Traveler by L.E. DeLano (book suggestions .txt) 📕

21

Recovery

I’m getting really tired of being an invalid. By Saturday, I’ve finished all my homework and I’m rewriting one of my stories for the fifth time as Finn shows up, bearing my morning coffee from Mugsy’s. “I’m so bored,” I whine as he sits next to me on the couch.

He looks over his shoulder to make sure we’re not overheard. “We could travel again,” he says.

As much as I’d love to get out of the house, I shake my head no.

“I’d feel bad about it. When the other me got here, she really wasn’t expecting me to be injured. There wasn’t much she could do for fun. She ended up rearranging my room, remember?”

“We could watch a movie,” he suggests. “Anything you want.”

“Donnie Darko?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know that one.”

“Strangely enough, it’s about a guy who can see shifts in reality and time. Everyone thinks he’s crazy till the end, when you find out he’s not.”

“I can see the appeal.” He grins.

“I feel so useless,” I huff as I reach for the remote.

“I like you right here where you’re safe.”

His hand reaches out, and he twines his fingers with mine just as Danny’s voice calls out from the front room.

“Jessa! Ben!”

“What about him?” I call back.

“His truck is here. I see his truck.”

I pull my hand from Finn’s, and a second later, the doorbell rings and Danny lets Ben in. He walks into the family room and does a subtle double take when he sees me on the couch with Finn.

“Oh. Sorry,” he says uncomfortably. “I ran into your mom at the gas station and she said you could have visitors now. I can come back later.”

“No!” I reassure him. “It’s fine. Stay.” I gesture to the empty chair across from the couch. “This is Finn. He’s a friend. Finn, this is—”

“Ben,” Finn finishes. “Jessa talks about you all the time.”

I do? Since when? At least, not to Finn I don’t.

“You’re the guy who fished her out of the creek?” Ben asks.

“He’s the one,” I answer for Finn. “You want a soda or something?”

Ben takes his eyes off Finn long enough to roll them at me. “How many times do I have to tell you Yankees?” He asks as he roots through the fridge for his drink. “It’s a Coke. Even if it’s Dr Pepper, it’s a Coke. I don’t drink soda.”

I give him a smirk. “Since when was New Mexico part of the south? It wasn’t much more than a territory during the Civil War, and as I recall, both sides claimed it.”

“That true enough,” Ben says, finally taking a seat and popping the tab on the soda. “But they divided it, North and South. Under the terms of the Mesilla Convention, the southern half of the state joined the Arizona Territory as part of the Confederacy. I’m from Alamogordo, which would have been part of that agreement. That makes me technically southern.”

“Southwestern,” I correct. My eyes slide over to Finn, who’s looking at both of us like we’re talking Greek.

“Honors history,” I explain. “Ben’s kind of a prodigy.”

“Really?” He looks at Ben and his eyes narrow slightly. “And how long have you lived here in Ardenville?”

“I moved here middle of last year,” Ben answers. “My mom got a job up here.”

“And how did you meet Jessa?”

“Finn,” I say with a smile through gritted teeth. “Ben and I met in class. And didn’t you promise Danny a game of Mario Kart?”

Finn raises his eyebrows. “I did.” He nods to Ben as he stands. “Hate to meet and run, but I promised Danny.”

“Are you sure you’re ready to take him on?” I ask him.

“I’ve done it once or twice,” he answers. “I’m sure I’ll manage to keep up.”

“Not with Danny,” Ben and I chorus together.

Finn’s eyes hold mine for a moment before he leaves the room. Ben watches him go.

“So what’s his story?” he asks me quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“You meet this new guy and coincidentally, he’s there when someone tries to run you over?”

Oh, for Pete’s sake. “Ben.” I can’t keep the exasperation out of my voice. Honestly, between the two of them I’m ready to jump off the bridge again. “He pulled me out of the creek. He saved my life—I would have drowned.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean he owns you,” Ben grumps.

I roll my eyes. “I didn’t say that he did.”

He gets up from the chair. “I need to get going.”

“You just got here,” I remind him. “You know you can stay awhile.”

Ben’s eyes move to the doorway Finn just passed through, then back again. “Can’t,” he says. “I just came by to see how you were holding up. I’ve got a game tonight to get ready for.”

“Maybe your soccer honey will be there,” I say hopefully.

“Nah. She’s into somebody else already.”

I raise my brows. “Great girl you almost had there.”

“Tell me about it.” He drains his soda, setting the can on the kitchen counter. “See ya Monday, St. Clair.”

“See ya,” I call after him. I hear Finn and Danny shout their good-byes, and as the door closes, I get up to go see how their game is going.

As expected, Danny is gleefully beating Finn, racing circles around him. It’s not even close. As Baby Peach raises her trophy in the air, Danny jumps up to do a victory dance.

“Beat you!”

“And he did it in a stroller, even,” I point out.

“I never stood a chance,” Finn says, shaking his head. “He’s a demon on wheels.”

“Do I kill people with my car?” Danny asks.

“No, Danny,” I affirm. “We don’t kill people.”

“Does Ben kill people?” he asks.

“What?” I look at him and shake my head. “No, Danny. Ben doesn’t kill anybody. How can you say that? Ben is your friend.”

“But when he doesn’t drive his truck, does he kill them?” he insists. “When he’s in his blue Dad car?”

I slide my eyes to Finn, who gets up from his chair slowly. “You saw Ben driving the car?” Finn asks. “The one that almost hit Jessa?”

“I didn’t see. It