Page 63 of Time After Time
I let out a soft sigh, more of a contented noise than anything else. But it said everything. It felt amazing to have the water streaming through my hair while her hands worked to wash my scalp. The sensation was so overwhelming that a sound slipped from my throat, barely a whimper of pleasure.
But just like that, the water stopped flowing, and I instantly missed the feel of her hands on me, left wishing for just a little more of her touch.
The click of the shampoo bottle cap echoed in the bathroom, and I held my breath, fully aware of how close Gen was. My lip caught between my teeth as I felt her fingers weaving through my hair. The pressure of her nails against the back of my head wasn’t painful; instead, it sent little shivers of pleasure down my spine. I bit down harder on my lip, almost tasting the metallic tang of iron as I tried to stifle any sounds that threatened to slip out.
“Am I hurting you?” she asked, her voice soft. Her fingers moved in circular motions on my scalp. Every now and then, her nails would brush against my skin, forming goosebumps all over my body.
“Sebastian?” Her voice broke through my thoughts, and I noticed she had shifted to my left, trying to meet my gaze.
“No, no,” I blurted out, my expression begging her to keep going. “It feels amazing.” I swallowed hard, unable to meet her eyes as heat rushed to my cheeks.
Water trickled down my forehead, mingling with the sweat on my skin, and I couldn’t tell if it was from the shower or just me.
Gen chuckled, her hands returning to my head.
I drifted in and out of a calm state for what felt like ages, my eyes closed as Gen washed my hair.
“Are you showering the rest?” Her voice brought me back to reality sooner than I would have liked, and I blinked, realising the shampoo had already been washed away. She stood in front of me, hands raised as water streamed down her wrists. She lowered her hands carefully, preventing the droplets from sliding past her elbows. My eyes caught a few damp spots on the front of her dress, one drop resting just at her left breast. The fabric clung to her, not just there, but all down the other side, pulled tight against her form.
“Alright, then, I’ll wait outside.” Gen’s body was tense, as if one part of her was urging her to leave the bathroom while another fought to stay. Her eyes wandered over my chest, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she noticed the erratic rhythm of my breaths.
When she left the bathroom, I took the longest and coldest shower ever known to human kin.
For the rest of the day, Gen and I chatted about the festival. She even rearranged some of her appointments so she could stay with me, making sure I was okay, even though I’d insisted I could manage on my own. Eventually, we changed into comfy clothes. I gave her one of my oversized T-shirts and some shorts, but she surprised me by picking the black cotton tee that hung on her like a dress, which had almost killed me when she had stepped closer to me to help me change into my own clothes.
“What even is this?” Gen chuckled, reclining next to me on my bed. We were both leaning against the headboard, gazing at my laptop resting between us.
“I don’t even know,” I replied, my hand reaching for the empty popcorn bowl we had finished long ago and placing it on the nightstand. “We picked the worst film.”
She laughed lightly, and for a moment, everything felt easy. Then her voice turned almost hesitant, drawing my attention back to her. “Seb…”
As she nestled closer, her leg intertwined with mine, and I had trouble glancing at her face, but when I did, I almost sighed in relief when the darkness of the room didn’t allow me to see her properly, fearful of how her voice had sounded.
“What is it?” I shifted, trying to get a better view of her face as she toyed with her lip again.
“I,” she sighed, her eyes closing briefly. “I want you, Seb.”
“What?” My breath caught in my throat, my heart pounding wildly.
She sat up, her hand resting on my chest, and I couldn’t help but notice the way her chest rose and fell with each breath, her nipples pressing against the fabric of her t-shirt—well, my shirt.
“I want you, Sebastian,” she confessed, her eyes glistening. “I can’t stop thinking about the other night.”
“What do you want?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the drumming of my heartbeat. With a gentle nudge of my leg, I pushed the laptop farther away, allowing her to draw nearer, until our bodies were pressed together.
“I want to feel you inside me again,” she murmured, her leg shifting over mine, bringing herself over me until she was straddling me. “And I want to please you, the way you pleased me.”
My chest tightened, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Gen...” I whispered, my hands reaching for her, driven byinstinct, aching to pull her closer, to feel every inch of her body. But then doubt flickered in—just for a moment. Was this wrong? I’d dreamed of this moment a thousand times, but now that it was real, how could I question it? Her breath brushed against my neck, and the question seemed almost irrelevant. Nothing had ever felt more right than being with her.
“Don’t be my best friend right now,” she whispered, her voice stronger now, her fingers threading through my hair, pulling me in, and in her eyes, I saw something raw, something impossible to ignore. My heart stuttered in my chest. Pretending Gen was just my best friend had never been an option. Not now, not ever. “Be more.”
And what if I’d always wanted to be more? What if I’d been waiting for this moment, craving it all along?
My left hand rested on her hip. I could feel the tension in her body, a subtle quiver beneath my touch, as if every nerve was on edge.
If my shirt wasn’t covering her, I knew my fingertips would be painted on her tan skin.
With a harsh swallow and my heart lodged in my throat, I kept my gaze fixed on hers. I knew this moment would break me a little more, tearing apart the last of my resolve and leaving me exposed before her.
