Page 55 of Time After Time
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 aperpetual 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.
“Sweetheart,yourface,” Cora’s voice shook with worry as she looked me over. “Let’s go inside and take care of you.” She wrapped her arm around me as we made our way to her house, stopping from time to time so I could stop putting much weight on my knees. Before going inside, I noticed the wardrobe Sebastian and I had picked out, now sitting on the porch. Tools were scattered nearby. I guess she had been outside fixing it and saw my entire fall.Great.
Cora guided me to her living room and seated me on the couch after the door closed behind us. “Just hold on a second. I’ll go grab the first aid kit.” With a reassuring nod, she stepped back and called out, “Sebastian! Geneviève is here!”
Immediately, footsteps thudded down the stairs, and I quickly ran my hands through my hair, checking to make sure itwasn’t sticking up. My stomach tightened as I swallowed hard. I was finally going to see Sebastian.
We never went this long without seeing each other unless he was out of Golden Sands for a course or project. But if he’d been here the whole time? Two days without a single word—that just didn’t happen. At least, not until now.
As he walked down the stairs, the first thing I noticed were his toned legs and the dark blue shorts he wore. His skin had a slight reddish tint, a sign of the sunburn he always got from skipping sunscreen. But what really caught me off guard was the sweatshirt draped over him, the hood pulled low. It was strange to see him dressed this way; Sebastian never seemed to get cold in the summer.
As he looked up, his gaze first drifted past the front entrance and into the kitchen. Then, realising I wasn’t where he expected, he turned toward the living room.
His eyes widened in surprise when they met mine, and a small smile tugged at my lips, even in my bloodied and messy state. The sight, however, seemed to catch him off guard as he hurried over to me.
Sebastian dropped to his knees beside me, his hands reaching for my thighs to examine the bruises on my knees. And I probably was out of my mind because when his hands made contact, I was taken back to what we had done in that hotel room, making me feel a bead of sweat on the back of my neck.
“What happened?!” Sebastian’s eyes went to my cheek, his expression tightening. He took a sharp breath, his brows knitting together as he leaned in, his mouth parting slightly like he was searching for the right words. The crease in his forehead deepened, and I could see the anxiety flicker in his eyes, making my heart race even more. “Shit, this doesn’t look good.” He winced as his fingers brushed over the area, eliciting a wince from me at the tenderness of the touch.
“She fell off the bike.” Cora approached us with a furrowed brow while clutching the first aid kit in her hands. Sebastian’s curls bounced under the hood as he rose, planting a kiss on his mum’s cheek before swiftly taking the kit from her and placing it on a nearby table. With deft movements, he began rummaging through its contents.
“Why did you come here on the bike?” Sebastian’s voice was sharp, the concern in his eyes barely masking the frustration that tugged at his jaw as he crossed his arms.
Cora patted our shoulders before stepping out, likely to continue her furniture restoration on the porch. I followed her with my gaze until the front door clicked shut, then turned to Sebastian.
