Page 41 of Time After Time (Golden Sands #1)

Geneviève

“ I can’t wait to see what Cora will do with that wardro-.”

“I had sex with Sebastian.”

I didn’t flinch when the liquid splashed across my face, not even as a stray drop stung my eye. “You had sex with Sebastian?!” Sylvie’s exclamation pierced the air, and I instinctively glanced around, hoping no one had overheard. “Look at me, Gen.” With reluctance, I turned to face her.

The sun cast a warm glow, but a brisk wind made me shiver, wishing I had grabbed a cardigan in my haste to drag Sylvie to the backyard to spill everything about what had transpired with Sebastian two nights prior.

Even now, two nights later, I could still feel his touch, sending ripples of sensation through me.

Two nights ago, I wondered where our encounter would take us. But since then, I hadn’t heard from him at all. When I got home and wanted to talk to Sylvie, she was already gone. My mum told me she had left for some kind of automobile conference a few towns away.

“Don’t make me say it again.” I focused on the garden chair beneath me, my fingers running over the faded floral pattern.

Suddenly, it was all I could think about as heat crept up my cheeks.

Memories of my time with Sebastian flooded my mind, replaying in a loop.

“It just... happened. We were both terrified of what it might do to our friendship.” My breath hitched as I stared down at my trembling hands.

“But we couldn’t stop ourselves.” My voice cracked, barely more than a whisper. “We just... wanted it.”

Sylvie didn’t say anything, and the silence stretched so long it made my chest tight. I glanced at her, searching her face for some kind of reassurance, but her expression stayed serious, her eyes clouded with something I couldn’t quite read.

My stomach twisted.

“What now?” she finally asked, her voice quiet. “Are you still best friends? Or… something else?”

My chin trembled, and Sylvie, sensing my distress, slid her chair closer, her hand finding mine and squeezing as tight as she could. “I don’t know. I’m scared things will change,” I threw my head back, glancing at the sky and breathing in. “And I’m not sure if it’s for the better or worse.”

We hadn’t talked about it, and the silence made everything feel off. The thought of anything more than friendship was too much, so I did what I thought was best. I pushed it away and tried not to think about it.

“Was it good?” My sister’s question caught me off guard, and a giggle escaped my lips. I met her worried gaze with a grin, my eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Sylvie had never been one to shy away from tough questions.

I could see it in the way she watched me, waiting, tempted to dig into what had happened with Sebastian.

But then, with a small, knowing look, she let it go.

Instead, she took the easier route, one that hinted at what she really wanted to ask.

“It was… overwhelming,” I confessed, feeling a blush spread across my cheeks.

“There was a moment where it hurt, more than I thought, and it felt like I could pass out from the intensity of it all… But I can’t even put it into words.

” As I spoke, sunlight spilt through the branches, warming my skin.

But the breeze still carried a crisp edge, rustling the leaves and sending a shiver through the trees.

“Yet, I felt so… secure. I just wanted him closer, and I never wanted to let go.”

“Gen,” Sylvie’s tone carried a weight I couldn’t ignore.

“You’re smart, I know that. And honestly, I think everyone in this town knows just how inseparable you and Sebastian are.

” I nodded, keeping my gaze fixed on the swaying trees.

“I can’t pinpoint when it happened, but there was a shift in Sebastian’s demeanour one day.

It wasn’t the same look he always gave you.

There was a certain sparkle in his eyes, and his smiles…

they were brighter. I just knew… I knew he was falling for you.

” A laugh slipped from her lips as she shook her head, strands of hair catching the light.

My expression must have given me away, because her amusement only deepened.

“At first, I thought it was just a crush. But as time went on, I realised it was more than that.”

I opened my mouth, ready to protest, to argue that Sebastian had always looked at me the same way. But as Sylvie’s words sank in, they hit harder than I expected, leaving me silent, caught off guard.

“And then one day, I started paying more attention to you. And your eyes… they were the same until they weren’t.”

I swallowed hard, feeling a knot form in my stomach. “What are you trying to say?”

Sylvie rose from her chair, dusting off her dungarees.

As she straightened up, her crimson rag slipped from her grasp, tumbling to the ground.

“I think you know what I’m saying,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she used her boot to kick the rag upward, grabbing it in the air and putting it back where it belonged.

Before we could go any further, my phone beeped in my pocket, snapping me out of the conversation. I pulled it out, feeling a rush of relief as I glanced at the screen.

SEBBIE

Emergency. Come to my parents’ house. ASAP.

Sebastian’s name flashing on my phone screen sent my pulse skyrocketing. It felt like ages since I last heard from him, and the way his message popped up made my stomach twist with unease.

“Shit!” I sprang up from my chair, causing it to topple over and nearly tripping me in the process, my sundress tangled in its legs.

“What’s wrong?” Sylvie’s brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing with worry as she took a step toward me, ready to help.

“It’s Sebastian,” I grumbled, extricating my dress from the chair’s grasp and gasping when the fabric came out ripped. “He’s saying there’s an emergency and I need to get to his parents’ house right away.” I scanned the backyard frantically. “Where’s the bike?”

“The bike?” A gust of chilly wind tousled Sylvie’s hair, momentarily obscuring her vision. “You still haven’t learned to ride it. Let me drive you.”

“No, no, you need to get to work. Where’s the bike, Sylvie?

” I knew she had been using it to explore parts of Golden Sands inaccessible by car.

“Now’s as good a time as any to learn. Can’t be that hard, right?

” It felt strange, like the roles had flipped.

Sylvie, always the bold one, was now hesitant, and I, usually more reserved, felt this sudden rush of determination. It was surprising, but kind of freeing.

“Listen,” I turned to face Sylvie, her expression strained as she wrestled with her dungarees, the torn pocket proving to be a perpetual annoyance as her phone slipped through it once more.

With a frustrated huff, she abandoned her attempts, retrieving a small wristwatch from another pocket.

“I still have time to drive you before work,” she said, her eyes flicking to the watch, her brow deepening as she frowned.

“But shit, this watch is bust or something. Always stuck on 12:12.”

The time on the watch made my blood run cold, and I couldn’t stop myself from gasping. Sylvie immediately caught the look on my face, her worry deepening as she kept tapping the watch, hoping it would fix itself with every tap.

“It’s okay, I have the bike.” My hands shook as I nodded towards her, trying to sound calm, even though my mind was spinning with worry for Sebastian.

Impatience gnawed at me as I stepped aside, my focus sharpening as the front garden came into view. There, by the bike, sat Mr. Whiskers, watching me. His tail flicked lazily in the afternoon sun while the world moved on around us.

I couldn’t shake the question of how he’d managed to slip out of the house, sure I’d closed the front door and shut all the windows. But I pushed the thought aside, shaking my head as I quickened my pace toward the bike.

“Be careful!” Sylvie’s voice echoed behind me, but I was already straddling the bike, my palms damp with sweat.

Out of habit, I glanced to my side, half-expecting Sebastian to materialise with his reassuring smile, arms open wide, ready to offer support and encouragement.

But the empty space beside me only amplified the knot of anxiety tightening in my chest.

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to steady myself for what was coming. As I began to pedal, my legs shook, and the bike wobbled beneath me. But the anxiety gnawing at me—the fear of what could be wrong with Sebastian—drowned out any unease I felt, so I started pedalling.

As Sebastian’s house came into view, a surge of desperation kicked in, pushing me to pedal faster.

But the harder I tried, the more my feet fumbled, turning my efforts into nothing.

Just as I reached Ventura’s fence, a sudden jolt sent the bike lurching forward.

I lost control, and before I could react, I was tumbling down.

Face-first into the unforgiving pavement.

“Ah, fuck,” I cursed, my eyes stinging with tears as pain shot through my knees and palms, matching the throbbing ache on the side of my face where I had landed.

“Oh my God, Gen!” Cora’s voice pierced through the haze of pain as she rushed to my side. “Are you alright?”

I tried to push myself up from the ground to reassure her, but the pain was overwhelming, leaving me feeling paralysed. “Let me help you up,” she spoke, her hands moving delicately as she helped me to my feet, carefully steering clear of any tender spots.

“The bike,” I groaned, my knees trembling with agony as I leaned on Cora for support. Glancing down, I saw blood staining both of my knees, trailing down. Thankfully, my elbows had only suffered minor scratches.