I force a smile. “Right. The future. Got it.”
Rose’s face is deadly serious. “In your future, you’re recruited to a place where we’ll meet.”
“And what is this place?”
Rose hesitates. “I’d rather not go into specifics.”
It’s hard to go into specifics when you’re messing with someone. These two are unbelievable. I never should’ve let them in the front door. I go to stand, but Rose grabs my arm.
“Wait.” She exhales. “Fine, it’s called Neurovida, and it’s a place where you’ll train to develop—special skills.”
I narrow my eyes. “I don’t have any special skills.”
Rose and Parker exchange a quick glance. It’s as if they have a way of knowing what the other’s thinking without needing to speak.
“Not yet, but you will,” Rose says.
I laugh. “Is this the part where you tell me I’m one of the X-Men?”
Rose’s mouth twitches. “The skills you’ll learn to develop at Neurovida solely involve the act of time travel.”
“Get out,” I say. I’ve been tricked before, too many times to count. The girls at boarding school practically trained me for moments like this.
Rose lets out a deliberate breath. “Ella, if the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t believe me either. But I’m telling you the truth.”
“Then prove it,” I say, raising my chin. “Show me. Time travel.”
“It’s not a fucking parlor trick,” Rose says, shaking her head. “Even if I wanted to, my precision sucks. I can’t risk losing our footing on this specific moment in time. We might end up in last month or—”
“Last year,” Parker adds. It’s the first time he’s spoken since they arrived.
“If you’re not going to help me then shut up, Parker,” Rose snaps in his direction and turns back to me. “I can’t prove it to you—you’ll just need to trust me.”
Trust her?What reason have either of them given me to trust them? Rose, with her spiteful glances, and Parker… He’s frowning, eyes downcast. I want to trust him. My heart tells me I can, but I’m smarter than that. I straighten in my chair. “I want you to leave.”
Parker’s head shoots up, his golden eyes alight. “Wait. There might be a way we can convince you.” He’s speaking to me, but his eyes are fixed on Rose. She shakes her head. “Her sub-t,” he says.
What the hell is going on?
“Yes.” Rose’s eyes widen. “Parker, you’re a genius.”
“I know,” he says, tucking his hands into his pockets. Rose scoffs.
“You two are impossible,” I say.
Parker turns to me and my breath hitches in my throat. His gaze scours my face. “You’re probably time traveling already, but you aren’t aware of it.” He rubs the back of his neck and stares down at the table. “You told me last night you’ve seen me in your dreams, right?”
Nerves shoot through me, and I curse my past self.
“Sometimes we time travel in our sleep,” Rose says. “We call it subconscious traveling. An untrained traveler will mistake it for a dream, but you can tell the difference because when you time travel, you get this sensation, like—warmth in your body. Tingling.” She turns toward Parker. “Are you just going to stand there? Help me out.”
“Electricity,” Parker murmurs, a distant look sweeping across his face. “She always described it like electricity.”
“Thank you,” Rose says, jabbing her hand toward Parker. “It’s like electricity. Running through your body. Have you ever experienced anything like that after you’ve woken from a dream?”
The blood drains from my face, and I lean back in my chair.This can’t be real.
“Tell me about a dream with us in it,” Rose says. I glance at Parker and avert my stare, but Rose misses nothing. “Jesus Christ,” she mutters, rolling her eyes. “Orspecifically, Parker.” Heat rushes to my cheeks. “That wasn’t a dream, but a glimpse into your future. Why don’t you tell us how it starts, and Parker can tell you what happens next?”
