Page 76 of Time After Time
Reth rubbed a hand over his face, and I seized the moment to glance at Sebastian. His lip was caught between his teeth, far too hard, and I could see the faint line of blood starting to form. Without caring whether my hand would be visible on the video call, I reached out, tugging his lip down, my thumb brushing over the tiny drop of blood.
Inoue’s next words came slower, almost as if he were weighing each one. “I’m going to be very honest with you, Sebastian.”
Sebastian nodded, drawing in a slow breath. As he did, my hand slipped around his back, sliding under his shirt. His skin was warm and slightly damp from the heat, but I didn’t mind.
“A lot ofreally good people. People with talent signed up for this apprenticeship.” Reth’s eyes squinted a little as his tone grew deeper and lower. Meanwhile, I noticed Sebastian’s posture slacken slightly, his head dipping lower with each word. He fought it, trying to hold himself upright, but the words seemed to weigh more than he was prepared for.
“But no one like you, Sebastian.” Reth’s tone shifted, becoming softer, more sincere. “You worked hard. I could see that in your portfolio. You have something… more. This creativity, this adventurous side that shines through when you create. You don’t just make a lemon tart—you make it yours. You create designs that look like they belong in a gallery. You’re an artist, Sebastian. And that’s what I want. I want to show you more, and I want to learn from you. You’re not afraid to break free from the rules, from the recipes. I admire that.”
“Thank you,” he said, offering a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m sorry about all of this. I… I don’t even have the words to explain how frustrated I am or how this feels. This… this is my dream.” His gaze fell to the ground, his breath hitching slightly as he inhaled deeply. “But, but I know I can still be who I want to be. I can still achieve the things I want to. Losing this apprenticeship… it hurts, but it’s not the end. I might have to do things differently now, maybe even rethink parts of the plan—but I still believe I can get to where I want to be.” He stopped, his voice softening. His eyes glistened, but he held back the rest.
“This apprenticeship is still yours.”
Those words dropped like stones in the silence that followed, and for a moment, neither of us moved. I blinked hard, trying to focus, but all I saw were the wet streaks on his face as the tearsblurred my vision. Sebastian’s hand reached out and grabbed the phone from mine—his fingers jerking, too.
“Still mine?” he whispered, voice shaking. His eyes flicked to me, searching for something, anything, to tell him this wasn’t a cruel joke.
Reth’s voice came through again. “Yes. I still want you here. I want you to learn from me, and I want to learn from you. We’ll work through this together. It’s not going anywhere. It’s still yours.”
Sebastian froze, processing. His eyes darted back to the screen, catching Reth’s gaze, but there was hesitation in his face. He wasn’t sure if he could believe it.
“I’ll ensure you get the physical therapy you need—it’s non-negotiable,” Reth said, his tone firm but caring. “We’ll take it slow, step by step, and I’ll make sure there’s work for you that suits where you’re at. You won’t have to go through this alone. If the letter and portfolio I read are anything to go by, you’re not someone who quits.”
There was a pause. The words settled in the air, heavy and real. Then Reth spoke again, quieter but no less sincere. “This apprenticeship is still yours, Sebastian. I’m not taking it back.”
Chapter 22
Geneviève
“You have been pacing for a week. Everything is going to be just fine.”
“I’m not that worried about the festival.”
The day had finally arrived.
In just a couple of hours, the festival would begin, and the whole town would get to see the decorations I’d spent weeks picking out. I hoped—no,needed—everyone to be pleased with my choices. I tried not to think too much about what everyone would say, but I couldn’t help hoping they’d love it as much as I did.
Since the moment I woke up, I’d been pacing around the house, driving Sylvie mad and pushing myself closer to the edge with every anxious step. I hadn’t even bothered with breakfast before I found myself walking to Sebastian’s cottage, knowing that being around him or just hearing his voice would do something good to my heartbeat.
“Then what are you worried about?” Sebastian asked, shifting carefully on his bed to avoid jarring his arm, marked with my initials near his shoulder. “You’ve been pacing for the last twenty minutes. I’m surprised you haven’t worn a hole in thefloor.” He flashed me a soft, teasing smile, the kind he always used when trying to lighten the mood. But when I kept pacing, undeterred, he sat up straighter, his eyes following my every step. “You’re making me dizzy. What’s going on, Gen?”
When he held out his left arm, my body moved before I could stop it. I knew the tension inside me would ease once I was wrapped under his arm. I tried to walk at a normal pace, but I couldn’t help rushing toward him.
The moment I settled onto the bed, Sebastian’s arm tightened around my waist, pulling me close until my head rested against his chest. He pressed a series of gentle kisses on the crown of my head, trailing down to my forehead until his lips brushed against my brow, relaxing it. I tilted my head up, catching his gaze, and without thinking, allowed my hand to drift to his cheek, guiding him down until our lips met.
When our lips parted, I spoke. “Event planning.” I gasped for breath, my chest rising and falling rapidly. His eyebrows were drawn together, his gaze fixed on me as if he were waiting for something more. “I’m passionate about that.” I pulled back slightly, sitting up straighter to meet his gaze properly. Sebastian’s eyes didn’t open wide. They remained the same, but the corner of his lips curved upward as if he had known all along that this would happen. “I love it. It drives me crazy to wonder whether people will like what I’ve put together,” I admitted, a smile tugging at my lips as I shook my head, hands and fingers combing my hair back. “But what I really love… is having an idea and bringing it to life. There’s something so fulfilling about seeing it all come together.”
“You did it.” Sebastian laughed, hand resting on my cheek. The sun coming through his window was nothing in comparison to the light that emanated from him. He was happy. Proud. Simply because I had found something I was passionate about. “You found your passion.”
“You helped me and you told me I’d find it.” My vision blurred as tears welled up, and I found myself collapsing against him once more. Relief washed over me. There was something out there for me. Maybe, just maybe, time was what I had needed all along. The very thing I had feared had led me to this moment, this realisation. Perhaps I wasn’t as lost or talentless as I had once believed. “I want to do it, Sebastian,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“I helped youlookfor it, but you’re the one who found it,” Sebastian whispered, nodding in a way that made me want to follow his lead. “You’re the one whochoseto help with the festival, and it brought you to this moment.” He paused, his eyes roaming my face, a contented sigh escaping him. “If you want to pursue it, then you take the steps. Figure out what degree or qualifications you need. You—” He paused again, placing a kiss on the tip of my nose. “You make it happen.”
“I already did.”
At my words, he grinned, grabbing his laptop that rested on his other side and bringing it to his lap as if waiting for me to show him what I had found.
Excitedly, I grabbed it from his hand, placing it on my lap and allowing him to look at the screen over my shoulder as I started typing. “I don’t want to leave Golden Sands, so I found this certification.” I paused to glance at him over my shoulder and find that his attention was on me, eyes moving from the screen to my gaze. “It’s one of the best, and I can do it online. The final project would be the search for a client, and the planning of an event on our own, without anyone guiding us.” The mere thought was making me so excited and I wiggled my body against his chest, feeling the vibration of it as he chuckled. “I would try to find some in-person events near, for networking and to learn more.” I stole another glance at him, my eyes flicking nervously. He seemed to lean slightly forward, thecorners of his lips curving up as if silently urging me to continue. I became shy, glancing downwards to my lap, where his hand rested on my thigh, playing with the hem of my skirt. “I kind of want to open my own business here.”
