Page 11 of Time After Time
The low, insistent growl of my stomach had finally pulled me from sleep, leaving me no choice but to drag myself out of bed and shuffle downstairs in search of breakfast.
Each step down the stairs made the image of Sebastian sharper. He was shirtless, muscles taut, sweat glistening on his skin. When I reached the kitchen and glanced out the window, there he was. He was leaning over the open hood of his car, focused, his tousled blond hair falling into his face as he worked. Beads of sweat traced the lines of his back, catching the light, and I watched as he lifted a gloved hand to swipe his brow, leaving a faint streak of grease behind.
“Enjoying the view?” My sister’s voice startled me, sending a jolt through my chest. I jerked back, heart pounding, silently praying Sebastian hadn’t noticed me watching him. When I spun around, Sylvie was already smirking, her eyes flicking between me and Sebastian.
“What’s he doing out there, anyway?” I asked, throwing her a quick glance, my brow furrowing in confusion as I tilted myhead. “I thought you were supposed to be fixing his mum’s truck. You’re the car expert here, not him.” I shifted my weight onto one hip and crossed my arms, waiting for her to explain.
“Well, sis,” she replied, taking a crunchy bite of a green apple she clutched in her right hand. “I know exactly what’s wrong with his car, but I’m teaching him how to take care of it for the future.” I arched an eyebrow, surprised she’d pass up the chance to get her hands dirty. “And, by the way, I did it for you too.”
“For me?” I scoffed, turning away to rummage through the cupboards for a bowl and some cereal.
“Don’t pretend that’s not a sight you enjoy.” Her voice stopped me cold, and I couldn’t help but blink as she sauntered in front of me, her smirk growing. “I see everything, G.”
I tilted my head, completely thrown off. “What exactly are you talking about?” The words came out too quick, too sharp, and my heart was pounding in my chest for reasons I couldn’t quite place.
“Are you serious, Gen?” Sylvie sneered, her eyes locking with mine. For a split second, her gaze softened, her mouth parting slightly. Her fingers twitched at her side as if she were about to say something more, but she didn’t. Instead, her lips curled into a barely-there smirk. With a dismissive shake of her head, she muttered something under her breath and turned, her steps quick and purposeful as she headed for the front door.
My stomach growled again, making me grab the milk first and pour it into my bowl, then add the cereal—because, yes, that’s the right way. As I did, my gaze drifted back to the window. This time, the hood of Sebastian’s car was down, and he was stretched out on it, leaning back as Sylvie spoke, her hands moving animatedly as she explained something to him.
Mr. Whiskers was also there, perched on the hood, his tail swaying gracefully from side to side as Sebastian stroked the spot between his ears—one of his favourite places tobe scratched. He was probably purring with contentment. Sebastian paused briefly to chuckle at something my sister said, and Mr. Whiskers glanced knowingly in my direction, as if he had been aware of my presence all along.
Before I could close the front door behind me with a faintclickand enjoy the way the sun sent a shiver across my skin, Sebastian’s gaze met mine, just as Sylvie waved goodbye and walked toward her car. A broad smile spread across his face, his eyes squinting against the bright sunlight.
“Just woke up?” he asked, his voice light, teasing even.
I nodded, avoiding any mention of my window-watching, not wanting to make things awkward.
“Are you still up for going to the market?”
My smile widened, my cheeks lifting as the corners of my mouth curved up.
“Have you had breakfast?” he asked.
“Not yet.”Shit. I realised the bowl of milk and cereal I’d left on the kitchen counter was probably soggy by now.
“How about we go to the market, then head back to my mum’s for breakfast?” He paused, tugged off his gloves, and dropped them on the hood of the car before reaching for a bottle of water resting on the roof. “She and Rob would love to see you.”
“I’d love to!” I grinned, the words almost spilling out. My eyes lit up as I spoke, and I couldn’t stop the small bounce in my step. “Your mum mentioned those porch chairs she’s renovating... I’m really curious to see how they’ll look when she’s done.”
Mum had asked Cora, Sebastian’s mum, to redesign some of the furniture in our living room. She wanted a white and blue theme, which was a big change from the dark brown furniture we had before. Cora also worked on a few pieces in my bedroom, and I loved the way they turned out.
“How do you know about that?” Sebastian asked, his brows furrowing slightly as he paused mid-pour, water spilling over his fingers.
“I called her a few days ago to see if she needed anything done around the house while you were gone, or if she needed someone to water the plants,” I explained. Sebastian shook his hands, flinging the water off as he moved them away from his body, his gaze briefly scanning my face.
“Are you wearing sunscreen?” I asked, noticing the redness on his face that matched the burn on his shoulders and back. This time, the flush wasn’t from the sun. I groaned, tilting my head back in frustration. “Seb, that’s not good.”
I turned away, walking inside without saying a word, leaving him standing there, his expression unreadable. When I came back a few minutes later, I found him still in the same spot, staring off into the distance. His brow was furrowed, fingers tugging at his hair. The tension in his posture was impossible to miss.
“Take your shirt off,” I said before I could second-guess myself, the words tumbling out in a rush. I felt my face heat up, but I tried to hide it, hoping he wouldn’t notice as I shifted from one foot to the other. “Come on.” I extended the sunscreen bottle I’d grabbed from inside, holding it out to him with a bit more urgency than I intended.
“It’s okay. I’m already wearing my shirt.” Indeed, he had put on his shirt while I was inside. Though his back was now covered, he still needed sunscreen for the exposed parts of his body. “I’ll put on some after-sun lotion tonight,” he assured me with a chuckle, amused by my slightly flustered and anxious demeanour. “Okay, alright, alright.”
Sebastian’s fingers hovered for a moment before slowly lifting the hem of his shirt. He winced, a sharp hiss escaping hislips as the fabric brushed against the reddened skin of his back and shoulders.
I coughed lightly, looking away until his shirt was completely off. “Turn around,” I said, my voice firm. He didn’t hesitate. As he turned, I squeezed some cream into my hand, preparing to spread it over his shoulders and waist.
The moment my hand met his skin, a jolt ran through me—not from the sun’s heat, but from the surprising warmth of his body.
