Two mornings later Kayla lay in bed antsy. She laid on her side blinking the sleep out of her eyes listening to her husband snore lightly behind her, the morning not quite upon him yet. True to his word, they really were ok, but there was a lingering tension that ran just beneath the surface. Vague insecurity tugged very gently at them like a rustle through autumn leaves. And despite the fact that they’d made love twice since that night, they both still felt that tension, faint thought it was. They each thought it might just be in their own minds. Neither one wanted to ask the questions, and no answers were, therefore, provided. Instead, the topic of Kayla’s relationship while he was presumed dead was dropped.
Now Kayla stood in the kitchen having just finished doing the breakfast dishes, and Steve sat on the couch flipping channels on the TV. It was strange to have nowhere to go and nothing to distract them. If they were at home, they would be preparing for their outing with Joe, going through the daily routine of mundane family life. But this jump did feel like home. In some ways it felt more like home than their apartment back in 2009. This place felt real to them. It felt like theirs. They were bonded to it. Nothing bonded them to their apartment in their own time, it was their children and being together as a family that made that place their home. But their children weren’t here. They were; but Joe and Stephanie weren’t. And this wasn’t their time. So kicking back and behaving like this was home was an invisible line in the sand that neither of them wanted to cross.
The day after their fight Kayla filled Steve in on her sister’s trial, then he watched her lie to her mother when she called to say there was an emergency at the hospital and she’d have to miss it. Then in the interest of avoiding the trial, they mainly sat around, watched TV, tried to figure out where their family and friends were at this point, and whiled away the time. Today Kayla wanted to go somewhere together, but discussing what to do with their time became an unexpected bone of contention, as Steve was more interested in visiting old haunts. Nice as it was to just do nothing for a change, she didn’t want another day of hanging around.
“I’m bored, Steve. Aren’t you kind of bored?”
“Not really. You wanna get out of the house?”
“Yeah, but not the courthouse. Too many people to navigate and remember at the same time.”
“How about visiting your pop again, I wouldn’t mind seeing Frankie and the little dude.” Kayla’s ears did perk up here, but it was so hard to leave him the first time that she wasn’t sure she could tear herself away a second. When Kayla declined this, Steve got clearly annoyed.
“I’m sorry, I just … I kind of wanted to go do something.”
“Wanna shoot some pool with me at the Heart?”
Not really. But she felt like she was getting into nagging territory so she just relented. “Yeah, ok. Sure.”
Steve could see she was humoring him. “What, Kayla? What’s wrong with the Heart? You used to love stalking me there.”
“I said ok, it’s fine.”
“Don’t patronize me, baby, if you don’t wanna go I’m not gonna make you.”
“I’m not patronizing you! I just wanted to do something fun together, like take a drive or see the museum or something. Enjoy the day off.”
Steve’s reaction was to fly off the handle. “What do you think this is, Kayla, a vacation?” he asked harshly. You want to take in a show, is that it? See the fishies in the aquarium? We’re almost out of food, we need groceries. And my jeans are about to walk away by themselves, you know?”
Kayla threw the dishtowel onto the counter, crossed her arms in front of her and glared at him. “Fine. You go grocery shopping and I’ll do the laundry, God forbid I suggest we spend any time together.”
“Right, baby, ‘cause we haven’t had any time together in three weeks!”
The look on Kayla’s face held both anger and hurt, and Steve was immediately sorry he had yelled at her. He plowed his hand through his hair and said, “I’m sorry, Sweetness, I don’t know why I just said that.”
“You’re still mad at me about the other night,” she said softly. “That’s why.”
“No I’m not,” he said firmly but calmly. “I’m not, Sweetness.”
She knew it wasn’t true, but she didn’t want to deepen the fight. Steve went to her and pulled her into an embrace. “I don’t’ want you thinkin’ that, baby.”
Kayla closed her eyes and melted into him. He was on edge whether he wanted to admit it or not.
“You wanna go do something, what do you wanna do? Wanna see a movie … that we’ve already seen?” Kayla laughed. She felt his black tank under her cheek, and he still smelled like his morning shower. “How about skating, you wanna go skating?”
NO! Steve thought he felt Kayla tense.
“You know what I think,” she replied quickly, “I think you’re right about needing to run some errands. You don’t have a lot of clothes here, and I do need to do laundry.”
Steve looked at her curiously. “Now you want to run errands?”
Kayla opened the fridge, that tension briefly showing itself. “Those were the last of the eggs, so maybe we should go to the store.”
“Yeah, ok. We can do that.” His tone was less than enthusiastic.
Kayla didn’t like this feeling at all. She knew it was the other night causing this spat, and she didn’t know how to fix it. Steve looked at her, and the conversation welled up in his head. It was a strange feeling. It wasn’t anger, really, more like insecurity.
“You mind if I shoot some pool at the Heart?” he asked. “I need to go pay the March rent, anyway. You can do what you need to do around here. I’ll get some groceries, too.” He could tell immediately that Kayla didn’t like that idea.
And she didn’t. Kayla didn’t like that idea at all. “Sure,” she said, her blue eyes betraying her true feelings. “Go ahead.”
Steve nodded. “Ok.” He got his jacket and slid open the door. Then he looked back up at her and saw she was still standing in the same spot by the fridge. He went to her, kissed her and said, “I’ll be back. Won’t be long,” then he left closing the loft door behind him. Kayla stood with her arms folded wondering what just happened, when the door slid back open and Steve poked his head in. Kayla whipped her head back around. “I love you, Sweetness.”
Kayla let out the breath she’d been holding and gave him a small smile. “I love you, too.” Steve smiled back at her and left again.
It wasn’t quite what she had planned, but with a mixture of relief and annoyance she gathered up two loads of laundry, headed to the basement with a stack of magazines, and lost herself for a while.
Steve stood in the middle of the produce section and let the gears turn in his head. He didn’t like how the morning went. Why did he fly off the handle at her this morning? She thought he was still mad at her. He wasn’t. Then why was he still feeling jealousy that left him cold? It wasn’t the first time this relationship came up. When she told him that night he got his memories back that she’d tried one time, he wasn’t affected this way. The one-off remarks about it were very few and even farther between, and they didn’t elicit any kind of reaction in him. But it was the first time he’d seen how affected she was by it, how guilty she felt about it, and he realized that that’s what made him so uneasy – her reaction, not that it happened. Yet when he told her about the women he’d had, she forgave him. Why was this turnabout not fair play? He saw my face when I–. He tried to shake it away. Who, Kayla? Who was it that saw your face? Why aren’t you telling me?
Steve shopped then left the groceries in the car, which was like a refrigerator in these early-February temperatures. He went to Shenanigans to pay the March rent so his mother and sister could live there for as long as this jump would be lasting. He thought it through a little more and realized that the odds they’d make it that far were slim, they’d never stayed anywhere that long, but there was no reason not to do it, so he left the rent money with Joey to give to Chris, who was at the courthouse defending Kim. He was just about to head to the Cheatin’ Heart to shoot some pool when he remembered his pool cue. My wife gave me the best cue ever made. Can’t lose with that one. The sudden desperate need to have the cue Kayla gave him hit him hard and he smiled a little sadly. He used his key to enter his apartment to get his pool cue to see Adrienne sitting on the bed with various family photos out in front of her.
She screamed at the sudden and unexpected intrusion, realized who it was, then with great commotion began gathering up the photos hoping to God her brother didn’t see them. He had, but pretended that he didn’t.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t realize you’d be coming! I thought this was just for me to stay! I’ll go, I’m so sorry!”
“Easy, baby, easy, calm down, you’re not goin’ anywhere.”
“I just – I –“ she started to get up.
“Adrienne sit your ass back down and take a breath, will you please?” Adrienne quickly did as she was told as naturally as if she’d been raised with him. He watched her get her breathing in check through the corner of his eye while he grabbed his cue case from the table. “Baby, anybody ever tell you you’re jumpy?” Adrienne smiled, a little caution underlying her features. “It’s ok. I’m not stayin’,” he said as he sat down heavily in the chair.
“Ok,” she looked at him strangely as his actions didn’t match his words, “then what are you doing here?”
“Just came to get my pool cue.” He was silent for a few moments, then added with a sigh, “Kayla gave it to me.” Steve dragged his eye to the floor and stared for a moment.
Adrienne wasn’t sure what was happening here. It was the weirdest feeling, like he was confiding in her. Of all people.
“Is, um. Is something wrong?” Steve didn’t reply, just continued staring at the floor. “You two have a fight or something?” Steve nodded and held the pool cue to his chest.
“She kick you out?” she asked nervously.
Steve looked up at her. “Kayla would never do that.”
“So then you don’t need your place back?”
Steve shook his head.
“You should go to her. Say you’re sorry.”
Steve got an arrogant look on his face. “Why do you automatically assume I’m the one who messed up?”
Adrienne knew she was treading on thin ice. She’d made so much progress with him, saying the wrong thing here might mean she ruined it all. But she was feeling brave. “I don’t. But I can see how much she loves you, so just go and make up. Don’t waste time being mad when you can have a girl like that.”
She was right. He was still feeling the effects of it all, but the urge to hold Kayla in his arms and tell her he loved her was suddenly very strong. The Cheatin’ Heart was now the last thing on his mind.
Steve stood up, shoved the cue case under his arm and walked over to his sister. He held her chin so much like his own in his hand, and she let him almost defiantly.
“Ya know what, Little Girl? Dimples is a lucky man.” Then he laughed at the confused look on her face and said, “Thanks for the pep talk, baby.” He turned to go, bounded up the stairs, then turned back toward her. “I thought you were gonna find a real payin’ job, now. You should try the Cheatin’ Heart,” he said right before he shut the door behind him. “Might own the place one day.”
When he appeared in the laundry room doorway, Kayla’s heart sped up and her stomach started forming nervous knots. She’d just folded the last of his t-shirts and was packing the laundry basket for the trip back up to the apartment. He walked over to the dryer she was standing against and just looked at her.
“Hello,” she said softly.
“Hi, Sweetness,” he said. He saw Kayla react to his use of her pet name and reached into his leather jacket. He handed her the single yellow rose that he’d bought at the grocery store and gave it to her. “I’m sorry … for whatever that was back there.”
“Steve,” she whispered. She brought the little sunburst to her nose and shook her head. “It’s ok.”
Steve caressed her face and exhaled heavily. She didn’t say anything, just looked at him with those big blue eyes. Then he slowly pulled her into his arms and started swaying with her. “I do love you, Sweetness.”
“I love you. She leaned up and kissed the scar on his cheek. “And you now have clean clothes.”
Steve smiled. “That and fresh eggs in the fridge? Who says this was a boring day?”
Steve carried the laundry basket back up to their apartment. The blip had passed, but the tension lingered.
When they made love that night no words were spoken. Only when he exploded inside of her and felt her own shudders begin to subside did Steve gently kiss her face over and over and tell her again how much he loved her. Kayla looked up at her husband, who was still pulsing faintly inside of her.
“What are you lookin’ at, Sweetness?”
“Mmmm,” she smiled. “Just you. Why didn’t we spend all day doing this?”
“Hey, I told you I wanted to stay in the house, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you told me,” she acquiesced, “My bad.”
“Better watch your slang, baby. No one says, ‘my bad,’ in 1987.”
“Fair enough,” she giggled. “NOT.”
“Aren’t we a little too early for that, too?”
“Hmm … you’re really making me think back, I don’t know that I still have the brain cells for that.”
“Of course you do, you’re 20 years younger.”
“Ungh, you’re killing me!”
As they fell asleep, the current of their spat, fueled by their fight two nights before, eased to a very thin haze. When Steve woke up the next day he didn’t feel the tension quite as much, and what he did feel he pushed away. Kayla was sleeping heavily, but he was starving. He felt slightly bad for waking her, but he knew she was due back at the Emergency Center. “Sweetness,” he whispered with a kiss to her shoulder, “Time to rise and shine. We have to go to work.” Kayla rolled over and reached for him.
“Mmm,” she moaned sleepily. “Are we still here?”
“February 1987,” he replied.
“What is this day six,” she asked?
“Seven.”
“Ok,” she said. “Well, off we go, then.”
An hour later they were at Shenanigans having breakfast before it was time to go to work.
“Are you sure you want to go with me? It’s ok if you want to do your own thing. You don’t have to come with.” She was hoping he’d say no, but she wanted to give him the opportunity to back out.
“No, baby, I think we should stay together. We’ve proven we can be on our own, we don’t have to keep proving it. Let’s stay together. Besides, I’m enjoying myself there. I love watching you work.”
“And you love giving Brad a hard time.”
“Oh, I do like that, it’s true.”
Shenanigans was crowded as they sat at the table closest to the back door. Kayla was wearing a red sweater with a heart in the front and a long black skirt. Steve wore a white button down shirt and his brown leather jacket with a pair of freshly washed jeans.
“I always liked that sweater on you, baby. You look like a long-stemmed rose.” Kayla laughed and leaned over the table for a sweet kiss. Steve then took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “Sweetness … do you have to go right in to work? Can someone cover for you?”
“Ah, I don’t know. I’d have to remember who to call. Why?”
This haze that had set upon them since that bad night was eating at him. He knew it was eating at her, too. He didn’t know what to do about it, but he did know something that would make them both feel a little better.
Sweetness … I want us to go to the courthouse today and get married.”
Kayla dropped her fork, and it clattered to the floor. “You what?”
“We’re not married here yet.”
“I thought I wasn’t allowed to say that,” she joked.
“I’m serious, Kayla. There’s no reason we can’t go get married right now. Buy a license, say I do, done.”
A smile lit up her face. “You really are serious, aren’t you?”
“I know I said you don’t need a ring here, but I was wrong, you do need a ring here. I need us to be married.”
Kayla wanted nothing more. And now that he’d said it she wanted it right now. But she was worried about where this was suddenly coming from. She didn’t want to say it and ruin this moment, but she couldn’t handle any more dishonesty between them.
“Is this about the other night?” she asked solemnly.
Steve’s eye flickered. “No,” he said firmly.
“Are … are you sure?”
“Kayla, there’s something not right between us.”
“I know,” she softened.
“I need us to be married.”
“We are married.”
“Here. I need us to be married here.”
“You think a piece of paper here or a ring on my finger will make the other night stop bothering you?”
“It’s not bothering me, Kayla!”
“Really, is that why you’re snapping at me?”
“Kayla, I just asked you to marry me, are you saying no? Again?”
“Now that’s not fair!”
Steve leaned back heavily in his chair and got that jaw muscle moving again. “Sorry,” he said as he glared at his eggs. Kayla didn’t say anything. Steve looked up at her. “This … thing … I’ll get past it. That’s not why I want to do this. But I think it couldn’t hurt, baby. I think we both need this. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Steve. So much.”
“Then let’s just go get married. I want us to be mar—“ the pull in his gut was so strong he gripped the table. No! The room very slowly started to spin. Steve looked up at Kayla and locked eyes with her. She’s still here, right? “Kayla!” Steve yelled so loudly that the entire restaurant turned to look. He grabbed for her, and she immediately thrust her hands into his, instinctively aware that he’d felt the jump effect begin.
“Steve!” Her voice was panicked, and he knew that she knew what was happening.
He felt her hands in his, but the whole room had all but spun away. “You still here?”
“Yes! Ready to get married!”
“Did you jump? Baby?!” He reached over the table trying to find her face, sending the breakfast dishes crashing to the floor. She found his hands and held them tightly.
“No, I don’t feel anything! Steve!”
But he didn’t hear a word she said, his awareness had already jumped, leaving his destination body frozen right in front of her, a completely blank expression on his face. “Steve?” she said, knowing full well he was gone. “Steve!” She was oblivious to the crowd that thought she was off her rocker. She didn’t notice when Chris ran over to her wondering what on earth was wrong with her. All she knew was that Steve had impossibly jumped away, leaving her behind, and this body that had just made love to her just a few short hours ago was now frozen in her arms, empty of the soul that had merged with it.
Kayla brought Steve’s hands to her face as she hung her head and cried. All she could do was wait. Ten seconds. I can do anything for ten seconds. “Clavicle … scapula … humerus … radius …”
“Kayla what the hell is goin’ on here?” Chris demanded.
“Ulna … carpas,” she continued ignoring him while she cried. “Metacarpus—“ that’s when she felt the tug in her own belly, relieved to finally go. As the vision before her went askew and the room began to fall away from her, she registered that the body that was her husband hadn’t moved since he went blank. She wasn’t sure if he was even still breathing.
“Kayla!” Chris shouted.
“It was too late. She was gone.”
With Steve’s next blink he found himself in almost the very spot that he’d just left. He was still in Shenanigans but now he was at a different table, and the smell of the place was completely different. Gone were the breakfast smells of bacon and eggs, replaced with a more lunchy burger and fry smell. “Baby?” he called to her. No answer came, and Steve doubled over with what he decided then and there was the worst bout of jump sickness he’d ever experienced. It took everything he had not to vomit, and the food smells weren’t helping. Luckily, it passed quickly.
When he opened his eyes, he instinctively reached for his patch and tried to get his bearings. He felt a bandana around his head and winced. Great. He then looked down at his arms and lap to see what else he was wearing. Denim jacket, grey tank top, jeans. Whenever this was, it wasn’t winter anymore. His eyes drifted to the right toward his apartment. He did a double take when he saw Savannah Wilder standing on crutches talking to Kosichek. She was one of the last people he wanted to see. If she was here, then that meant he was probably working for Victor Kiriakis. Not a good time for them to jump into. Kayla. Where are you?
When he looked up, he saw her. Walking into Shenanigans like an angel. She wore a grey blazer with blue and pink accents and a wide black plaid pattern, and a pair of pants he knew she was going to hate. Her blonde curls framed her face, and she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. Relief washed over him as he took her in. She went right to the bar and appeared to be looking for him.
He wasted no time going to her. I’m right here, baby. Before he could say anything, however, Kosichek got to her first.
“Hello Blue eyes,” Chris said from behind her.
Kayla turned. “Hello Chris,” she replied sheepishly.
“Heard you were back in town.”
“Yeah, we’re both back in town, aren’t we, Sweetness?” Steve interjected from behind Chris.
“Uh yeah,” Kayla said as she looked at Chris with confusion. “I just got back. Alot’s going on with my family.”
“And now that her family’s here, Kosichek, why not go talk to your girlfriend.”
Kayla blanched.
“Well, why don’t you stay out of which girlfriend I choose to talk to, Patch.” Steve waited for Kayla to react to the name she so hated, but the reaction didn’t come. Steve was confused. Was that not her in there? Did she not jump? Steve’s heart began to race.
“Kayla?” She darted her eyes at Chris, and Steve’s heart began to sink. “Do you remember Stockholm?”
“What the hell are you doin’, Patch?”
Steve grabbed her by the shoulders. “Do you remember Stockholm, Kayla?” Steve searched her eyes for recognition. It wasn’t there.
“No!” she huffed as Chris physically removed Steve’s hands from her and gave him a shove against his chest.
“You watch yourself!” he spat, holding a finger out to him. “You keep your hands to yourself!” Chris’s eyes were wide and full of warning.
I jumped first. This time I was the one who jumped first. Back then Steve would have shoved Chris back. Now Steve stood there not knowing what to do. He tried not to panic and watched with dread as Kayla shrank back from him, clearly afraid. She was afraid of him. My God, she really was. How long before I arrived the last two times? Kayla said a minute. Or was it more than a minute? It had already been a full minute. She wasn’t there yet. Where was she?
“Yeah, uh … sorry,” Steve said to her in a tone he’d hoped sounded rational. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Pfft.” Steve turned his head to see Savannah glaring at the whole exchange. He ignored her and turned back to Kayla.
“I’m not myself, sorry. I’m Steve Johnson,” he said holding out his hand.
“She’s not interested, now get out of here,” Chris said moving to stand squarely between he and Kayla.
Kayla nodded at Steve slightly in acknowledgement behind Chris and held up her hand awkwardly, clearly wanting nothing to do with him. She thinks I’m nuts. He watched her eyes dart up and down in discomfort and was torn between hanging back and waiting for her to arrive, and carrying her off to his apartment until her consciousness caught up. Or maybe he should just go to his apartment and wait for her; home base.
I heard you were back in town, he remembered Chris’s words. That’s when he realized when this was. She wasn’t even living here yet, she was just visiting after he’d trashed her place in Cleveland. And that meant that that place downstairs was still Bo & Hope’s place, he wasn’t living there yet. So much for home base. God, everything is messed up!
While he was thinking all this through, Chris had turned back around toward Kayla and dismissed him. Steve stood behind them. Alone.
“How’ve you been?” Chris he asked her.
“Good,” she said quietly. “You?”
When Chris hugged her and he saw her hugging him back with something like contentment, he almost went with the whisking her away option. Instead he sat down at the table he was at before and watched them closely. Steve was breathing rapidly and tried to control himself waiting for Kayla to arrive. It had been seven or eight minutes, now, and he got more agitated with every moment that passed. Eventually Savannah sat down opposite him.
“Mind if I join you,” she asked with disdain.
“Yes,” he said.
“Who’s that girl Chris is talking to, Patch?”
“I said I mind,” he barked at her, “now get out of my face, Savannah.”
Savannah balked. “Your concern for my leg is touching, Patch.” She then went back to her own table and stewed while Steve turned his attention back to his wife.
“Alot’s happened since you went away,” Chris said. They’d moved to sit at the table next to him now.
“I Know. How’s John Henry?” Kayla asked. She looked so awkward. Steve didn’t like how she was looking at Chris. He could tell she was remembering old times. Please get here, baby, I’m losin’ it!
“Big as a house. In fact I think he ate the house,” he joked.
“Remember when I gave him to you?”
“I do,” Chris said with smooth charm. “I do remember.” Steve tried very hard to stay calm while Chris’s eyes smoldered into Kayla’s.
“He was such a cute little …” she trailed off as her body stiffened.
Steve sat bolt upright watching as her features went completely blank. This is it. Come on, baby, come back to me!
“Yeah. Well, he’s not so little anymore,” Chris went on, oblivious. When Kayla didn’t say anything he touched her hand. “We’ve got alot to catch up on. Alot to talk about.” Steve was focused on Kayla and didn’t notice when Chris got a confused look in his eye.
Kayla sucked in a breath like she hadn’t breathed for day. Chris startled and let go of her hand. Her eyes darted around and she got so dizzy she fell off her chair.
“Kayla?” Chris said in concern.
“Steve?!” she mercifully called to him. “Where …?”
“Here, baby, I’m here!” He got on his knees next to her. “Been waiting for you, goin’ out of my mind.”
“Patch what the hell are you doin’?!”
“Shut up, Kosichek!”
“I’m gonna throw up,” she moaned.
“Swallow it down, baby, you can do it.” She reached for him, and he pulled her into his chest. Chris looked upon all this with utter bewilderment.
Kayla clutched on to him and kept her eyes closed. It was him! She was never so nauseous from the jump effect, but she was also so happy that it was actually him this time. Did she hear him correctly, he was waiting for her?
“Sweetness, do you remember Stockholm?”
Kayla knew what he was waiting for and started to answer him. “What is …,” she had to stop to swallow down her gorge.
“Do you remember Stockholm, Kayla?!”
“Twenty questions!” she choked out.
“Oh, baby, he held her tighter. “Thank god.” Then he kissed the top of her head.
“Kayla, you mind tellin’ me what the hell is goin’ on here?” Chris yelled, fully aware that there was now a scene in his bar.
“Yes, she minds!” Steve answered for her. With that he stood her up carefully and held her face. “You ok now?”
“Better,” she said. “Much better. You got here first?”
“Yeah.”
She reached up and hugged him. Chris put his hands on his hips in disgust. Savannah smiled.
“Do you still want to get married?” she whispered in his ear.
Steve laughed. “Every day.”
She pulled back from him and looked him up and down. “Have you been here long?,” keeping her voice low.
“Proably ten minutes.”
Kayla was shocked. Steve glanced at Chris behind her, and she turned to follow his gaze.
“Chris!”
“what’s goin’ on here, Kayla? You almost passed out just now.”
“I’m fine, just … low blood sugar.” Chris looked angrily at Steve. “Steve and I are old friends.”
“Really? Since when, the last five minutes?”
“We met in …”
“Cleveland,” Steve provided.
“Cleveland!” Kayla repeated.
“Let’s get out of here, baby,” Steve bent down to whisper to her.
“I’ll, ah, talk to you later.”
“You’re leaving with that guy?”
“I’ll be back! It was good to see you.”
“No you won’t,” Steve muttered to himself.
They left Chris and Savannah at Shenanigans without another word to either of them and stopped at the steps to his apartment.
“Baby it’s not mine yet, we’re too early. Let’s go to the pier.”
“What? When are we?”
“All I know for sure is it’s 1986. Pretty sure it’s right after I trashed your apartment in Cleveland.”
“You sure?” she asked.
He chuckled. “No. But I do know that I was here for almost ten minutes before you got here.”
“How … how is that possible?”
“I don’t know, Sweetness. How long before you jumped?”
“Right after you. Seconds.”
They were at the pier now. He held her hand in his and kept touching her face. He couldn’t stop touching her, he needed to be touching her. “I was out of my mind. You didn’t know me. Now I know what you went through.”
“Nerve-wracking, isn’t it?”
“You could say that, yeah. I sat there watching you make puppy eyes at Kosichek for I don’t know how long.” He looked at her and ran his fingers through her hair. “I need to kiss you.” Kayla smiled, and he brushed her lips with his. More relief flooded through him. “Kiss me, baby,” he said as they caressed each other’s faces. “Kiss me.” They finally broke, and she leaned up against him.
“Where do we go now? I don’t live here,” Kayla said.
“And I live in a pit. We’re not going there.”
“Do we have a choice? Where else are we going to go? I … I don’t know where to go.”
“Baby, I … I got complacent there. I wasn’t ready to jump. It hit so fast I wasn’t prepared. Then we jumped from Shenanigans right back into Shenanigans. Got real sick from the jump this time.”
“Me, too.”
“I know,” he smiled. “Chris didn’t know what the hell was goin’ on.”
“Poor Chris,” she chuckled.
“Poor Chris?” Steve scowled. “He really let me have it when I started talkin’ to you in there. I didn’t know it wasn’t you, and he got all territorial.” Kayla gave him a sympathetic look and Steve’s face turned serious. “Kayla, when I realized you weren’t in there yet, I went out of my mind. You’d been jumping first, I just assumed you were there lookin’ for me.”
“Well, I didn’t have it any easier when you left,” she said. “One minute you wanted to get married, and the next you were gone. Just completely gone. It was a shock.”
They sat on the same bench that they had sat on the night Kayla saw her father. “You were scared of me,” Steve said as he tucked her hair behind her ear. “When I went up to you just now, before you got here.” Kayla looked into his deep green eye and saw how hurt he was. “Did I scare you when we first met? I did, didn’t I?”
Kayla held his face in her hands and kissed him. “A little,” she said. “But I saw who you were really quickly. You know that. You could never scare me now. Never.”
The tension from their previous jump had dissipated in light of the chaos they were now trying to find their way through. Steve wrapped his arms around her and breathed her in. Kayla melted into his arms and felt safe.
The feeling was short-lived.
Steve’s anxiety shot through the roof when he felt the telltale pull at his diaphragm. “Sh*t! Kayla, I’m jumping again.” Kayla let out a sob and tried to pull away to see him, but he held her tight. “No, baby. Just hold me while I go.”
Tears stung Kayla’s eyes. “Don’t go,” she cried. He held her tighter. “I guess I’ll be right behind you.” She threaded her fingers through his hair and kissed his neck.”
“Love you, Sweetness.”
“I love you, baby.” It was the last thing he heard before he went rigid in her arms. And she knew he was gone.
Kayla cried against the empty shell that her husband had just started inhabiting 20 short minutes ago. She pretended he was there with her and talked to him to keep herself calm as she waited for her own jump. “Where do you think we’re going? Maybe our wedding. The one on the yacht. The beautiful wedding you planned. Or maybe home,” grief suddenly gripped her. “You think maybe we’ll go home?” She buried her head into his shoulder, and the jump effect took her.
Steve arrived to a body that immediately felt foreign to him. The feeling of wrongness was so strong that it transcended the effect that arriving usually had on his body. He was in a hotel room, naked from the waist up. He sat on the edge of a bed and knew that the woman in his arms was not his wife. It only took a second for him to place the perfume scent that assailed his nostrils. It was a scent he’d spent a lifetime trying to forget.
As the truth dawned on him his stomach churned in disgust. He jerked back from her and paled. The eyes staring back at him belonged to Marina.