Page 65 of Time After Time (Golden Sands #1)

If I hadn’t been confused enough already, his words only made my mind spin further. “What do you mean it’s over? You still had four months left.”

He smiled, his eyes twinkling. “I took extra hours without telling you, hoping to finish sooner and come back earlier.”

“B-but what about those extra courses and certifications you wanted to do?” I stammered.

“I finished those too.” He seemed genuinely amused, his smile growing wider. Though his arms were crossed over his chest, he fidgeted with the hem of his sleeves, as if nervous, while his eyes were making me dizzy, travelling all over my face and all over my body.

“But what about your graduation party? Is that why you told me not to buy a plane ticket?”

With another chuckle, he nodded. “Gen.” Hearing my name from him in person felt so different from hearing it over the phone.

The reality of him standing so close, yet still seeming a world away, made every part of me tingle, and my eyes began to burn with tears.

He had graduated. He was here. He was staying.

No more months of waiting to see him, no more late video calls or texts.

He was finally here. I could kiss him, hug him, run to him.

“Gen!” Sebastian’s voice snapped me out of my daze. He tilted his head, waiting for me to focus on him. “I took more classes, worked extra hours and weekends because I missed Golden Sands, my parents, and”—he took a step closer—“and I missed you.”

“So, no need to go back to America?”

“Gen.”

“What?” I murmured, still trying to process everything.

“Are you going to come kiss me already?”

I chuckled, shaking my head as tears blurred my vision. “I would love to.” Sebastian bit his lower lip, his eyes growing glassy. “But I don’t think I can walk.” My legs were trembling so badly that I genuinely feared I would collapse.

Without a word, he stepped forward, closing the distance between us in a single stride. My legs gave out beneath me—but he reached me just in time. Like he always did. Sebastian had always been there, right when I needed him. Always.

His scent enveloped me instantly, and I almost laughed when I noticed sunscreen unevenly smeared on the back of his neck.

But I didn’t care. I buried my head in the crook of it, feeling his arms tighten around my waist. My feet left the ground, and when I felt his hand descend to support me, I wrapped my legs around his waist, knowing he had me.

His other hand slid up to the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair, as he pulled me even closer.

His face nestled against the space between my shoulder and jaw, finding refuge in the embrace.

“Holy fuck, I’ve missed you,” he breathed, sounding out of breath. The rapid pulsations I felt against my chest left me bewildered—was it his heart, mine, or both?

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I said, pulling back to see his face. He must have had the same idea, as the side of my head bumped against his. We both winced at the collision, but neither of us cared. Our eyes were locked, completely absorbed in each other. “I’ve missed you so much.”

No more words were exchanged as our lips met.

The kiss was nothing more than a pressing of lips, filled with urgency and the comfort of being in each other’s presence.

Yet, I hoped he could feel the longing and desire I had to hold him close, even if just for a few minutes.

I sensed the same longing in him. His hands roamed over my attire, as if uncertain where to place them.

We weren’t alone.

I suppose we weren’t very adept at concealing our feelings, especially when the gentle reminders of reality surfaced. The inauguration was over, and neither of us had any reason to stay any longer, so as we glanced at our parents, who smiled and nodded...

We ran.

We ran to our secret place.

We ran onto the sand and kicked off our shoes, laughing and giggling, stopping now and then to kiss—even when our teeth clumsily bumped. We never let go of each other’s hands, not even when we sat in our little cave.

“You arrived this morning?” I asked, nestling even closer.

He held me tightly, his chest pressed against my back, and his arms wrapped around me, enveloping me.

“Yes,” Sebastian murmured into my ear. “I was here the entire time, watching you and feeling so proud.” I felt his lips press against the back of my head, lingering there for a few moments as he inhaled the scent of my shampoo.

“You did an amazing job. I didn’t want to draw attention away from my mum or distract you. ”

My heart swelled with emotion at his words.

The tenderness in his voice and the pride he felt for me were overwhelming.

I turned in his arms to face him, my hands reaching up to cup his face.

“You mean the world to me,” I whispered, my voice trembling with sincerity.

“I wish I had known you were there.” My thumb descended to brush his lower lip, and I felt dizzy from being so close to him.

Sebastian’s eyes softened as he leaned in, our lips meeting in an aching caress. This time, however, it turned into more than just a touch of lips.

Our movements grew heated, and I twisted around without breaking our kiss.

My knees sank into the sand as I leaned over him, laughing softly when his hands found their way to my waist. In his eagerness, he forgot that his arms were supporting us, and with a sudden thud, his back hit the sand beneath us.

Our teeth clashed as I fell on top of him, but the longing between us was stronger than any discomfort.

His hands roamed my body with newfound confidence, exploring the curves, lines and contours with a reverent touch—places I was sure he had long since memorised.

We only broke apart because we needed to breathe. Damn, oxygen.

“I’m so proud of you,” he repeated, hand on the back of my head to press my forehead against his.

“You have no idea how proud I am.” His right hand cupped my cheek, and I leaned into it with closed eyes before it moved to my hair, tucking it away from my face.

“I always knew you could achieve whatever you set your mind to.”

But gosh, could I have done it without him by my side? Without his encouragement, pushing me forward? If I had voiced these thoughts, I knew Sebastian would have insisted that he was merely there to accompany me, to walk beside me. The credit, he would say, was all mine.

I couldn’t resist the pull between us and leaned in to place another kiss on his lips before speaking.

“I’m proud of you, too.” My voice wavered, but it was incredibly moving to see someone you love pursue their dreams and overcome the challenges along the way.

And he did. Sebastian did it. “I’m proud of you for not giving up on physical therapy,” I said, a smile spreading across my face.

He had changed. The calmness he radiated didn’t happen overnight.

The Sebastian of last summer had been restless, haunted by the fear of not being chosen for the apprenticeship, and later shaken by the aftermath of his accident.

But the Sebastian beneath me now radiated a calmness that enveloped me completely.

He knew he was incredible at baking. He knew he would work hard and achieve everything he set his mind to.

And he knew that while bad things might linger, they would always, eventually, pass.

Sebastian’s hand slid beneath my dress, his fingers grazing my skin and sending shivers down my spine.

“You’re amazing.” He fell silent, his gaze taking in every detail of my face as if he were memorising each feature or as if he was making sure he remembered everything properly.

“I love you so much, Geneviève St. James.”

“And I love you so much, Sebastian Ventura.”

“Let’s move in together.” My expression must have been something to see, because he laughed softly, pulling me closer until our chests pressed tightly together.

“I know we’ve only been officially dating for a year, but Gen, I’ve been in love with you since the very first time I saw you.

” A kiss on the tip of my nose. “I’ve imagined our life together so many times, and I want to spend every second of it with you. ”

A teary chuckle escaped me. “We do spend more time together than apart.” At that, he laughed—a loud, unrestrained sound, as if I had told the funniest joke in the world. But it was more than just laughter; it was an outpouring of all the happiness we shared.

“Let’s move in together.” My agreement halted his laughter abruptly. He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes wide with disbelief, as if he feared he might be dreaming and would soon wake up.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” His smile was dazed, but his hands moved with intent, navigating upwards with decisive movements.

They knew exactly what they wanted and how to achieve it.

“I love that.” Whether he was referring to the idea of moving in together or the way his hands were now caressing the skin on the back of my thighs, I wasn’t sure, but I loved both.

“And I love you.” He hadn’t been lying a year ago when he promised he would constantly remind me of his love.

But I understood.

I couldn’t stop expressing how much I loved him, too. It wasn’t a selfless act, but a selfish one. Love was a powerful force —something to share and release, or it would consume you in flames.

His fingers gripped my skin harder, and I knew that if I looked down, my tanned skin would be marked with white imprints of his fingertips, something he seemed to relish, pressing even harder as if he hoped those marks would remain permanently.

Whines and groans escaped from his mouth to mine, mingling like our breaths and tongues. I had lost all sense of control; there was no deliberate action, just my body, mind, and soul completely overtaken by the moment.