Page 28 of Dream Mates (Into The Parallel Omegaverse #2)

Chapter Eighteen

Grace

“ W hose backpack is this and can I have it? It’s super nice.” Riley barged into the third floor sunken living room and held up a black leather backpack.

Wes, Evan, and I were piled on the couch watching the latest episode of Evan’s favorite show. That was how we were spending a wild Friday night together–though we’d had family game night earlier, which had been fun. Evan was on call.

“I’ve seen it around, but I have no idea,” Evan said.

I sighed and paused the TV. “I should probably deal with it, shouldn’t I?”

“It’s yours?” Wes blinked.

“When Agent Weigmier dropped me off, he left that as well. I… I don’t remember what’s even in it. Probably whatever was in it that day I went to work and never came back.” I’d been ignoring it since we’d come back from the cabin.

“Oh.” Riley held it out to me.

I took it from her, the leather soft under my fingers. “It is nice. It was a graduation present when I got my PhD.”

Riley squished in on the couch with us. Her eyebrows rose. “You got a backpack for getting a PhD ? That kinda sucks.”

“It was from my roommate’s parents. They were really nice to me, especially when they found out that I didn’t have anyone there.

Dad, well, the man who raised me, offered to attend, but it’s far.

He helped me get into my new apartment instead.

” Which had been a godsend. I toyed with the straps.

That backpack was one of the only presents I’d gotten.

“Are we going to open it?” Riley prodded, bouncing on the balls of her bare feet. Her toes were painted lime green.

“We don’t have to.” Wes pulled me close.

Our dinner together helped a lot. I now had a better idea of how Wes felt after I stopped appearing in our dreams all those years ago. Of how it had affected him, his relationship with Evan, and the buried emotions both me appearing and being dragged away caused.

He’d started to understand not just how strange and new everything often was here, but how wrecked I was by these memories I hadn’t had when I arrived.

And I was glad he was okay with me being with the others in the pack.

Evan tugged on the strap. “I’m so curious to see things from Grace’s world.”

“Things aren’t that different.” Opening the top pocket, I removed a pair of scratched hot pink aviator sunglasses and my car keys. “I wonder what happened to my car, my place?”

“I thought you had a motorcycle.” Riley sat on the arm of the giant couch.

“It got stolen my last semester and I’d gotten a car.” A cheap car. I’d used my apartment money for it because I had to get to work, and taking the bus there got complicated.

Riley toyed with the colorful beads on the keychain. “You made this?”

“No, just some kids I used to babysit.” My heart twinged. Professor Jaffey’s kids.

At one point, after we’d all been hauled in together, Professor Jaffey tried to talk me into taking the fall, using the fact that I adored her kids as emotional blackmail.

After all, she had kids, a family, and a career.

I had a plant. Why shouldn't I take one for the team and go to jail so that she could go home.

After all, who’d miss me?

I’d almost relented, too. Because she had a point.

The front pocket of the backpack held gum, a romance novel, and lip-gloss.

I pulled out the strange little teddy bear that had appeared in my arms at the clinic.

It felt weird to have it. “Oh. Shit. I don’t know why I even took this.

Some old guy gave it to me at the Temporal Authority hospital while I was scared.

I think I’d had a seizure or something when they told me they were sending me someplace else. I can throw it away.”

Wes wrinkled his nose. “It smells odd.”

“If you’re going to throw it out, can I have it? I want an interdimensional stuffie. I’ll wash it first?” Riley held out her hand.

“Sure. I also have interdimensional candy. Not sure if we should eat it?” I handed her the stuffie and pulled out the little blue box.

Riley opened the box, which was filled with colorful star-shaped candies. She reached for one.

“Don’t eat them. We don’t know what they are.” Evan smacked her hand.

She smacked him back. Rolling her eyes, she popped it in her mouth. “Delicious. They’re chewy.”

Wes took the box and sniffed it. “Smells like fruity candy.”

“My interdimensional candy.” Riley grabbed the box, though she looked at me.

“Go for it.” Next, I pulled my floral fabric purse out of the main compartment. My money, bank card, driver’s license, everything was all there–and completely useless here.

“Her Fake Billionaire Boss’s Secret Baby?” Riley laughed, reading the back of my romance novel.

“I like boss romance novels. We had a book swap cart at work.” My water bottle was still there but it was empty. My earbuds held no charge. No phone though. Not that I expected it, because it had been broken by my boss.

I unzipped a compartment and frowned. “What the actual fuck?”

“If there are actual fucks are there theoretical fucks?” Riley opened a piece of gum, put it in her mouth, and made a face. “Grape? Are we five?”

“There are theoretical fucks. We did a whole project on it in one of my classes,” I laughed.

“And yes, I have childish taste in gum. But this… they gave me my laptop. I didn’t even have this that day at work.

This is my personal laptop. Oh, they raided my apartment, looking for evidence.

I wonder if it’ll run here.” I withdrew my battered, old, sticker-covered laptop and power supply.

I frowned, running my fingers over the colorful stickers.

“Give it and the power supply here.” Wes held out his hands.

I handed it to him. There was nothing else from my apartment. Not that I had many mementos. Still, there were a couple of things I would’ve liked to have.

Wes examined the power supply. “I think I have a cord that would work, and the voltage seems compatible, do you want me to try to charge it?”

“Please? I’m curious as to what they left on it. Like, there’s movies and music and stuff. I’m making you watch movies I like.” I grinned at the thought of sharing things with them.

“Fuck yeah.” Riley smelled my hand cream and examined my lipstick.

Evan put my pink sunglasses on and struck a pose. “Me?”

“Absolutely.” I laughed. He looked good in them.

We put the show back on and watched the rest of it. Afterwards, Wes brought the laptop over. It booted up and I started looking for my files.

“Sweet baby Jesus, my dissertation is here. Wow. Actually, I think everything from my PhD program’s here.”

Well, almost. I frowned as I looked for something else. No. It wasn’t there.

But did that really surprise me?

“Why are you frowning?” Wes put his arms around me and kissed my temple.

“All my parallel world research is gone.” It wasn’t like I had access to my backups, though they’d probably deleted those as well.

“I guess that’s to be expected, and I don’t really need it now.” I wasn’t going to do anything with it, of course, but still, for so much work to have been deleted…

Especially since I’d been so close.

“It looks like most of my movies, music, and books are here. We’ll have to watch them at some point.” There were a few on here that Riley would love.

I opened my music. A playlist caught my eye. I put on a song and held out my hand to Wes. “Dance with me?”

“Do you feel up to it? You’re not wearing the splint or walking cast.” He frowned.

“I’m feeling better. I’ll put them back on when I need them.” But really, I felt well enough to leave them off. They just got in the way anyway.

Wes cocked his head, listening to the opening of a song I knew he’d never heard. I wrapped my arms around him, and leaned my head on his chest, letting the music entwine around our limbs.

“While I love this song. It always made me a little sad,” I said as we swayed to the music in the living room. “Now I know why. This song is us . This is the sort of song we would have danced to at our wedding.”

My eyes misted as I looked up at him, as the pieces fit together. They’d done more than make me forget he was real, they caused me to lose a part of myself.

Now I had him back and felt whole in a way I never realized I wasn’t.

Wes leaned down and kissed me. “We still can dance to this at our wedding.”

He twirled me and we danced around the living room; not like we danced at fancy parties, but how we’d danced in his room as awkward teenagers.

My eyes closed and everything faded away.

It was just us, alone with the music, like we’d been all those years ago.

As the song ended, he twirled me out and back again, then dipped me.

A self-conscious look crossed his face as he brought me to his chest. “I don’t know how to dance to a song like this.”

My lips met his. “That was perfect.”

Evan got up and wrapped his arms around us. “I love it.”

“That was sappy, but I can see that being a dance at a wedding. I can’t wait to hear your good songs. Can we watch one of your movies now ?” Riley looked hopeful.

“Is your homework done? Given you’ve got all sorts of stuff going on all weekend?” Evan gave her a look.

She made a face. “I was actually up here so I could get Wes’ help on my homework.”

“My help? Okay.” Wes looked at me. “I can’t wait to dance with you at our wedding.”

Riley took his hand and dragged him downstairs.

Evan’s phone rang. He looked at it and grimaced.

“It’s work.” He answered. “This is Evan. What do we have?”

While he talked, he paced around the living room. I took a look at what other songs I had. There were a bunch on here from old cheer routines with lyrics about ass shaking and stuff. Riley might like those.

Evan finally ended the call, turned to me, and gave me a kiss. “I’ve got to go to work. Love you.”

Homework done, Riley started playing a video game, getting on her headset with her friends Marcos, Kilroy, and Hiro.

I stood and closed my laptop, then went to find Spencer. Wes had gone with Evan to the Center considering how late it was.