Entanglement of Time

Chapter 15: No Regrets

Summary: Tara reminisces about all the things she and the group have gained since being sent back in time. The group also watches Saw X. 

⚠: Mentions of spoilers for Alien: Romulus, Saw 3D, Jigsaw, and Saw X. (it's either character mentions, someone talking about something in particular with one of the movies listed, or, in Saw X's case, watching the movie itself). 

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Thunder rumbles through the sky, a deep, rolling sound that makes Tara flinch slightly under her covers. Her eyes flutter open, bleary and unfocused before she fully wakes to the dim, shadowed stillness of her room. The occasional flash of lightning outside momentarily illuminates the space, casting fleeting silhouettes of her desk, chair, and scattered books onto the walls.

She sits up slowly, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, her dark hair falling in messy waves around her face. The faint glow from the storm outside is the only source of light, its rhythm synchronized with the pattern of rain against her window. The air in her room feels cool and crisp, a faint chill seeping through the glass.

Tara reaches for her phone on the bedside table, fumbling for a moment before pulling it off the charger. She presses the screen, squinting against the sudden burst of brightness. The light stings her eyes, and she hurriedly adjusts the brightness to something gentler. Once her vision adjusts, she reads the time.

5:23 A.M.

She lets out a soft groan, letting her hand holding the phone drop onto her lap. Too early to be awake, but too late to justify trying to fall back into a deep sleep. Tara exhales heavily, contemplating her options. Her fingers absently trace the edge of her phone, her mind still caught in the haze of half-sleep.

Just as she swings her legs over the side of the bed to get up, a faint tug at her midriff makes her pause. Tara glances down and notices an arm—a familiar one—draped snugly around her waist. The weight of it, warm and grounding, holds her in place. A small smile creeps onto her lips as she shifts her gaze, glancing over her shoulder.

Amber.

The older girl is curled up behind her, her face softened in the vulnerability of sleep. Her chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm, her hair slightly tousled and her lips parted just enough to let out quiet, even breaths. The sight tugs at something deep in Tara's chest, a mix of affection and serenity.

Tara hesitates for a moment, holding her phone as if debating whether to move or stay. Finally, with a small sigh, she sets the phone back on the bedside table and plugs it into the charger. Sliding back under the covers, she adjusts herself carefully so as not to wake Amber. Tara turns toward her, snuggling closer until her forehead is just inches from Amber's collarbone.

She nestles her cheek against Amber's shoulder, closing her eyes as her hand gently rests on Amber's arm. For a moment, she simply listens—the storm outside, the hum of rain on the glass, the soothing cadence of Amber's breathing. The chaos of the outside world fades into insignificance as Tara allows herself to relax, feeling the warmth of Amber beside her.

"I'll sleep a little longer," Tara whispers to herself, her voice barely audible over the storm.

Her first class isn't until 8:30 A.M., and for now, she decides, this moment is worth savoring. The faint scent of Amber's perfume from a few days before lingers, mixing with the softness of the sheets, and Tara lets her eyelids grow heavy.

As the thunder cracks again in the distance, she barely notices this time, already slipping back into the comforting pull of sleep with Amber's presence grounding her against the storm.