KINNPORSCHE: TimeTayTem Story

Chapter 4: Like A Circle In A Spiral

Summary:
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Tae has to make a decision that's right for him.

Tae

My hands shook as I folded my clothes and placed them carefully into my suitcase. I was pleasantly surprised that Time had not dragged me by the hair back home and instead stood watching me as if words had been snatched from his throat. This was not the man I had known for all these years and because of his nature, I waited with bated breath for the other shoe to drop. What was going through his head? What did he plan to do?

My cruelty might have been what kept him rooted to the ground; stunned. I had said words that I meant to say to him over the years but was too much of a coward to say. A part of me had hoped that one day Time would realize the error of his ways and change for me. I had taken up the mantle of saviour and clung to the idea that my love was of such importance and held so much power to do the impossible. That was my fault. He had shown me who he was, and I chose not to believe him. How many times had he called me naïve?

“Why is it so easy for you to run away?” Tem asked, leaning against the door, hands in his pocket.

Against my will, my heart picked up its pace. “I am not running.”

“What do you call this?”

“Picking an alternate path?” I glanced at him; eyebrows raised inquisitively. “Not everything has to be about you.”

He closed his eyes and my heart squeezed at the look of utter desolation on his face. When did I suddenly get this skill to cut people in half with my words? I didn’t like it. It was never who I was.

Tem walked in and sat at the edge of the bed glancing at me.

 

“You wanted him to come in guns blazing and keep me from leaving, didn’t you?” I questioned.

“Yes,” he said without hesitation.

“And then what? You think he’s going to share me with you or?”

“I didn’t think any further than him making you stay in the country.”

“Clearly.”

“Why is he…” I looked back at the door, afraid that Time lurked nearby listening in on the conversation. “Why is he so calm?”

“I don’t know. I feel like dangerous things are running through his mind and he’ll explode any minute now and neither of us will be prepared for it. I’ve never seen this side of him.”

“You mean calm?”

“I mean angry… as if he has transcended jealousy and is just existing in this limbo waiting for his muscle memory to catch up with him.”

A cold shiver ran through my body. “Maybe I should call Kinn to come and pick me up. Time is never unreasonable when he is around.”

“You’re afraid?” Tem asked.

“You should be too. God knows what he’s planning to do to you. For me… He’s not going to let me walk outside that door.”

He smiled. “Good.”

I rolled my eyes purposing to walk to the bathroom, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the bed so that I lay on my back, and he was on top of me.

“Tem,” I whined.

He brushed the hair out of my face, looked deep into my eyes, and whispered, “Please stop running.”