Edge Of Time

Chapter One

One

Was it possible to just pick up and start a whole new life?

The question weighed heavily on twenty-six year old Marissa McClafferty's mind as she prepared to leave the war zone her work place had recently become.

Or better yet, just drop off the face of the earth entirely?

The oversize wall clock behind the nurses' station read eight-thirty and angrily Marissa kicked the blood spattered white shoes from her aching feet. She should have been out of there an hour ago. Her shift had ended at seven-thirty but as usual disaster struck at the stroke of seven and here she was preparing to trudge home late and microwave another lonely TV dinner.

Wearily she shrugged a light jacket over her pale blue scrubs, the second set she'd changed into that day, and stuffed her feet into the worn brown shoes that would carry her home. Slipping through a side door behind the emergency department Marissa made her way through the ever darkening parking lot. As if her day hadn't been bad enough,Brian had dropped by that afternoon to inform her that if she didn't get the rest of her "stuff" out of his studio by the end of the week he was going sell it or dump it.

As if she'd had the time! Brian knew how busy she was and how much stress she had been under lately. Oh well, Marissa sighed, it didn't really matter anymore. It was over between them and with her two weeks of vacation starting tomorrow, she would have plenty of time to gather up the remnants of her engagement from his studio and shut him out of her life forever. But she didn't really want to go over to his place. She didn't want to see him or... Marne.

A shooting star streaked across the black oblivion of the nighttime sky and Marissa could not resist throwing a silent wish heavenward, I really want a new life... A different life... Sliding behind the wheel of her sporty white Chevy, thoughts of Brian and Marne—and Marne and Brian—refused to be thrust from her mind. Two weeks ago that day her former fiancé had appeared unexpectedly at work, work of all places,to announce that he had fallen in love with his latest model.

Marne.

Marne was essentially everything Marissa was not: tall and willowy with radiant raven curls and blue-green eyes that perfectly matched the color of the ocean before a summer gale. Marne could best be described as Marissa's polar opposite. But as much as Brian's devastating betrayal hurt, the knowledge that she should have seen it coming, had known it was coming, was far more depressing. She had always been a strong, career oriented woman, one who would never allow herself to get caught up in girlish romantic fantasies.

Or so she had thought. One look from the dark brooding artist and she'd practically swooned in his arms. Following a whirlwind courtship he'd proposed after a mere six months. Marissa had felt like the luckiest woman alive. Busy schedules had prevented them from getting around to setting a date for the wedding and after two years...

She should have known better than to fall for such a romantic illusion of a man. But the bottom line was that as much as his betrayal hurt she could not allow this one man to wreck her... She was Marissa McClafferty strong, independent woman and she did not need Brian Whitely. Even as she pounded the words through her brain they felt hollow, unconvincing and the powerful realization was that Brian had wrecked her... The miserable break up had left the shreds of her heart and soul like a shoddy patchwork quilt, barely held together with old yarn, and a gaping hole in the very center.

The silhouette of a man in the middle of the road became visible in the yellow glow of Marissa's headlights, snapping her from her musings. "That's weird," she murmured slowing and shifting to the shoulder of the road, away from the frantic figure standing on the dotted yellow line. Cautiously Marissa inched ever closer and spotted a beat up little car stopped on the opposite side of the old highway. The Toyota compact definitely appeared to be out of service with all of the lights out, and the vehicle was parked at an extremely odd angle in the road. With a contemplative sigh Marissa warred over the wisdom of stopping and cursed under her breath when good conscience won out. Inching the window down just enough to speak with the man she opened her mouth to speak.