Page 32 of Time After Time (Golden Sands #1)

My knees seemed unable to hold my weight.

For a moment, it felt like I was finally admitting my feelings for her, even though I knew that wasn’t entirely true.

It was just the first time I was allowing myself to face what I had been feeling all along and what I had tried to bury in the back of my mind, unsuccessfully.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Aria spoke, her smile faint.

I could see how much she appreciated the invitation, but I also knew that the thought of leaving her grandfather alone during such a tough time weighed on her.

Still, I reminded myself that Mr. Marley wasn’t truly alone; he had a whole community looking out for him.

I knew neighbours would drop by throughout the day, showing him he wasn’t facing his grief alone.

Yet those who showed up were not the person he needed the most.

I had planned to respond, but Gen beat me to it, flashing a grin that seemed genuine to others but sent tremors rippling through the corners of my mouth.

I attempted to meet her gaze, a question etched on my face about the slight quiver in her grin.

Yet, when our eyes met, a flood of memories from last night and early this morning rushed in, causing my heart to flutter against my ribcage.

It felt as though she had never looked at me before.

My gaze fell to her attire, and my pulse quickened as I recognised the shirt she was wearing.

It was mine, taken one night after a late swimming session when hers had seemingly vanished into the sand, leaving no trace behind.

I remembered the way she had shivered from the cold night air, prompting me to offer her my shirt.

It was white with faint horizontal grey lines, creased from wear, and it hung down to the centre of her thigh, leaving her exposed flesh tantalisingly visible.

I moved closer to her, unable to resist the pull of wanting to be near her, to soak in her presence and breathe in the floral scent of her sunscreen. It was as if the mere sight of her made time stand still.

As I reached out to take her bag, my fingers brushed against her shoulder, sending a jolt of electricity through me. A soft gasp slipped out, filling the space between us. I couldn’t discern whose gasp it was—hers or mine.

“He told me he is going away,” Aria’s voice broke the silence, as if she feared we would talk about her grandparents. “Apprenticeship. You’ll miss him?”

I held my breath, anxiety knotting my stomach as I waited for Gen’s response.

When she finally spoke, her words felt like the first rays of sunlight breaking through a gloomy sky covered by clouds.

“Sebastian is someone you can’t help but miss.

” Relief flooded through me, and my shoulders relaxed as I absent-mindedly played with the girls’ bags, which I had placed on the sand, preparing everything. “It’d be hard not to miss him.”

Needing to steal a glance at Gen to ensure the subtle shift in her tone hadn’t persisted.

I turned abruptly, creating a deliberate racket by clapping my hands clean to grab their attention.

Though I wasn’t far away and could hear their faint voices, I raised mine to let them know everything was ready.

Aria rose from her spot in the sand, brushing herself off before hurrying over to where I stood.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the array of sweets and snacks I had meticulously laid out on the sheet.

The scent of freshly baked goods wafted through the air, mingling with the salty breeze from the nearby ocean.

I averted my gaze from Aria to Gen, expecting her to join us any moment. But to my surprise, she remained seated in the same spot, her legs drawn close to her chest as she hugged them tightly.

As Gen gracefully rose to her feet, the soft rustle of fabric filled the air as she dusted herself off, the sound mingling with the mellow whispers of the breeze. I couldn’t help but gulp audibly as she adjusted her shirt, revealing her white and blue chequered bikini underneath.

I prayed that Aria hadn’t noticed my reaction.

“Hey,” I blurted out, mentally kicking myself. Gen chuckled, her chest rising and falling with each breath, her lips curling into a smirk. For a moment, time felt suspended as we stood there.

“Hey,” she said, her voice wavering slightly as she stepped around me, choosing a spot in the corner of the blanket and leaving a space beside her.

I hesitated, frozen for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart before finally moving to join her.

My heart didn’t seem to differentiate between being followed by a pride of lions and being near her.

As Aria randomly began talking about future aspirations, a knot formed in my stomach.

I didn’t want Gen to focus on the uncertainties ahead, not right now.

But to my surprise, Gen’s response was different this time.

Instead of the sorrow and tension I’d expected, she let out a sigh that felt lighter, less burdened than before.

Her expression had softened too; the worry wasn’t as sharp, and I felt a flicker of relief at the sight.

Maybe Gen was finally starting to ease up on herself.

But I’d seen the university pamphlet tucked inside her bag when she handed it over, and I’d slipped it out and tossed it in the trash before she noticed. Michael was taking this too far.

“My dad wants me to be a vet,” Aria began, her fingers playing with the fork in her hand and the slice of apple on it.

Gen paused in her nibbling to raise an eyebrow, prompting Aria to continue.

“But I don’t know if you’ve noticed; I’m not exactly great with animals.

” A small grin tugged at the corners of her lips.

“Really?” I jumped in, pretending to be surprised, hoping to lift the mood a bit.

Both women turned toward me, curiosity flickering in their eyes.

“I could’ve sworn that goat on the farm the other day was head over hooves for you.

” My tone was teasing, aiming to get a laugh out of Gen.

Sure enough, her laughter broke the tension, bright and contagious, her cheeks flushing with warmth.

I was probably glancing at her with a dumb expression on my face as I extended my hand and placed it on her back, scared she would fall backwards from laughing so hard.

She was definitely thinking about Cooper.

As the laughter faded, Aria’s voice broke through.

“I want to be a fashion designer.” She glanced down at the fruit in front of her, her plastic fork idly tracing shapes across the plate.

For a moment, it seemed like she was lost in thought, searching for the right words—or the courage to say them.

When she finally lifted her gaze, Gen was already watching her, eyes bright with admiration.

Aria’s grin widened, a brief flicker of happiness sneaking through at having captured her attention.

“I made this one,” she continued, a note of pride in her voice as she gestured to the outfit she had on.

Gen’s eyes lit up, scanning the garment as if trying to soak in every detail, clearly impressed.

Meanwhile, I silently kicked myself for not noticing what Aria was wearing.

It hit me how much more attention I paid to Gen—every outfit of hers stuck in my mind, even the one she wore on the first day of summer, still clear as day.

“That’s amazing, Aria. I love it,” Gen said, her eyes still fixed on the dress. There was an easy tone in her voice, the kind that made it obvious she wasn’t just being polite.

As I stretched out on the sand, the sun’s warmth sinking into my skin, the soft hum of the girls’ conversation played in the background. Their voices rose and fell in a rhythm, broken now and then by bursts of laughter that made me smile. I kept my eyes closed, eating a few apricots as I listened.

In the background, Aria rummaged through her bag and pulled out something.

Her voice brightened and became higher as she began asking Gen about her fashion preferences.

I glanced over, noticing them huddled together, their heads close as Gen pointed at her phone, sharing reference pictures with Aria while she took notes in a small black notebook.

I allowed them their time, and once their conversation seemed to cease, I stood up and proposed we head into the water.

The sun’s rays beating down on my bare chest were sending a pleasant tingle across my skin, but they were also making me burn.

Gen glanced my way, her gaze lingering on my torso, as if she were checking to see if I’d remembered the sunscreen.

A blush crept onto my cheeks, and I couldn’t tell if her interest was about enjoying the view or genuinely worried about my skin. Probably the last one.

Eager to cool off in the ocean, I moved quickly, grabbing Gen’s forearms to help her up.

My fingers brushed the hem of her shirt as I lifted it, exposing her shoulders and the soft curve of her figure.

For a moment, my thoughts drifted to what other interactions might lead to this kind of closeness, but I shook off the fantasy, focusing on the here and now.

With an evil laugh, I swept Gen off her feet, and she gasped, her surprise turning into laughter.

She held on to my waist, her fingers gripping tightly as I carried her toward the water.

The sound of her laughter was infectious, and as I felt her body relax against mine. A sense of exhilaration washed over me.

To our left, Mr. and Mrs. Parker—the retired couple who used to run the local vet clinic—floated in the shallows, drifting side by side and chatting with easy smiles.

Gen’s sudden squeal, however, broke the calm, drawing their attention.

They glanced over with knowing expressions.

I nodded in return. They’d probably witnessed countless scenes like this over the years.