Page 120 of Inception

“Okay.”

He took my hand and pulled me in closer to him.

As soon as his arms were wrapped around me, I shut my eyes and began sifting through my memories, searching for a good day to revisit—the perfect day—and settled on the morning of my dad’s very last birthday. I remembered it as if it were yesterday. Our house, the molten sun shining, the bear hug I gave him before leaving to catch my bus. Every moment was still vivid in my mind, and it was Trace’s for the taking.

The cold quickly flooded my body like an arctic blast, and with that, we were in Hollow Hills no more.

36. SUNNY SIDE UP

The scorching sun kissed my skin like a long-lost love. I’d forgotten how good it could feel. How medicinal its warmth could be. I wanted to stay in this moment forever; let the heat encase my body like a tomb. But alas, I had miles to go.

“Where exactly are we?” asked Trace, peering down the length of the street as we stepped out from behind the hedges.

Apparently, getting us there didn’t necessarily mean he knew wheretherewas.

“This is my old street. Well, my old bus stop to be exact.” We both looked up at the stop sign in unison as though it were some fascinating museum artifact.

“And that’s my house.” I lifted my chin to the modest cream colored Mediterranean house adorned in tall palmetto trees at the end of the street.

“Have you figured out what our story’s going to be?” asked Trace as we started down the street side by side. It felt like an impromptu quiz the way he pressed me for an answer.

I thought about it for a moment. “I’ll tell him you’re new in the neighborhood and that today’s your first day at Cape High.” I paused as I reran the story in my mind. “And that we missed the bus,” I added, remembering that this would be the second time he was seeing me this morning.

“Not bad,” remarked Trace, his dimples pressing in modestly, beckoning me. “I’m impressed.”

He was impressed that I lie well? I shook my head, “you would be.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” His eyes looked like two dazzling orbs in this sunlight.

“You know, just that you look like the kind of guy that would be impressed by something like that.”

He looked intrigued. “And what kind of guy is that?”

I shrugged as though I hadn’t given it much thought. “The kind of guy that has a lot of secrets. The kind that dates girls like Nikki Parker and answers questions with questions. The evasive kind.” I wanted to add ‘the hot brooding kind’ to the list but figured it was best to leave that one out.

He tipped his head in a nod, soaking it in. “You think you have me all figured out, don’t you?”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “Not even a bit.”

By the time we turned up my driveway, my heart had all but climbed up into the back of my throat, threatening a complete system failure. I was going to see my dad again. Right here. Right now. After all this time and afuneral. I had no idea what was in store for me but I refused to let my fear of the unknown stop me. I drew in a lungful of air and pushed open the door.

The familiar sights and aromas assaulted my senses as I walked into the house. It felt peculiar being here after so much time away. Even though everything was the same and I was more than nostalgic for it, somehow, I’d become a stranger to the house. Like I didn’t quite fit here anymore.

Apparently, I didn’t fit inanywhereanymore.

“Jemma? Is that you?” called my father from the kitchen. The sound of his voice hit me like a lightning bolt.

I staggered back, shaking my head. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to set my eyes on him without breaking down.

Trace slinked our hands together. “You can do this,” he whispered, rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. “Just breathe.I got you.”

My insides pinched at his words. I couldn’t figure out how he was able to transmit exactly what I needed to push forward, but he did, and I liked him more for it.

I walked into the kitchen and found my father sitting at the table with a cup of coffee cradled between his hands. The sun dusted his features, giving him that same ethereal look I often imagined him with nowadays. It took every ounce of strength I had to resist the urge to run over to him and crawl into his lap like I did when I was a kid. When I didn’t know any better and thought there’d never come a day when I wouldn’t have my father.

“Who do we have here?” he asked, furrowing his dark brows similar to the way my uncle did when he was talkingRevbusiness. It was unnerving how much they looked alike.

I couldn’t stop staring. “This is Trace. He just moved here. We missed the bus.” Frankly, I couldn’t have done a poorer job lying if I tried doing it on purpose.

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