“You’re a time traveling superhero,” I stated, and he relaxed, nodding to my statement. I’d say it was a wild notion, but we stood somewhere completely different than the on-call room.
“I shouldn’t be suspicious, because I’ve met people who control the dead and have super speed, but V, this is hard.” I wasn’t afraid of him or anything; my brain simply had issues understanding it.
“I’ll show you another time. It may help with the processing.” He reached out and I set my bag of food on the ground to reach for him. I trusted him to take me wherever. I mean whenever.
“Close your eyes. It helps with the bright lights.” I did and then I felt that weird tingle over my body, then all sound and wind ceased.
“Open your eyes, but stay quiet.” I heard horses and the scuffling of shoes against stone. Again, it took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the light. It wasn’t a particularly bright day, and we stood in the shade of a massive marble column.
White column?
I eagerly glanced around and saw a scene straight out of a movie likeClash of the Titans. People walked around in toga-like fashion with sandals, while horses carried soldiers. Large Grecian columns and architecture drew my eyes in every direction.
“Greece, 335 BC, in Alexander’s great era. I’ve always liked observing this time. We can’t stay, we’d cause a stir, looking how we do,” Vincent whispered in my ear, and the tingles started up again. I quickly closed my eyes, and the soft breeze of the old Seahill caressed the back of my neck.
“Ok. I’m a believer.” I walked over to my food and sat in the grass. I needed some garlic beef to bring me back to reality, because while time travel was my new reality, it would take some adjusting.
“You’re not mad I didn’t tell you?” Vincent sat beside me, his hand pulling food out of the bag. Was I mad at him for not telling me? I instantly shook my head.
“This is a big deal, and I’m not sure if I’d have believed you before we met in person.” He tilted his head to the side, then shrugged.
“That’s fair. I don’t tell people, because many have regrets that they want changed, and sometimes changing things makes the future worse.” He stared at his food, lost in a memory.
“I get it, V. You can trust me to keep your secret.” He snapped out of it and faced me.
“I know I can. You’re my safe person.” He stared into my eyes, and maybe my power was time traveling too since it felt like time slowed. My heart somehow picked up pace as we got lost in each other’s gaze.
“You’re my person too.” I breathed, afraid to move. Vincent’s brown eyes closed before he tilted his head back. The tension flowing between our bodies had us in a chokehold.
“I’m not from 2023. My normal timeline is 2032. I don’t know how we were able to talk to each other, and I didn’t know you were in a different time until I accidentally transported to you that day at the hospital.” He’d been jumping back and forth through time to have lunch with me and to go to the zoo.
“Is there anything else?” I asked before I let my mind get ahead of me.
“Yes.”
“I can handle it.” And I could. This conversation changed so much between us, might as well air it all out.
“You said you were struggling with money. I have a lot, and I knew you wouldn’t take it if offered, so I made up Mr. Woods.” He fell back against the grass, his body deflating from giving all these details. Because he knew, he knew what I’d feel. And it wasn’t anger. If anything, I wanted to laugh at the lengths this goofy man would go to in order to make sure I was ok. I chose laughter because the alternative was to cry.
“V—”
“Don’t. Talking about it won’t make it better.” He cut me off and I shook my head.
“We should talk. What you’re doing, what we’re doing.” I tried to push through, but he sat up and pressed his fingers to my lips.
“I don’t know what else to do.” He sighed, his brown eyes pleading with me to not make things more complicated. However, this whole scenario was complicated. Not saying it out loud didn’t change anything. I knew as well as he did what his actions meant. The jumping through time to have lunch with me. Pretending to be some perv with a reading kink to help me with money. Before, it had been enough to know I had a friend that I could be myself with and talk to, and I could be that for him.
Now, I woke up each day wondering if I’d see him. When I felt the itch, or the pain of my own unworthiness, I craved his embrace. His laugh and teasing made me feel joy and ease. Vincent sewed himself into my heart months ago only to fuse into my very soul now.
“We should probably get back. It’s been more than ten minutes.”
“I’ll take us back before our ten minutes is up.” I paused, then laid back into the grass.
“Can we pretend just for this moment?” I didn’t need him to clarify to know what he meant. Right now, in this timeline, we were the only thing that existed in our lives. No bitchy sister, no horrid wife, no Hero Society. It was just Emily and Vincent. I didn’t say anything as I lowered myself to his side. His arm wrapped around me as I nestled into the nook of his shoulder and pec.
There was no kissing, no words we couldn’t unhear, or touches that couldn’t be undone. We lay in the grass, watching the clouds in silence. When the sun started to set, we left for the hospital with two minutes to spare. I ruffled up my hair and clothes, and Vincent laughed watching.
“I’m trying to make it look realistic,” I huffed, and Vincent shook his head with a big grin.
