeling his life pulse beneath me.
For the first time all day, I relax. I forget everything that’s happened, and everything yet to come, and savor this moment. I might only have a few precious hours left alive, but in Adam’s arms, I feel immortal.
20:59
The car drives itself into Aether Corporation’s underground garage and parks in Future-Adam’s spot. We jump out and slip on our backpacks, now filled with our added supplies from Aid-Mart. I have the gun with me too, even though I pray I won’t have to use it. My insides dance with nerves and anxious energy, but I’m ready. We’re actually doing something to change our future.
“Everyone knows what to do?” Chris asks.
We all nod and mutter “yeah.” Zoe’s eyes are wide, her hands tightly gripping the straps on her backpack, while Trent rocks back and forth on his heels with a grin. Adam pulls out the jammer and flips it on, the light changing to green. I check both my watches, counting the seconds as they tick by.
At precisely 3:35 a.m. the door to the stairs opens and Lynne peeks her head out. Emotion crosses her face when she sees us, but I can’t tell if it’s relief or worry. “You’re here.” She steps back so we can enter the stairwell. “There are two guards in the lobby, but otherwise the building seems empty. Good luck.”
“Thanks again for your help,” Adam says.
Trent hands her a walkie-talkie headset like we’re all wearing. “If you see or hear anything, let us know with this.”
Lynne disappears up the stairs to head back to her office as part of our plan. I count two minutes on my watch, then nod at the others. We crowd together and start up the stairs, the jammer in Adam’s hands keeping us off the cameras.
Once on the sixth floor, I lead the way through the hallway, tracing the steps from my memory. We pass the door to the lab and creep past empty cubicles, listening for sounds of anyone else on the floor until we reach Future-Adam’s office. Adam lets us in with a scan of his hand, and we quietly shut the door behind us. I let out a long breath. So far, so good—but now the real work begins.