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Chapter 9
None of this made any sense. How could a simple mission like this go so horribly wrong? All night he had researched how to help Isabella with her delusions, and now things were worse than they had been before. He’d managed to do the one thing that all the psychology websites warned him about—he had confirmed her delusions. The little trip to the coin shop was supposed to open her eyes, make her realize that this coin was just like any other antique coin rather than a travel companion from 1881. So, when did all of this turn from hot to wildfire?
Liam glanced over to Isabella who was looking out the window, clearly avoiding eye contact. This woman thought she’d time traveled here with nothing more than her clothes, some jewelry, and that damn coin from 1881; and according to the Finer Things shop owners, at least the coin actually did. This was crazy. What was he even thinking driving to 5thStreet? He should have taken her offer and gotten her straight into medical care. So why the hell was he driving to that road again?
The answer to that question was as crazy as the time traveling coin itself…What if… Liam mumbled to himself. He was by no means a man who believed in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but what if there was even the slightest chance that Isabella was not delusional? That little visit to Finer Things had opened the door to this cryptically incomprehensible and beyond impossible chance that she actually time tr… No. No! He couldn’t even say it in his mind. That's how mad it all sounded. But then…What if.Beyond reasonable doubt like those lawyers used to say. It had to be a hundred percent. Not ninety, not even ninety-nine. No, he had to be a hundred percent certain she wasn't from 1881.
He cared for her, more than he ever thought possible. So if there was even the slightest chance that she was not delusional, how horrible would it be that nobody believed her? To be treated insane. Far away from everything and everybody she knew. Liam was a logical man, but his eyes betrayed him, taking a peek toward her. A few blonde curls hung onto the sides of her face. Her lips were full and rosy under the warm glow of the sun as he studied the intricate curves of her face. A fuzzy feeling formed in his stomach, which led to the same desire he’d felt that night when he kissed her. He forced himself to regain composure, eyes on the road, before he ended up leading both of them into another car accident.
Liam turned into 5thStreet, the very place where everything had started. During the day it looked just like any other Philly row-house neighborhood. Trees lined up in front of houses, all painted with white front porches. There was no parking lot nearby, so he decided to pull into someone else's driveway. It shouldn’t take long. He wasn't even sure if this plan of his would work. Doubt was creeping into his mind. But again, he had to be sure, and this was the way to prove it once and for all.
“What are we doing here?” Isabella asked, opening the door. Liam's gaze surveyed the neighborhood. His face meant business.
“I want to look at people’s doorbells,” he said as he got out of the car and walked toward the middle of the street. Confusion clearly written all over her face, Isabella followed behind him. With his hands on his hips, eyes shifted left and right like a hawk looking for prey. “This should be about where I hit you, don’t you think?”
Still confused, she stood next to him looking at the ground. Her eyes scouted the road and got caught on a pot hole. “Yes, I believe so. I think I remember this hole on the pavement.” She pointed to it.
“Good.” Liam turned around and walked up to a house which was the closest to the scene of the accident. It was a blue row-house with a white porch. Isabella followed him with curious big steps, all the way to the door. A quick glance at the doorbell revealed that this was not what he hoped to find.
“What exactly are we looking for?” Isabella wondered. He pulled out his phone and Googled a picture of a Ring doorbell.
“This.” He held it right in front of her face. She grabbed the phone, analyzing the picture.
“How will this help us?”
“It records everything that happens in front of the home and stores it for sixty days.”
“Like a camera?”
“Yes, sort of. It's like a surveillance camera. If we get lucky, we might be able to see what really happened that night.” Gosh, he was already talking to her as if she was indeed from a different time. He walked down the steps and proceeded to a porch to the left next door. Instead of following him, Isabella meandered toward the house on the right.
Liam now stood in front of a red door with a white doorbell. But still, nothing. He took a peek toward Isabella to see if she’d got lucky, only to find her shaking her head back toward him. No dice either. It started to set in that this plan was a far cry after all. What was he even hoping to find? Liam was about to cross the street to take a look at the houses on other side when he heard Isabella shout.
“Here! This one has the same rectangular thing like the one on your phone!” She yelled ecstatically. Liam’s mouth gaped open, he staggered a step backwards as if his heart had just punched right through his chest. He couldn’t believe it. He ran over to the small brick house that Isabella stood in front of, but before he could even say a word, the door opened, revealing a square-faced man in his forties with saggy cheeks and droopy eyes that squinted at them.
“Can I help you?” This man was clearly not in the mood for people yelling in front of his door.
“Yes, so sorry about all of this.” Liam stood next to Isabella. “We were wondering if we could take a look at your doorbell footage?”
The man scanned them from head to toe. Awkward silence filled the air. Without a word, the man slowly backed inside and was about to slam the door, when Isabella placed a hand against it.
“I’m so terribly sorry for this inconvenience. We didn't mean to intrude. But I was hit by a car a few weeks ago and was hoping to find out more about what had happened.” The guy was clearly thinking as he stalled for a moment. His eyes wavered while his mouth was downturned; an odd pained expression painted his face.
"My wife was hit by a car once. That asshole drove off and got away with it." He winced before finally swinging the door open, giving them a glimpse into his living room. “Come on in, I hope I can help you find that asshole.”
Liam stiffened, pulling at his collar, trying to clear his throat. “That asshole would be me”he whispered just loud enough for Isabella to hear.
“Thank you for helping me find thisasshole,”she glanced at Liam, holding her laughter under pursed lips.
The man led them inside and into a quite cozy living room. White walls, new hardwood floors, and warm gold furniture revealed a rather tasteful and modern home. It was beautiful. Houses in this street must be expensive, Liam thought to himself.
“I’m Jesse by the way.”
“Isabella.”
“Liam.”
He signaled them to take a seat on the couch. “Let me grab my Mac. You guys just got lucky. My wife made me get this camera about five weeks ago. Our neighbors had noticed some creep wearing all black lingering around here at night.” Jesse disappeared into the hallway. Liam sat down next to Isabella.
