Time ✔️

Chapter Twenty Six

Word Count: 1623

~Rosie

I wake to someone sitting by my legs.

My entire body jerks up into sitting position, as I realise Time is looming over me. Placing my hand over my chest, I brush my hair back, trying to gain a little more consciousness.

"Rude awakening much?" I question, clearing my throat. Time is fully dressed and ready for the day, which I suppose is easy enough to achieve when you don't need any sleep. I, however, was plagued all night with horrible nightmares about what happened yesterday. Time's golden eyes never once left my mind, and still are burnt into my eyelids.

"A walk?" He asks, tilting his head slightly.

I blink a few times, trying to gather why he thinks it's okay to come in here this early in the morning and offer a walk. Flopping back down against my pillow, I eye him and the half smile he has on his face. The last thing I want is to face the reality of the day; especially if that means leaving this room. If Time from this era finds me...who knows what will happen.

"I thought we were going to get out of here today," I mutter. At least that was what I was hoping. I'm not quite ready to admit to Time that I made a mistake and needed his brother to get me out of it.

I don't think I'll ever be.

"We are, but I thought a nice walk on the other side of the city would make you feel better about everything that has happened," Time murmurs, placing his hand on my thigh. It may be atop the sheet, but it still makes me shiver. "And I thought we could talk, also."

Scrapping through my mind, I muster up more excuses, as if that is going to get me anywhere. "Will we be under a disguise?"

"Warm clothes and hats. No one will know it's us. Who are you so scared of anyway?" He asks, tilting his head.

He doesn't seem suspicious, just teasing me, but my heart still jumps into my throat. Sitting up, I grab his hand, hoping to take him mind off this conversation it's not often I'm the one who initiates affection upon him. After everything recently, I won't lie, it feels good to feel his skin against mine again. So much so, I have to pull away before he spots the blush on my cheeks from the slightest touch.

"Nothing," i breathe. "let's go."

***

I'm not exactly sure where we are, in what realm, but I know it's beautiful. It's a seaside city, with cobblestone streets and storefronts surrounded by brightly coloured umbrellas. Time and I walk together along a boardwalk alongside a stony beach. It's cold here, giving us the perfect excuse to dress up enough to be particularly unrecognisable.

"This place is beautiful. Everything here is beautiful," I murmur, ignoring the wind whipping past me, concentrating on the churning turquoise sea and whitewash coming up against the stones.

"There's a lot more I would like to show you if you're willing," Time replies.

I sigh, looking down at my feet as we walk. My fingers are tightly wound within his. Despite everything, I'm still uneasy around him, after witnessing what he truly is. He must be able to feel my hesitation, as frowns at me, waiting for my reply which never comes.

"Do you think you're a bad person?" he asks softly. I'm taken aback by his forwardness. The people we walk past don't take any notice, but I suddenly feel trapped, unsure of whether I'm willing to express my feelings with Time completely. Mainly because it terrifies me.

I've seen very little of what Time is capable of, but what I've seen so far is enough to scare any normal person off. But me...for whatever reason it might be, it doesn't scare me. He doesn't scare me. Most likely it's because of the mate bond, but that's not something I'm willing to admit just yet. If the mate bond gets stronger, then who knows what I'll be willing to look over.