Page 68 of Timeless: Encore

Zane:Yeah. Be there soon.

I’ve got to pull my shit together. It’s my job to be there for Fiona. She’s who matters, not Carter. I should not have left her to deal with the aftermath of our businesses on her own.

Fuck this. I’m leaving. I push through the ICU door. God dammit. Zoey sits with my mom just outside. I wonder why she’s here and not with Ty, but I don’t think I can face her to ask. Their backs are turned so I skulk back behind the door. It’s not my proudest moment, but I listen to their conversation like a fucking creeper.

Mom cries over Carteragain.“Just when I think he can’t hurt me any worse…”

“It did happen before you were with him, right?” Zoey’s surprisingly kind. She shouldn’t be after what I did to her husband. “Ty was born before Zane.”

“I know.” My mom shrugs.

Zoey takes a deep breath. “It still hurts?”

“So much.” Tears stream down my mom’s beautiful face. It breaks my goddamn heart. “We were in such a new relationship when I got pregnant with Zane. But he was the hottest guy in town. I thought I was the shit. God, I had this idea we’d be Seattle’s ‘it’ couple. I guess I should have expected he was fucking different women. But getting some underage street girl pregnant? I just can’t fathom.”

Yeah. Me either. It’s a knife to my heart.

Zoey takes her hand. “I think you and I are a lot alike, Lianne.And,I think Carter and Ty are a lot alike.”

Jesus. I can’t take any of this. She’s fucking comparing them? Like this is normal? I want to punch something. I’m getting the hell out of here and let the chips fall where they may. I push through the door, my mom and Zoey look around. Startled to see me.

It takes all I can muster to acknowledge them, though I don’t look either of them in the eye. “Hey, Mom. Zoey.”

“Zane. I’m sorry about Carter. How is he?” She’s literally the nicest person alive. How can she be this sweet in the face of such madness?

I stand there like a fool. Then plop down next to my mom. I still can’t look at Zoey, so I cover my eyes with my hands. “Sore. Sad. Shell-shocked.” I should shut up, but no. I word vomit. “What the fuck is happening? I can’t comprehend that Carter is Ty’s father. That Ty is mybrother.”

Mom draws me to her and kisses my head. Like I’m five. But, I need it so I lean in. Close my eyes. She speaks so softly. “Were you able to talk to him about it?”

“No.” I don’t want to admit that most of the night I sat with him in hatred, not love. “It’s not the right time. He needs to get his strength back.”

I make the mistake of looking at Zoey, who’s watching me. Her hazel eyes are so sad. She rubs her bump. God. I put a pregnant woman’s husband in jail. I put my brother in jail. I’m so upset, I almost don’t hear her when she asks, “Zane, do you mind telling me what happened?”

Shit. It takes me a minute to gather my courage. “Well, it happened so fast. Ty was just telling us about the meeting you had with the estate lawyer. He showed us a picture of Jada with Ty as a baby. Carter recognized her as a girl who came around The Junkyard.” I stroke my stubble as I recount the story, ending with the DNA results.

When I’m done she looks devastated. “I had no idea Ty brought that envelope with him. I thought we’d open it together.”

“Zoey, in all honesty, I don’t think I can take much more today. I want to be with Fee. And Mia. I think all of this is going to take a little time.” I stand and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Carter needs to heal. Physically. Mentally. He loves Ty, he’ll want him in his life. I do too, it’s just? A lot. Can we take a rest until we know where Ty’s head is at? Is that okay?”

Zoey nods. “Of course. I have to get home too, my dad’s bringing Ty home from …jail.”

“I’ll keep you up to date on Carter.” My mom hands Zoey her phone. “Program your number in here.”

While they’re exchanging numbers, I slip out. I’m on the way to the parking lot when I realize I came here in the ambulance. My head is such a mess. I call Zeke. Sure enough, he’s already in the parking lot and arrives in under a minute, thank God. Fifteen minutes later, I let myself in the back entrance at Gus.

The place is spotless. Like opening night never happened.

I guess it didn’t.

I push open the door to the office. Fee’s at her desk. I see the back of her head, which rests on her forearms on top of the desk. Maybe she’s sleeping.

“Fee?” I whisper.

She rolls her head around to look at me through half-mast eyes. “I’m kind of awake.”

“Babe.” I rush over to her side. Pull her against me.

She buries her face in my neck. “How’s Carter?”

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