Page 22 of The Déjà Glitch
“Oh, stop it, Gem. You heard Aunt Clara. This isreal.”
“Yeah, about as real as that knockoff Louis Vuitton handbag you bought in the Fashion District.”
Lila gasped like she had been punched, far more offended by the suggestion that her favorite buttery yellow purse was fake than the idea that she’d been duped by this stranger. “I will forgive that comment because I know you are under stress right now.”
“I wouldn’t be under stress if you weren’t acting like none of this isvery strange!”
“Of course it’s strange!” she declared, and gripped Gemma’s shoulders. She shook her and rattled her brain. “But strange isn’t always bad! Maybe you should give it a chance. And byit, I mean him.” She pivoted Gemma to face Jack, who was watching their exchange like it was very entertaining.
“I think you should listen to Lila,” Jack said. “She never steers you wrong.”
Lila leaned in close to Gemma’s ear. “Oh, he’s smart too. I like him.”
“Thank you, Lila,” he said, beaming at her. “I always appreciate the support.”
She clasped her hands together and swayed on the toe of her sandal with the proud energy of a dog who had been told she was agood girl. “Of course.”
Gemma gave up on them both and started walking back to her car. It took them a few moments to notice she was gone.
“Gemma!” Lila called. “Where are you going?”
“Away from you weirdos,” she said over her shoulder.
“Wait, Gemma!” Jack called, and she heard them both hurrying after her. He caught up faster than Lila prancing along in her wedges. He reached for her arm, and when she turned, she saw a look on his face as genuine as when he had told her his theory about her being the key to everything. “I’m sorry I followed you; I didn’t mean to scare you. You’ve never come here before, and I wanted to see what you were doing. This is the first time you’ve ever tried to understand what’s going on, and I think that’s a really good sign.” His eyes were pleading pools of endless blue. The breeze caught his hair and pushed it from his forehead.
Gemma’s knees gave out for a second.
“But what if I still don’t believe it?” she asked, her voice part whisper.
“Then let me help you! Please.” He half smiled and huffed a laugh. He glanced over his shoulder back towardClara’s shop and lowered his voice. “Listen, I’m not sure what sent you running out of there, though I think I can guess, but you don’t really seem like the type to believe in psychics.”
Gemma agreed with a reluctant smile and a roll of her eyes.
“So then come with me. There’s someone I want you to meet who can help explain.”
Lila caught up, holding her giant hat on with one hand and tiptoeing to a stop in her tall shoes.
“Is it another psychic?” Gemma asked, drawn in by the plea on his face. He wanted her to understand, and despite herself, she wanted that too.
“Far from it. We have to take a drive, though.”
“Of course we do; this is L.A.” She cautiously smiled, and he smiled back.
“Glad to see you lightening up. I’m happy to chauffeur, if you’re willing.” He put his hand over his heart and slightly bowed forward in ayou can trust memotion. He’d changed out of his stained shirt into a soft gray one that seemed to fit him even better.
Gemma weighed the options. Back in the coffee shop when they had only been talking, herdon’t get in the carinstinct kicked in hard, and here she was with the chance to actually get in a car with him, and, to her shock, she was considering it.
“Where are we going?”
His face lit with surprise that she was willing. “Only a little east of here. Not far.”
There was a lengthy stretch of suburban sprawl east of where they were before a mountain range shot up like abarricade, and Gemma could only imagine who was out there waiting.
The pull she felt toward Jack seemed to hook her behind the belly button. At the same time, her heart rate picked up at the thought of agreeing to his little road trip.
“Will I be back in time for lunch?”
“Definitely.”