Page 34 of Time After Time (Golden Sands #1)
Geneviève
D on’t ever doubt what I would do for us… for you, Gen. Never.
The passing days did little to ease the echoing of Sebastian’s words in my mind.
Each night, I wrestled with their meaning, attempting to dissect them and then dismissing my thoughts, convincing myself I was over-analysing.
As my best friend, Sebastian would go to great lengths for me, just as I would for him.
His tight embrace and intense gaze held no hidden significance.
“Alright, I need the GPS.” Sebastian’s voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to reality. I turned to him, and for a second, my breath hitched.
The sunset painted the scene with warm hues, casting Sebastian’s figure in shadow against the breathtaking blended colours of the sky.
His golden, wavy hair glowed brilliantly in the fading light, creating a halo of light around him.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, it left a trail of vibrant oranges and pinks that seemed to bathe and decorate his features.
The play of light and shadow accentuated the contours of his face, emphasising the curve of his jaw and the subtle lines of his profile.
Gosh, Rockport was nearly an hour and a half away, and after everything we’d already driven through, I’d been twitching non-stop—constantly shifting, trying to find a comfortable position, confused by the rapid thump of my heart and the restless bouncing of my left leg.
Spending the night with Sebastian wasn’t anything new.
But doing it in a hotel room, in another town, somehow felt…
different. Like my heart was trying to escape through my throat.
“Gen,” he momentarily shifted his eyes from the road, seeking my attention. In a swift, almost imperceptible motion, his hand left the steering wheel to squeeze my thigh. The touch was fleeting, but it sent a jolt through me, and for a moment, I questioned if I was merely lost in delirium.
“Are you with me?” he chuckled, glancing in the rear-view mirror as another car edged too close.
I let out a nervous chuckle and rapidly grabbed my phone, which had been resting on my lap for most of the ride.
My fingers flew across the screen, entering our destination into the GPS.
“One hour left to Rockport.” I glanced at Sebastian and turned down the volume, knowing he preferred my directions over the robotic GPS voice, which he claimed made him anxious.
“Take that road,” I leaned forward, pointing with my right hand, “the one farther to the right.”
Sebastian nodded, checking the right side to ensure the lane was clear before turning on the right signal. “And then?”
Glancing at my screen, I instructed him to continue driving forward for now, assuring him I would let him know if we needed to take another route.
Cora had been feeling under the weather for the past two days, her severe allergies keeping her bedridden as though she had a awful cold.
Unfortunately, she had a business meeting in Rockport and had also found a man selling an antique oak hall wardrobe from the Regency period.
The wardrobe had some visible damage in the pictures, but Cora was thrilled to have found such a stunning and old piece of furniture.
Of course, she was sure she could restore it without parting far from the original style.
Sebastian had promised to meet the seller and transport the wardrobe back to their house, which fit on the bed of the truck.
To his surprise, his mum had also rented a hotel room for two days, planning to spend some quality time with Robert.
While we would stay tonight, we were able to get the second night refunded.
“Man, this car is way too quiet. That’s not us.” He made a soft tsk , shaking his head. “Do me a favour—there’s a red USB in the glove box.” Without missing a beat, I flipped it open, rummaging through the clutter of receipts and loose change until I found the small device.
I plugged it into the port, and as soon as I did, he said, “Song 12.” The upbeat strumming of a guitar melody filled the car, and Sebastian shot me a grin that could’ve lit up the night.
His teeth grazed his lower lip as he started shaking his shoulders in circles.
I couldn’t help but mirror his movement, ready to start dancing and singing.
Within seconds, he was belting out the lyrics. His face lit up with exaggerated expressions that made me grin.
He kept his eyes on the road, but I couldn’t take mine off him.
The atmosphere shifted as the windows rolled down, a warm breeze swirling around us and tousling my hair. I pushed my sunglasses up and glanced over at him. His fingers tapped the wheel, head bobbing to the beat, grinning whenever he wasn’t biting or licking his lip in concentration.
The car idled in the middle of a traffic jam, Taylor Swift’s “Style” blaring from the speakers, likely drowned out by the throngs of tourists flocking to Rockport’s summer fest. But Sebastian, undeterred, sang as if he were on stage.
He held his hand close to his lips, mimicking a microphone, his eyes closed, lost in the moment, while his other hand clutched his chest dramatically.
His eyes suddenly widened as he realised he was wearing a plain white tee, and I couldn’t help but snort at his enthusiasm due to the coincidence.
Though I preferred dresses to skirts, I pointed at myself with a cheeky grin.
We belted the last chorus of ‘Style’ at the top of our lungs, out of tune and eyes locked, feeling like the stars of our own music video.
Thinking our little performance was over, I stopped singing, but Sebastian kept going, his face suddenly more serious than before, until a chorus of car horns snapped us out of it.
We looked ahead as the traffic started to move, and Sebastian slipped back into the flow like nothing had happened.
When our eyes met, we both smiled—shy, a little awkward, and definitely blushing.
“Oh my gosh,” I gasped, my eyes widening as I stood in the centre of the entrance, absorbing the beauty around me.
“This is stunning.” Sebastian took my luggage from my hands, enveloping me in his scent before placing our bags in a corner, joining them with a bag he carried.
He then rested his hands on his hips, taking in the room with an expression of wonder.
The room was gorgeous. It was draped in crisp, soft light that spilt from the bedside lamps, wrapping everything in a dim, white glow. I could almost picture how the room would brighten up in the morning, sunlight flooding in and making the white room look like something out of a dream.
As I walked in, I barely noticed the bathroom to my right because my eyes went straight to the bed.
It looked ridiculously comfortable, with crisp white sheets and a pile of fluffy pillows.
The frame was white too, with some gold accents, and the matching side tables had just a bit of gold that pulled everything together.
The whole room had this regal feel to it.
“Look,” Sebastian called from the bed, drawing my attention to the side tables where a small plate of candies sat invitingly.
He snatched an orange one and popped it into his mouth, laughing at my obvious disdain for it.
Orange candy was the worst . His fingers danced across the candies again until he found the one he had been looking for. A green one. My favourite.
As I popped it into my mouth, I glanced at the large mirrors behind each side table.
My gaze was drawn to the white walls, adorned with golden motifs of leaves and flowers that elegantly reached toward the ceiling.
Meanwhile, Sebastian rummaged through the wardrobes, which reminded me of a larger, white version of the wardrobe from Narnia.
After a quick refresh in the pristine bathroom, which boasted golden fixtures and a full-length mirror, we decided to step out and explore the town. The cobbled streets led us down winding paths, and before we knew it, we were drawn to the serene sound of waves crashing on the shore.
As we approached, the not-so-distant-anymore sounds of laughter and wolf-whistling caught our attention, and curiosity led us closer to the beach.
It was a couple. They were exchanging vows in what seemed like a late, intimate wedding ceremony, with the waves crashing as their backdrop.
The groom had his back to us, but the bride… wow. Her black hair, carefully slicked back at the crown, cascaded into waves. Strands, adorned with shimmering silver gemstones, caught the light of the lanterns scattered across the sand and delicately placed around the spot where they stood.
The bride’s dark complexion radiated like gold, and though my knowledge of fashion was limited, I couldn’t help but admire her sparkling white dress. It hugged her curves perfectly, making her one of the most stunning brides I had ever seen.
“Have you ever thought about marriage?” I asked, the question slipping out and shattering the silence. The quiet had been soothing, but the vision of Sebastian as a groom, lost in a passionate kiss with his bride, had invaded my mind out of nowhere.
“Several times,” he replied, catching me off guard.
Turning to face him, his warm gaze met mine, illuminated by the distant lanterns and making his brown eyes seem lighter than they truly were.
“I’ve imagined the location, the flowers, the.
..” He trailed off, glancing down with a smile, his hands comfortably in his pockets. “Everything.”
“Everything?” I pressed, leaning in, curiosity bubbling inside me. “What do you mean by everything?” I wanted to dig deeper into his thoughts, to understand the dreams he hadn’t shared before.
He lifted his gaze, meeting mine once again, the smile still lingering on his lips. “Everything, Gen.” I nodded slowly, blinking repeatedly, and when I noticed I was still glancing at him, I looked at the ground. “What about you?”