The Path of Time ★ [3] ✔ (EDITING)

Eilian

⏳ --

I felt betrayed. I didn't know where to begin: the fact that we had a traitor in our midst that Andi and Astra seemed to know something about or the revelation that Andi and Eilian were...more than I'd realised.

I stalked away from the group. I needed some space to think. But she followed me, clearly wanting to explain herself. And I was in no mood to deal with it.

"Steve, wait! Let me explain!"

I whipped around to face her. "Explain?" I scoffed. "What's there to explain? You kept your relationship with Eilian from me. What happened to never keeping secrets from each other?"

"What Eilian and I had has nothing to do with what we have!"

"I told you about how I felt about Peggy!" I roared. "That's personal, Andi!"

"And what I had with Eilian was as well!"

"But that's one of so many things you keep from me! You know everything about me! I've told you everything about me! The only other person I've ever been as open with as I've been with you was..." I swallowed before uttering his name. "...was Bucky."

My fists clenched. I was frustrated. I'd been patient with her for so long that I was struggling to contain the dangerous flames spluttering inside me. The relationship was a two-way street. It was a boat we were supposed to row together, and it felt like I was the only one rowing it. She always told me that I'd understand someday. How was I supposed to understand if she was never gonna tell me?

Andi's face contorted into one of rage, one I'd never seen before, one that actually made my angry resolve falter slightly for a second. "You know what? You want to know everything personal about me? Fine. I had feelings for a Scotsman in 1743. I had feelings for a man in Victorian London. I had feelings for Eilian.

"I've killed thousands for the sake of time. I've allowed thousands to die for the sake of the timeline. I watched Pompeii burn and people suffer by fire, their wails filling the night. I watched innocent children as young as five die in the factories during the Industrial Revolution, screaming for help as machines crushed their bodies. I watched civilizations crumble to dust, never to be recovered. I've seen so much horror that the likes of you would buckle.