Safe Travels Read online

  She clears her throat and gives me a pointed look. “Like I was saying, I believe this boy has a strong gift, just like you. You met him in the past, so he’s probably a past shifter, or he could have been there with someone else. That would explain how you were able to see the future together.” I shift my legs to the side of me, leaning down on my elbow. “How do you know it was the future?” Mom follows my stance so we’re both lying on the rug in my bedroom floor. “You’ve never met him, yet you saw a vision of the two of you together. I’d say that would be the future.”

  I slap my palm against my forehead, feeling like an idiot as Mom rolls onto her back laughing. I sit up and cock my head to the side. “How would we be able to see the future if neither of us are future shifters?” Mom composes herself and sits up. She takes a deep breath, “Well, there’s no real science to this, but from what I’ve read in the Societies archives, it has only happened one other time in the history of the Society. The couple were both past shifters, their parents were present shifters and they’re grandparents were future shifters. Basically, all the stars and moon must align for something like this to happen. They were a power couple, almost bringing down the Hunters, as they were called in the old days. There’s a Prophecy that another power couple will emerge, taking down the Hunters, once and for all.” She shrugs as she finishes.

  I stare at her with my mouth hanging open and a look of disbelief. “You know this sounds crazy, right? And what is a Hunter?” Mom takes a deep breath. “The Hunters are a group that, for lack of better word, hunt people with our gift.” I stare at her for a moment with wide eyes. “I’m sorry. Hunt?” Mom nods again. “Yes, O. This is the danger that the Society protects our kind from.” My mind swims with questions, but my body betrays me as a large yawn slips out.

  Mom sits up before standing, offering me her hand, pulling me up as well. She wraps both her arms around my neck, pulling me tight. “I’m so proud of you, O. I’m scared of this new information about this guy, but I have to believe it’s your destiny.” She pulls back and smiles widely at me as I shake my head. “This isn’t destiny with Cooper. I’m sure I’ll never see him again.” Mom shrugs as she walks to my bedroom door. “Get some sleep, dear.” She says as she slips out, closing the door behind her.

  Chapter 4

  I wake up the morning of my high school graduation, refreshed and ready for the day. I decided to go to bed early, forgoing my usual reading the night before. It’s a few hours until the ceremony, but I head to the bathroom to get ready anyway. After my shower I take extra time on my makeup, and hair. Curling the ends of my long blonde hair into waves.

  I step out of the bathroom and find a black dress draped across my bed with a note on top. I flip the card over to read it. Congratulations baby! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you! Love, Mom and Gamma. Smiling, I place the card on my nightstand and pick up the dress. Our school colors are black and gold, and we were instructed to wear either color for graduation today. Thank God they didn’t buy me a gold dress. I chuckle to myself as I slip on the dress.

  It’s a strapless dress that flairs out right at my waist with a layer of tulle underneath that falls above my knees. I turn in front of the mirror in my closet. It really does look great on me. I grab a pair of black heels from my closet, slipping them on before walking out to the kitchen. Mom turns as she hears me come in the room, putting a hand over her mouth as her eyes fill with tears. “Stop it, Mom.”

  She fans her eyes and walks toward me, wrapping her arms around me. “You look beautiful, O.” I rest my head on her shoulder as she quietly sobs against me. I pull back and look at her as she wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, then waving a hand at me as she walks to the stove. “I just can’t believe this day is here already.” I roll my eyes behind her back as I take a seat at the bar. Already? This day has been coming since I started Kindergarten twelve years ago!

  Mom turns and scowls at me over her shoulder, like she can hear what I’m thinking. “This goes a lot quicker on my side, than yours.” I tilt my head and smile at her as she places eggs and bacon on two plates, dropping one in front of me before taking the bar stool next to me. I quickly finish my breakfast and hop off the stool, taking my dish to the sink, rinsing it and placing it in the dishwasher.

  As I turn around to Mom she’s crying again. I shake my head as I walk over and give her a hug. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere, Mom. I didn’t apply to college because I wasn’t sure about joining the Society or not.” She nods against me as she takes a shaky breath. “I know, but you’re all grown up now.” I chuckle as I release my arms from around her, giving her a smile. “I’ve got to get going or I’ll be late. I’ll see you at ten!” I call as I stride to the front door.

  I pull into the parking lot of the high school and turn my car off. The senior class is already gathering on the lawn in front of the school. Callie turns and faces me as I walk up, waving excitedly and rushing over to me. “We’re fucking done!” She grabs both of my hands and bounces in front of me. I laugh as she pulls me into a hug. Damn, I’m going to miss her when she leaves for college in a few weeks.

  Before long, we’re all in caps and gowns, in alphabetical order, making our way into the stadium. I spot Mom and Gamma in the stands as I take my seat, giving them a little wave. The ceremony goes quickly. There’s only a hundred people in my graduating class. After the ceremony, I turn in my gown and make my way to my car. Mom and Gamma are leaning against it, both wiping tears from under their eyes.

  They see me coming and both open their arms wide. I grip them both and we all hug tightly as Mom and Gamma blubber against me. I chuckle as I pull away from them. “Come on, y’all. This isn’t that big of a deal.” They both cry harder and hug me again. Eventually they head for home and I stand around the parking lot chatting with a few friends. It finally hits me that this is the last time I’ll stand in this parking lot talking with this group of people.

  I’m finally able to get in my car, alone, and head for home. As I pull in the driveway and turn off my car I lean back against the headrest, taking a deep breath. “What in the hell am I going to do now?” I ask my empty car. After sitting in the driveway for a few moments I gather myself and head inside.

  Mom and Gamma are in the living room when I walk in. Mom jumps up, clutching something in her hand as she walks toward me. She grips my hand and pulls me down the hallway as I look over my shoulder at Gamma. She winks before we disappear into my bedroom. Mom closes the door behind us and locks it, turning to face me. “What in the world are you doing?”

  She grabs my hand and walks to the middle of my bedroom floor, sinking down and pulling me down with her. She looks at me with sad eyes as she opens her clutched hand, revealing a locket necklace. I study the locket in her hand before reaching for it. She closes her fingers over it and pulls back, as I look into her eyes. “Your father gave me this locket.” She closes her eyes as a tear slides down her cheek.

  “This will take you back to the day he gave it to me. If you want, of course.” I take a moment to let that sink in. I’ve never really thought about my father. Mom said he died when I was younger and that was that. But now, having the opportunity to meet him. I shake my head in disbelief before looking at her. She holds her hand out to me, the locket resting in her palm.

  I eye it wearily. “It’s up to you, O.” I nod as I run my finger along the locket, feeling those familiar tingles. I take a deep breath as I sit up straighter, holding my hand out. I look up into Mom’s eyes. “Are you going with me?” She lets out a shaky breath as more tears form in her eyes. “If you’ll take me.” I chuckle as she places the necklace in my palm and I grip her hand, closing my eyes and focusing on the locket. “You can stay in the shadows or you can choose to meet him. It’s up to you.” I open my eyes to look at my her. I haven’t even thought this through.

  I take a deep breath and close my eyes, focusing on the locket again. A small farmhouse comes into view. I guide us toward it, as
I scan the outside, making sure no one is around. Mom squeezes my hand. “No one is around, just your father, who is inside.” I nod my head and land us gently just in front of the porch. Mom lets go of my hand and brushes her hair back, looking at me with teary eyes. “You decided to meet him then?” I nod my head, unable to speak over the lump in my throat.

  Mom walks up the few steps as I follow behind her. She takes a deep breath before knocking on the door. A young man, no older than twenty opens the door. He has blonde hair and green eyes. I suck in a breath as I see myself in him. He pushes the door open wider and looks between Mom and I. Settling on Mom, he scrunches his eyebrows. “Lil?” His face brightens as she nods her head. He grips her hips and pulls her to him, laying a kiss on her that you only see in movies.

  I look away, not knowing what else to do as they kiss passionately right in front of me. Mom places her hand on his chest, pushing him back a step. He clears his throat and glances over at me. “Sorry.” I snicker as he puts his hand out, gesturing for us to come inside. Mom walks in ahead of me, taking a seat at a small kitchen table and pulling the chair next to her out for me. I sit next to her, my hands in my lap, trying not to let my nerves show.

  My father takes the seat next to Mom, placing his hand on her knee and smiling brightly over at her. “I’m gonna take a wild guess here, but since you’re coming to me from the future, my life didn’t turn out as planned.” I grimace at his words. This is why you don’t visit dead relatives in the past. Mom takes it in stride though, placing her hand in his and lacing their fingers together. “I wanted you to meet your daughter, Robert.”

  The man looks over at me with wide eyes. He’s barely older than I am, but the look on his face is one of a Dad. “My daughter.” He whispers as he stands and walks around the table to kneel before me, placing his hand on my knee. “You’re my Ophelia.” I nod as tears burn my eyes. “How do you know my name?” I barely choke out.

  He looks from me to Mom, smiling. “When your Mom came to tell me she was pregnant, your Grandma already knew we were having a girl. I called you Ophelia from the moment I knew about you.” He stands and pulls me to him as I choke back a sob. “I’m sorry I won’t be there to watch you grow up. I don’t know what happens to me as of yet, but I’m certain your Mom will do a hell of a job raising you.” I nod into his shoulder as tears stream down my face.

  He pulls back and looks me over. “You’re a past shifter?” I nod as I wipe under my eyes. He rests his forehead against mine. “You’re a strong one. I feel it. There are big plans for you.” I pull back to look in his eyes. He’s smiling, but his eyes are brimming with tears. He releases me and takes a step back, giving me a once over and shaking his head slightly. “I never could’ve imagined that you’d turn into such a beautiful young woman.”

  After the initial shock of us showing up on his doorstep, we settle in around his kitchen table. He pours us all cups of coffee as we chat. “This is O’s graduation day. I thought it would be a good time for her to meet you.” Mom says. My Dad smiles proudly at me from across the table. “Congratulations. I hope this won’t be the only time you come to see me, now that you have the locket.” Moms eyes widen as she stares at him. He chuckles and shrugs. “This is the day I gave you that locket. Y’all arrived fifteen minutes after eighteen-year-old you left here.” I shake my head as I sip my coffee. Time traveling is so damn weird sometimes.

  “Are you planning to join the Society, Ophelia?” Dad asks from across the table. I shake my head slightly as I place my coffee cup down on the table. “No. I declined my invitation a few weeks ago.” I look up to find Mom and Dad having a wordless conversation between each other. Dad looks back to me. “What are your plans now that you’re a high school graduate?” I shrug a shoulder with a scoff. “I have no idea.” He gives a small chuckle with a shake of his head. “I’m sure something will fall into place.”

  After another hour of talking about what Mom and I are doing in the present, Mom looks at the watch on her wrist. “We need to get going.” She says, looking at me. I reluctantly get to my feet. Dad walks around the table and I make the move to embrace him, throwing my arms around his waist. He pulls me close and places a kiss to the top of my head. “I hope you know that I loved you from the day I found out about you.”

  I nod against his chest as tears fill my eyes. As I step away Mom takes my place, standing on her tiptoes to kiss my Dad. I smile as I watch the exchange. I’m glad to know they truly loved each other, and I wasn’t some mistake. Mom steps away, wiping under her eyes, and gripping my hand. “I love you, Robert. I’ll love you until the day I die.” He gives her a sad smile as he places his hand against his heart. “I’ll love you until the day I die.”

  Mom chokes on a sob, but squeezes my hand, letting me know it’s time to go. I reach my hand in the pocket of my dress and retrieve the locket. I take one last look at my Dad as I palm the locket. “I love you too, Ophelia. With every breath I have left.” I nod as I close my eyes, transporting Mom and I back to my room in the present.

  I’m surprised I have it in me to land us in my bedroom and not upside down in a tree outside. The emotional rollercoaster of our journey hits me and I sob against Mom’s shoulder for a long time. She pulls away, keeping her hands on my shoulders. “I didn’t know if this was the right time for you to meet him.” I look into her teary eyes and nod. “No. This was the perfect time.” She pulls me back against her as we cry in my bedroom floor together.

  I don’t know how long we stay like this, both of us with our arms wrapped around the other, crying quietly, then sobbing loudly. Mom eventually pulls back, looking at me with tear stained cheeks. “Come on. We need to clean ourselves up.” She stands and pulls me from the floor, guiding us to my bathroom. She takes the time to wash her face and use my makeup in the drawer to fix her face. I follow suit, reapplying my eyeliner and mascara and throwing on red lipstick.

  We walk out of my bedroom hand in hand to the living room. My eyes widen as I take in the scene around me. There’s a banner hung over the couch. Congratulations Class of 2018. A few of my friends and their parents are here, as well as Callie and her Dad standing off to the side. She turns and we lock eyes. She barrels toward me and wraps her arms around my neck. “I can’t believe we’re high school graduates!” She squeals as she bounces up and down.

  I give her my best smile. I can’t believe I just met my Dad, in the past, before he died. I blink my eyes rapidly to dispel the tears that could surface as I smile at her. She takes in my face and pulls me into another hug, whispering in my ear. “Are you ok?” I nod against her shoulder slightly. “I just met my Dad.” She pulls back and stares at me with a shocked expression as I shake my head slightly.

  She grips my hand and squeezes it tightly, letting me know she’s here for me whenever I’m ready. Gamma sticks her head out of the dining room, giving me a sad smile. I nod at her with a smile, letting her know I’m ok. The doorbell rings and Callie walks with me to the door, her arm looped through mine. I pull the door open with a fake smile planted on my face. I wish Mom and Gamma wouldn’t have planned this party after the trip I took this evening.

  As I pull the door open, my fake smile quickly fades as my breath catches. “Cooper?” I manage to say. He stands on my doorstep with his hands in his pockets, smiling timidly at me. Mom peeks her head around the door, sizing him up before looking at me. “Cooper?” I nod just as Gamma fills in the gap in the door. “Cooper.” She says. Her voice certain. I stare at Cooper on the steps. He pulls one hand from his pocket, giving a little wave to the crowd in the doorway. “I guess you already know, but I’m Cooper.”

  Callie unhooks her arm from mine, reaching forward to grab his hand, pulling him inside. “I’m Callie, O’s bestie. You must be from Oxford.” He quickly looks between the two of us. I give him a slight nod as he shakes her hand, planting an award worthy smile on. “Yeah. That’s me. Cooper from Oxford.” She closes the door behind us, surveying my Mom and Gamma. She hooks her thumb tow
ard the dining room. “I’m going to go help serve the cake.”

  Mom and Gamma glare at Cooper, as I do the same. He clears his throat and looks between the three of us before settling on me. “Is there somewhere we could talk privately?” He asks quietly. Mom huffs as she walks through the crowd of people toward the hallway, Gamma following, me right on her heels. I don’t have to chance a glance because I know Cooper is right behind me. I can feel him.

  Mom holds her bedroom door open as we all file in, shutting it loudly after Cooper steps inside. Mom locks the door, then grips Gamma’s hand as she grips mine. I hold my hand out to Cooper. He looks from my eyes to my hand a few times before taking my hand. We appear in Gamma’s kitchen within a second. Gamma drops my hand as Mom takes a seat at the kitchen table, dropping her head on the table. I take my usual seat at the table, noticing Gamma is starting the coffee pot. She leans back against the counter and motions her head toward the empty seat to my right.

  I sigh as I pull out the chair with my hand, motioning for Cooper to take a seat. He gives me a curt smile as he takes the chair, pulling it away from the table so he’s facing all of us. He dips his head and makes eye contact with all three of us. “Forgive me ladies, but I’ve learned to keep my back to the wall in situations such as these.” I can’t help the smile that creeps up my face. That damn hint of an accent and those damn sky-blue eyes.

  Gamma harrumphs, causing me to refocus my attention. She grabs four coffee cups from the cabinet and slams them down on the counter, filling each one. She walks over, handing one to Cooper before handing me one, a slight scowl on her face. I look over to Cooper as I place cream and sugar in mine. “Do you want any cream or sugar?” He gives me that smile that sets off his dimple, passing his cup to me. “Cream, if you would, love.”