The Time Weaver

Part 12 - Spilling Eveything

As I sat on the bus, regret gnawed at me like a persistent ache. My phone lay lifeless in my handbag, its battery drained after a long night of messages and calls. I cursed myself silently for not charging it earlier, for forgetting to tell Eric the exact spot at Greenwalley Park where we were supposed to meet.

The bus trundled along the familiar route, passing by landmarks that seemed to mock my predicament. I had hastily ended the call with Eric, rushing to get ready and completely forgetting to clarify the meeting place. Now, as I glanced at the time on my dead phone, I realized with growing anxiety that he could be waiting anywhere—or worse, not waiting at all.

"Why did I assume he would know?" I muttered to myself, frustration welling up. "Just 'our spot' isn't specific enough. Greenwalley Park is huge."

The minutes dragged on, each stop bringing me closer to the park but farther from certainty. Eric had agreed to meet me, his response filled with warmth and a hint of anticipation. But without a way to contact him, my hopes faltered.

As the bus finally reached my stop, I hurried off, my mind racing with possibilities. I walked briskly towards Greenwalley Park, praying silently that Eric would somehow understand where to find me. But doubt lingered like a shadow, reminding me of my mistake.

Entering the park, I scanned the familiar surroundings, hoping against hope to spot Eric. And there he was, standing near the edge of the pond, hands in his pockets and a thoughtful expression on his face.

Relief flooded through me, quickly followed by embarrassment and gratitude. "Eric!" I called out, jogging towards him.

He turned at the sound of my voice, a smile lighting up his features. "Hazel! I'm glad you made it."

I stopped in front of him, breathless from both the run and the rush of emotions. "I'm so sorry, Eric. My phone died, and I forgot to tell you the exact spot."

Eric chuckled softly, his eyes warm with understanding. "It's okay, Hazel. I figured you meant this place. We used to come here all the time."

Standing beneath the ancient oak tree in Greenwalley Park, the world seemed to shift around me. Eric's puzzled expression mirrored my own confusion, but beneath it, there was a flicker of realization.

"How did you know this was our spot?" I asked breathlessly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Eric's brow furrowed in thought. "I... I'm not sure. It just felt familiar, like I've been here with you before."

My heart raced as the pieces of an inexplicable puzzle began to fall into place. "Eric, do you... do you remember things that haven't happened yet? Or things that happened differently?"

He met my gaze, his eyes widening in realization. "Are you saying... we're both... time traveling?"

I nodded slowly, feeling a mix of relief and trepidation that he might understand. "I've been experiencing moments from our past, but they're your future."

Eric took a step closer, his expression shifting from confusion to a profound understanding. "That explains why I felt compelled to come here today, even though I don't know why did you ask here to? I was confused. You remember everything? You remember us, right. From the beginning, but still, you're too good with me, while I destroyed you."

Tears welled up in my eyes as the weight of our shared revelation settled upon us. "How long have you been... experiencing this?" I asked, my voice trembling with emotion.

He hesitated, his gaze searching mine for comprehension. "Since the day... since the day I broke up with you. "

"When you left me, I couldn't bear the pain, I tried to take my own life and thank god I called Jess. But before meeting her, I was in a terrible accident and then everything went blank, " I finished quietly, the reality of that moment still haunting me.

Eric nodded solemnly, his voice soft but resolute. "That day, I... I was in a terrible mind. I couldn't see anything straight whatever I had said to you in the phone to save you from me, to have a better future and... and I lost my life too. I killed myself. "

My breath caught in my throat as the truth of his words washed over me. "Eric, I... I'm so sorry."

He reached out, his hand finding mine, and together we stood beneath the oak tree, bound by a shared sorrow and an inexplicable connection that transcended time itself.

"We're connected," Eric murmured, his voice filled with awe. "By something beyond our understanding."

I nodded, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I think you're right. And maybe... maybe that's why we keep finding each other."

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the park, Eric and I stood together in silence, grappling with the enormity of what we had just uncovered. Our journey through time had brought us to this pivotal moment, where the past and present intertwined in ways we couldn't fully comprehend.

In that moment, beneath the ancient oak tree where we had shared moments of joy and sorrow, I felt a profound sense of peace. No matter the challenges and uncertainties that lay ahead, I knew that Eric and I were bound together not just by our shared past, but by a future yet to unfold—a future we would face together, hand in hand.