Page 53 of When I Found You

“Have you ever known me to joke about anything like this in my life?”

“Good point.” Rob grabs a few pills from a bottle and pours me a small cup of water. “Take these. They’ll help with swelling and pain.”

I pop them in my mouth and wash them down.

Rob leans against the counter and crosses his arms. “What the hell happened?”

Deflated, I shake my head. “I don’t know. One minute we’re all over each other and then the next she’s spinning some crazy story.”

“Hold up,” Rob interjects. “You two had sex?”

I nod. “Yeah, I came home this morning and well, we worked things out.”

“I’m glad you came to your senses.” He eyes me with skepticism. “After your behavior last night, you’re lucky I didn’t break your nose first.”

“I admit. I was an asshole.” I replace the ice pack on the right side of my nose. “I came home this morning and apologized. Then things got a little heated.”

“You two fucked like rabbits.” Rob nods. “I get the point, please feel free to skip to the part where she kicks your ass.”

“After the most amazing sex I’ve ever had...” I pause for emphasis and to annoy Rob, stopping only to admire the look of disgust on his face. “She tells me the truth.”

“She never lost her memory?” Rob asks with a slow grin.

“Well, that, yes, but also when she’s from.” I wait for it to hit him.

Rob’s brow furrows. “You mean where she’s from?”

I shake my head with slow precision. “When.”

He blinks in confusion. “What?”

I lean close regardless of the fact we’re the only two people in the room and keep my voice low. “She thinks she’s from the year 2020.”

Rob’s jaw drops. “Maybe the whack on the head did more damage than I thought? We should definitely get her in for an evaluation.”

“That’s what I said to her.” I gesture wildly. “She stormed into the bedroom. I tried calling you, but you were with a patient. Then when she came out, she was determined to leave. I tried to stop her.” Helplessly, I point at my swollen nose. “She gave me a broken nose and bruised...ego before storming out.” I clear my throat.

“Where did she go?”

“I don’t know.” I hiss when I shift the icepack to the other side. “I called Marcy before I left and told her to keep an eye out for her. I told her to call everyone at the office and have let me know if she contacts them.”

“Good idea. She’s got nowhere to go, so she may reach out for help.”

“I hope so.” The thought of Kate out in the city alone with no direction and no support stirs guilt and regret in my gut. “I should have...I don’t know, done something different. I mean what the hell am I supposed to say to someone when they tell me they’re from the future?”

“Your reaction is normal.” Rob grabs his notepad and scribbles a number down. “Did she seem lucid when she told you?”

“Yes.” I sigh. “I mean, the way she said it, I could tell she believed every word.”

“Hmmm.” Rob ponders this for a moment. “The day you found her, did she have anything on her that would give you any indication as to where she was from or confirm she’s telling you the truth?”

I scoff. “You’re not actually saying you believe her, do you?”

Rob shrugs. “There are a lot of possibilities. I’m saying maybe we should investigate a little bit more before writing it off. When we find her, we can run a scan and make sure she’s physically okay.” His gaze sharpens. “I’ve met a lot of patients with serious mental issues over the years. Kate doesn’t exhibit any symptoms which cause me to think she’s unstable or crazy, so to speak.”

“You’re right.” My rational mind wars with my instincts. “I just...I need her, Rob. I feel like shit.”

“I know.” He pats me on the shoulder. “Go home and look through her stuff. See if you can find anything.”

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