Page 56 of Time After Time (Golden Sands #1)

Geneviève

“ Y ou have been pacing for a week. Everything is going to be just fine.”

“I’m not that worried about the festival.”

The day had finally arrived.

In just a couple of hours, the festival would begin, and the whole town would get to see the decorations I’d spent weeks picking out.

I hoped—no, needed —everyone to be pleased with my choices.

I tried not to think too much about what everyone would say, but I couldn’t help hoping they’d love it as much as I did.

Since the moment I woke up, I’d been pacing around the house, driving Sylvie mad and pushing myself closer to the edge with every anxious step.

I hadn’t even bothered with breakfast before I found myself walking to Sebastian’s cottage, knowing that being around him or just hearing his voice would do something good to my heartbeat.

“Then what are you worried about?” Sebastian asked, shifting carefully on his bed to avoid jarring his arm, marked with my initials near his shoulder.

“You’ve been pacing for the last twenty minutes.

I’m surprised you haven’t worn a hole in the floor.

” He flashed me a soft, teasing smile, the kind he always used when trying to lighten the mood.

But when I kept pacing, undeterred, he sat up straighter, his eyes following my every step.

“You’re making me dizzy. What’s going on, Gen? ”

When he held out his left arm, my body moved before I could stop it. I knew the tension inside me would ease once I was wrapped under his arm. I tried to walk at a normal pace, but I couldn’t help rushing toward him.

The moment I settled onto the bed, Sebastian’s arm tightened around my waist, pulling me close until my head rested against his chest. He pressed a series of gentle kisses on the crown of my head, trailing down to my forehead until his lips brushed against my brow, relaxing it.

I tilted my head up, catching his gaze, and without thinking, allowed my hand to drift to his cheek, guiding him down until our lips met.

When our lips parted, I spoke. “Event planning.” I gasped for breath, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

His eyebrows were drawn together, his gaze fixed on me as if he were waiting for something more.

“I’m passionate about that.” I pulled back slightly, sitting up straighter to meet his gaze properly.

Sebastian’s eyes didn’t open wide. They remained the same, but the corner of his lips curved upward as if he had known all along that this would happen.

“I love it. It drives me crazy to wonder whether people will like what I’ve put together,” I admitted, a smile tugging at my lips as I shook my head, hands and fingers combing my hair back.

“But what I really love… is having an idea and bringing it to life. There’s something so fulfilling about seeing it all come together. ”

“You did it.” Sebastian laughed, hand resting on my cheek. The sun coming through his window was nothing in comparison to the light that emanated from him. He was happy. Proud. Simply because I had found something I was passionate about. “You found your passion.”

“You helped me and you told me I’d find it.

” My vision blurred as tears welled up, and I found myself collapsing against him once more.

Relief washed over me. There was something out there for me.

Maybe, just maybe, time was what I had needed all along.

The very thing I had feared had led me to this moment, this realisation.

Perhaps I wasn’t as lost or talentless as I had once believed.

“I want to do it, Sebastian,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

“I helped you look for it, but you’re the one who found it,” Sebastian whispered, nodding in a way that made me want to follow his lead.

“You’re the one who chose to help with the festival, and it brought you to this moment.

” He paused, his eyes roaming my face, a contented sigh escaping him.

“If you want to pursue it, then you take the steps. Figure out what degree or qualifications you need. You—” He paused again, placing a kiss on the tip of my nose. “You make it happen.”

“I already did.”

At my words, he grinned, grabbing his laptop that rested on his other side and bringing it to his lap as if waiting for me to show him what I had found.

Excitedly, I grabbed it from his hand, placing it on my lap and allowing him to look at the screen over my shoulder as I started typing.

“I don’t want to leave Golden Sands, so I found this certification.

” I paused to glance at him over my shoulder and find that his attention was on me, eyes moving from the screen to my gaze.

“It’s one of the best, and I can do it online.

The final project would be the search for a client, and the planning of an event on our own, without anyone guiding us.

” The mere thought was making me so excited and I wiggled my body against his chest, feeling the vibration of it as he chuckled.

“I would try to find some in-person events near, for networking and to learn more.” I stole another glance at him, my eyes flicking nervously.

He seemed to lean slightly forward, the corners of his lips curving up as if silently urging me to continue.

I became shy, glancing downwards to my lap, where his hand rested on my thigh, playing with the hem of my skirt.

“I kind of want to open my own business here.”

He hummed, his fingers still brushing lightly against my skin. “In general?”

I shook my head, biting my lower lip, and glanced up at him.

“Weddings.” His eyes widened, and I saw surprise flicker across his face, a flush spreading over mine.

“Remember that—” Before I could finish, he nodded, his curls bouncing with the movement.

His gaze grew deeper, not just reflecting on the wedding we’d seen but on our first kiss and that night in the hotel room that had brought us here.

“But mostly, I remember the date we prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Marley. It looked so magical, so beautiful. The expressions on their faces...” I recalled the happiness, the longing, and the way they looked at each other as if they were seeing each other anew, just as they probably had the first time.

“They smiled so much their eyes teared up, and their hands were shaking—but in a good way. I want to make those emotions bloom.”

“And you will.”

“You think I can do it?”

“I know you can do it. There’s a difference there.

” He lowered his face, his lips brushing against mine before pressing several tender kisses.

I pushed the laptop away, my focus narrowing solely on him.

As he leaned back, I moved with him, our bodies melding together.

The kiss deepened, and we stayed locked in that embrace until, gradually, he pulled back, breaking the moment. “Have you told your dad?”

The sigh that escaped me seemed to affect him, and he inhaled sharply at the same moment. “Not yet. While I was setting everything up for the festival, I considered event planning, but?—”

“You were trying to convince yourself it wasn’t for you.”

I nodded, not surprised that he knew what my mental process had been like.

I’d tried to tell myself my excitement was just about the novelty of the project, a chance to play a key role in something.

But deep down, comparing that to the career paths my dad suggested, I realised the fear of letting him—and myself—down felt much heavier than the thrill of following my passion.

“I don’t want to make you anxious, but I think you should talk to him as soon as possible.”

“I will,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I’m telling them today.

” I wanted them to see the magic I’d created for the festival.

The way everything looked, and how I’d managed all the interactions, communications, and processes for the decorations on my own.

I needed to show them that this passion was more than just talk; that I could make it happen. “At the festival.”

I knew they’d be there—nobody in town missed the annual summer festival. It was a tradition that brought all of us even closer, and I was certain my parents would take it more seriously knowing I was behind it.

I wasn’t sure whether I was more nervous about that or what came after the festival.

We’d leave a bit earlier this year to have dinner at the Ventura’s house, which wasn’t unusual, but this time it felt different.

Sebastian was leaving in a few days, and that added a new layer of stress to everything.

I swallowed hard, struggling against the lump in my throat at the thought of being apart from him.

“I’ll be there with you if you need me,” Sebastian said. “Or close by.”

I wanted him near, whether for support or to share the outcome with him immediately. Yet, I knew this was something I had to face on my own.

After giving him one last kiss, I stood up from his bed, adjusting my dress.

“You’re leaving?” he asked, dramatically pouting.

Leaning over, I placed a soft peck on his mouth. “I need to shower and change before the festival starts.” He responded with a hum, initiating another kiss as he glanced at the clock on his wall. The festival would start at 7 p.m., leaving me just an hour and a half to get ready.

“What are you going to wear?” he asked, a curious note in his voice. I furrowed my eyebrows, puzzled by the question. “Want to match.”

“If I told you which dress, you wouldn’t know which one I’m talking about. I have a lot of dresses.”

“I remember every dress of yours. Even the day and moment in which you wore them. Try me.”

My eyes widened, and a smile slipped out before I could stop it. The idea of us coordinating outfits sounded really cute, so I let myself enjoy the thought.