Between Then & Now // Hugh Jackman

4 // The Repairman

Sleep eluded me as I laid there on the couch tucked underneath the thinnest blanket known to man. Alana had to have done it on purpose though I didn't have any proof aside from her wordless threat to stay away from Hugh, which I already intended to do. I wouldn't have that problem with Alana. She was already avoiding me, and I was fine with that. Made things easier.

The weight of the watch on my wrist felt heavier than it truly did then. It held the key on how to return to my own time, I just didn't know how to read it. The mystery was gnawing at me. I had pressed the button several more times lying there, but I was still here in an apartment I wasn't really welcomed in.

Sighing, I felt so helpless. I didn't know what to do to make the small antique work. I wouldn't give up until I did though. Not until I was safe and sound in 2024.

Based off what Hugh told me about his upcoming graduation in June, not only did I go back 30 years but also a few months. It was about to be October in New York when I jumped, which meant I hadn't been born yet in this time. That was strange to think about.

Hugh was actually over 2 decades older than me. I didn't know the exact number. He was somewhere in his mid-50s, but here I was older than him by 4 years. I wouldn't say I was a huge fan of him. I knew bits and pieces, because my aunt was obsessed. I went to see Deadpool and Wolverine 3 times with her, and I loved every minute of it. For the plot, of course.

I observed his Hawaiian rolls quite like how I was studying the watch right now.

I had to be missing something.

Carefullly inspecting it, hoping for a clue, I ran my fingers on the initials over and over again, thinking about what they meant. Trying to make sense of it. Wondering which was true. What the shopkeeper said or that this could possibly be Hugh's abbreviation.

If it was that meant the woman who owned this watch knew him, maybe loved him. It was the only lead I had to go on, but it didn't take me anywhere. The version of Hugh in the past didn't even recognize it at the restaurant earlier. There would be no point in asking him about it.

That took my thoughts to the possibility of never finding a solution, never making it home. I knew I couldn't stay here but if I never figured it out, I'd be forced to.

I shouldn't think like that. If I accepted it, then I would resign myself to ruining everyone's life, including my own. Especially with whatever was going on between him and Alana.

As far as I knew, he met his ex-wife, Deborah, in his first major acting role. I didn't remember when that happened, but if he was still studying acting then he had yet to meet her. Despite Alana's feelings for him, nothing would amount out of her unrequited love, and if that was the case, then her feeling intimidated by my presence wasn't something she should worry about.

Then again, she wasn't from the future like I was, so she would never know what I knew, and I wouldn't break that news to her either.

I suddenly sat up a little on the couch. Maybe that was the problem with the watch. Maybe there was something I couldn't see that was broken and kept it from functioning properly.

If I had my phone, I'd search up nearby clock repairmen right after the thought hit me, but even if I did, I wasn't sure it would work anyway. 

That meant I had to ask someone for help again. Seeing as Alana was giving me the cold shoulder that left Hugh.

I hated having to involve him, but what else could I do? Though I had to be careful. The faster I learned what was wrong, the faster I could leave all of this behind.

The sooner, the better.

...

The following morning, Alana and I were joined by Hugh for breakfast. The tension between her and I was as strong as ever while Hugh was blissfully unaware. He kept trying to talk to me throughout it, but I'd give him one word responses. He wasn't the one that had to spend the night here, so I tried not to entertain conversation with him. I didn't want to make things more miserable for me if I happened to have to stay another night.