Rewinding time. Timewinding? It had happened fast, but I was positive the connection between us made it possible. I frowned at the chessboard. Tair moved his holographic bishop onto my pawn and I scowled as my piece disappeared. So much for giving half my attention to the game.

Either way. Can you take us back farther?

I called up the image of our breakfast and its lines still looked too real to be timeghosts. Nothing else in my head looked remotely the same. I think it’s breakfast or nowhere.

So it functions like a saved game. Tair sounded a little distant, but not in a bad way—like he was trying to figure it out. I could use all the help I could get on that one. What happens if we overwrite the file? Can we make a new reset point?

Right now, only the one moment seemed special and I didn’t want to poke at it too much when the stakes were this high. We could lose the spot altogether if I pushed.

Just once, I wished everything could be simple, but complicated was practically my middle name. I’m guessing we’re going to figure that out the hard way.

Then I’ll try not to get shot again. Tair knocked another one of my pawns off the board, but I couldn’t get irritated.

You remember?

Every moment.

I shuddered. Sorry. It was bad enough that I had to remember what it looked like, his skin pale, chest still.

You saved me. Tair drummed his fingers against the table, pretending to think about his next move, but I could tell he was more focused on our problems. There’s nothing to be sorry about.

Something dangerous fluttered in my chest. Then I’m sorry Darren is such a homicidal asshole.

Tair’s fingers stilled. What happened between you?

A wave of nausea killed the fluttering right quick. That’s… Just the thought triggered a wash of images of the ugly past. I’d rather think about anything else. Isn’t there a video summary?

Almost all the films of you together are edited.

I let out a relieved breath. Showing him with timeghosts might be easier, but I wasn’t sure if I could and the topic didn’t really get me jazzed to experiment.

Tair didn’t look away from the game board. If it’s hard to talk about, I won’t pry, but can you tell me the basics? Darren’s a time bomb I don’t want to set off.

I bunched my fingers in my pajama pants. Tair had to know. He deserved to know when the knowledge could get him killed.

Darren… How to start?