Page 46 of Time After Time
I plugged it into the port, and as soon as I did, he said, “Song 12.” The upbeat strumming of a guitar melody filled the car, and Sebastian shot me a grin that could’ve lit up the night. His teeth grazed his lower lip as he started shaking his shoulders in circles. I couldn’t help but mirror his movement, ready to start dancing and singing.
Within seconds, he was belting out the lyrics. His face lit up with exaggerated expressions that made me grin.
He kept his eyes on the road, but I couldn’t take mine off him.
The atmosphere shifted as the windows rolled down, a warm breeze swirling around us and tousling my hair. I pushed my sunglasses up and glanced over at him. His fingers tapped the wheel, head bobbing to the beat, grinning whenever he wasn’t biting or licking his lip in concentration.
The car idled in the middle of a traffic jam, Taylor Swift’s “Style” blaring from the speakers, likely drowned out by thethrongs of tourists flocking to Rockport’s summer fest. But Sebastian, undeterred, sang as if he were on stage. He held his hand close to his lips, mimicking a microphone, his eyes closed, lost in the moment, while his other hand clutched his chest dramatically. His eyes suddenly widened as he realised he was wearing a plain white tee, and I couldn’t help but snort at his enthusiasm due to the coincidence. Though I preferred dresses to skirts, I pointed at myself with a cheeky grin. We belted the last chorus of ‘Style’ at the top of our lungs, out of tune and eyes locked, feeling like the stars of our own music video.
Thinking our little performance was over, I stopped singing, but Sebastian kept going, his face suddenly more serious than before, until a chorus of car horns snapped us out of it. We looked ahead as the traffic started to move, and Sebastian slipped back into the flow like nothing had happened. When our eyes met, we both smiled—shy, a little awkward, and definitely blushing.
“Oh my gosh,”I gasped, my eyes widening as I stood in the centre of the entrance, absorbing the beauty around me. “This is stunning.” Sebastian took my luggage from my hands, enveloping me in his scent before placing our bags in a corner, joining them with a bag he carried. He then rested his hands on his hips, taking in the room with an expression of wonder.
The room was gorgeous. It was draped in crisp, soft light that spilt from the bedside lamps, wrapping everything in a dim, white glow. I could almost picture how the room would brighten up in the morning, sunlight flooding in and making the white room look like something out of a dream.
As I walked in, I barely noticed the bathroom to my right because my eyes went straight to the bed. It looked ridiculously comfortable, with crisp white sheets and a pile of fluffy pillows. The frame was white too, with some gold accents, and the matching side tables had just a bit of gold that pulled everything together. The whole room had this regal feel to it.
“Look,” Sebastian called from the bed, drawing my attention to the side tables where a small plate of candies sat invitingly. He snatched an orange one and popped it into his mouth, laughing at my obvious disdain for it.Orange candy was the worst. His fingers danced across the candies again until he found the one he had been looking for. A green one. My favourite.
As I popped it into my mouth, I glanced at the large mirrors behind each side table. My gaze was drawn to the white walls, adorned with golden motifs of leaves and flowers that elegantly reached toward the ceiling. Meanwhile, Sebastian rummaged through the wardrobes, which reminded me of a larger, white version of the wardrobe from Narnia.
After a quick refresh in the pristine bathroom, which boasted golden fixtures and a full-length mirror, we decided to step out and explore the town. The cobbled streets led us down winding paths, and before we knew it, we were drawn to the serene sound of waves crashing on the shore.
As we approached, the not-so-distant-anymore sounds of laughter and wolf-whistling caught our attention, and curiosity led us closer to the beach.
It was a couple. They were exchanging vows in what seemed like a late, intimate wedding ceremony, with the waves crashing as their backdrop.
The groom had his back to us, but the bride… wow. Her black hair, carefully slicked back at the crown, cascaded into waves. Strands, adorned with shimmering silver gemstones, caught thelight of the lanterns scattered across the sand and delicately placed around the spot where they stood.
The bride’s dark complexion radiated like gold, and though my knowledge of fashion was limited, I couldn’t help but admire her sparkling white dress. It hugged her curves perfectly, making her one of the most stunning brides I had ever seen.
“Have you ever thought about marriage?” I asked, the question slipping out and shattering the silence. The quiet had been soothing, but the vision of Sebastian as a groom, lost in a passionate kiss with his bride, had invaded my mind out of nowhere.
“Several times,” he replied, catching me off guard. Turning to face him, his warm gaze met mine, illuminated by the distant lanterns and making his brown eyes seem lighter than they truly were. “I’ve imagined the location, the flowers, the...” He trailed off, glancing down with a smile, his hands comfortably in his pockets. “Everything.”
“Everything?” I pressed, leaning in, curiosity bubbling inside me. “What do you mean by everything?” I wanted to dig deeper into his thoughts, to understand the dreams he hadn’t shared before.
He lifted his gaze, meeting mine once again, the smile still lingering on his lips. “Everything, Gen.” I nodded slowly, blinking repeatedly, and when I noticed I was still glancing at him, I looked at the ground. “What about you?”
Trying to hide my own smile, I pictured my dream wedding: sun-drenched sands, white and blue flowers, and the soothing melody of waves in the background. “I have,” I said, nonchalantly kicking at the sand, forgetting I was in closed shoes. “The place, the flowers, and the dress, though that one keeps changing. There are so many beautiful options out there, and since I’m still young, who knows what might happen?”
His gaze didn’t waver, and I chuckled, “Well, fashion evolves, right?”
“Let’s dance.”
The distant strains of Adele’s “One and Only” floated toward us as Sebastian swirled to me, extending his hand.
Under the shimmering light of the lanterns, our eyes locked, the coolness of the sandy beach beneath our feet, which I could feel through my shoes, grounding us. I could almost taste the salt in the air.
Sebastian’s touch, both firm and gentle, ignited a cascade of sensations within me. The rough texture of his fingertips and the pressure of his palm against mine heightened every feeling, leaving me breathless.
And then, without any warning or reason I could name, my eyes filled with tears even though I felt perfectly alright. His body, so close to mine, was keeping me warm, and in that moment, I felt safe. So safe that I wondered if the sudden rush of emotion was simply contentment. Maybe it was just the peace of being near him, the joy of knowing I could breathe easily beside him. I didn’t know where the feeling had come from—it had appeared out of nowhere—but that was the only explanation that made sense.
“What?” Sebastian’s voice held concern, his single-word question landing between us as he stepped back just enough to study my face. His gaze searched mine, confusion written across his features. “Tears. Why?”
With the gentlest touch I’d ever felt, his thumb moved from my cheek to the corner of my eye, wiping away the tear as if it pained him to see it fall.
He spoke so softly, touched me with such tenderness, that a few tears slid down my cheeks.
