Word Count: 1530

~Rosie

Time holds my hand tightly, leading me down the street.

It's almost comical, how we both look. Time has dressed up head to toe in clothing from this era that appears to be popular in this particular area. Both of us wear sheer white outfits that are fashioned similar to robes, hoods pulled over our heads. No one even casts us a second glance, which is a relief.

"I'm still on the fence about showing you this," Time mutters, pulling me down an alleyway. Glancing up, I see snow white painted balconies with drying clothes hanging off. Soft, up beat music drifts from the homes on the other sides of these washed out brick walls.

"Well you have to now, don't you?" I comment. I'm both curious and nervous about what he is planning to show me. I can feel how anxious he is about it too.

I didn't think an immortal could be scared.

We pull out onto another street. There are a lot more people here, that we have to wade through. I catch the gazes of curious eyes, looking at the strange couple walking around wearing full outfits in the heat. It's more important that no one sees Time, but it is still unnerving knowing that they can see me.

"It's a big part of what happens next, so it's important. But it's deeply personal, and you're my mate...It would kill me if I saw this," Time tells me, glancing down at me. I feel that, in the way he says it. Maybe this would kill me...

I swallow uncomfortably, before I remember how I'm supposed to feel."I can assure you I'm not as deeply connected to you as you may think."

"We'll see," he breathes.

We cut down another alleyway, before suddenly emerging onto a concrete road. On the otherside, is a wharf, and then a beach. I'm shocked, for a moment, at the glaring view of the sunlight reflecting off the turquoise surface of the sea. I never knew this place existed. Of course I believed it would be a sea town, but I could never imagine a place like this.

"This place is beautiful," I tell him, looking out across the golden sands, that is more of an orange colour than white. People are scattered across the beach, as we approach. "Tell me it's still like this in real time."

"It's a lot like this, yes. Not as lively though," Time comments.

Instead of going onto the beach, Time leads me away to a small café right on the border of the pier. Without going inside, we quickly sit on a small table outside. I'm not sure what Time is planning, until I glance over at him, seeing where he is staring.

"Is that you?" I say, authomatically. There's a couple on the beach, holding each other, looking down at each other with bright smiles. Complete, and utter love. It's delibitating, which is the most shocking part. I'm watching my mate look at another girl as if she is her whole world. As if suddenly, I don't mean anything to him.

Time exhales. "That's me."

I watch Time wrap his arms around the girl, picking her up and twisting her around so I can get a full glimpse of her. She has long, straight golden hair that billows around her as she is spun around. Her head tips back as she laughs, skin glowing underneath the brightness of the sunlight. Everyone around the couple seems to admire them. It looks like true love.

"That's the girl from the painting," I say suddenly, remembering that night I wandered into Time's art room, and found the portrait which he was reluctant to show me. Now I see why he was sceptical.

"Her name is Amaris. I met here on his exact beach. According to this time, that would have been only a few weeks ago," he tells me, looking dreamily off toward where they stand.

I'm unsure of why I feel so uncomfortable. "She's beautiful."

There is something so unnerving about seeing my mate with another girl. It's foolish, and almost selfish, when he has lived so much of his life so far, and I haven't given him any moment to think I'm interested in him. I feel completely stupid, thinking about the way I'm feeling.

"She was very special to me for a very long time. Those twenty plus years I had with her were some of the best in my entire life," he admits.

"You spent that much time with her?"

"Until she died," he explains. "but it wasn't long. It should have been longer, being that she was an immortal. Not a pure blood - she didn't want that - but she should have lived at least one hundred more years. But she got sick."

Looking back out onto the beach at Amaris and Time, I don't see a sick girl. I see a girl so happy with the man she loves, unknowest of what lies ahead of her in her life. Casting my glance away, I try not to dwell on how sad that is. Her life has been and gone, millions of years before I could even comprehend that.

"I didn't know immortals like me could get sick," I say. We had always been told that once we reach this span of life, this was it until we outlived ourselves and finally fell to peace.

"It was rare but it happened," he tells me. He looks stricken with grief for only a single moment, before he shakes his head, looking at me. "Come with me."

All of a sudden, we are moving.

We walk down the wharf a small way, before he walks me back down through an alleyway. I know he doesn't want to be seen by anyone, but this is starting to get ridiculous. That is, until he walks to the nearest door, and opens it. I look up, wondering if he is dragging me into someone elses home.

"What is this place?" I question, being swallowed up by darkness as we walk inside. It's a humble, small home with little furnishings. Everything seems to be squeezed into one room, nothing looking lived in.

"I know the lady who lives here. She's never around and always leaves her house unlocked. I thought it would be the perfect space to talk in private," Time says, leaning up against the concrete wall behind him.

Suddenly I feel nervous. I have no doubt he wants me to tell him how I feel about this. He wants me to admit this makes me uncomfortable.

"How do you feel about all this?" he asks.

I exhale a breath. Of course. "I'm okay. This was a part of your life that I can't change. You don't need to worry about me."

It's all true, but I can't help but notice the sinking feeling in my stomach. Maybe this is just natural, because he is my mate, which is a bond that cannot be denied. Or maybe it is more than that. Maybe seeing him with that girl makes me jealous, because I doubt he will ever look at me in the way he looked at her. He's only protecting me from Sinful right now because I'm his mate. He chose her. He's forced to be with me.

Time doesn't speak for a moment, just watching me silently. He doesn't believe me, does he? He sees right through me and the way I feel.

"I want to prove to you that this doesn't mean anything anymore," he breathes.

I look away.

I can hear Time step forward, feeling his hands grab mine. When I glance back up at him, he's looking into my eyes, his own golden ones analysing me, looking into my soul. I can feel a conncetion between us, and for a moment I'm convinced it's magic. But it's not. It's the mate bond I've been running from all this time.

"Amaris was nothing like you. I might not know you all that well yet, Rosie, but I can already tell you're nothing like anyone I've ever met. You're special, and I want you to remember that when you see everything you will soon," he tells me.

I'm struck, for a moment. I've never witnessed Time being so earnest, as if he is telling me the complete and utter truth. It's almost unnerving, yet at the same time, it fills my entire stomach with a kind of warmth I've never felt before.

"I believe you," I say. "Now, what else do you have to show me?"

Time leans forward, kissing my cheek, before he steps back. I changed the subject to escape any more conversation on this. The more Time knows it bothers me, the more he will assume I'm feeling something for him.

And nothing could be more dangerous than that.

💛••💛

Hey guys! If you're enjoying the story, you can head over to Radish and read Time ahead of Wattpad!

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Hey guys! I've released Thought's own story on Radish, which is available now! I want to see by the end, which of the brothers your prefer

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~Midika 💜🐼