“It was not good for you to hold onto so much shame, guilt, and anger somatically.”
He vividly recalled how tense and fearful she had been when he’d brought her from the café that first day.It had taken months before he could start to massage those emotions away.
“Thank you, Master.”She turned to kiss the side of his hand.“Thank you for helping me when no one else could.”
“It has been a pleasure.”The pad of his thumb traced a line over her cheek.
“It’s funny.”She shrugged, glancing around the room.“I always thought I’d be happier to get out of here.”
She shifted closer to him, resting her head on his thigh.It was an act he would never normally have permitted, but with their time together coming to an end, his resolve appeared to have softened.Or perhaps it was that Kristina had weakened it.
“You shall thrive,” he assured her.“I shall take you right back to that moment at the bus station, and all shall be as it was before, except the Shelley-Ann I drop back there will be wiser and stronger.”
Her face rose from his skin.“Back to the bus stop, Master?”
“That’s correct.”He smoothed her hair away from her face.“You shall have your possessions with you as before, and I shall ensure you are equipped with enough currency to make whatever choice you next choose.”
“But I can’t go back to that.”The crease he had grown so fond of appeared in her brow.“I don’t want to live with my mother, but I can’t go back to Joel.”
“No.”He quite agreed.“You have evolved beyond them both.That is why you are now empowered to make better choices.Travel to wherever you choose and resume your life.Leave little men like Joel behind you.”
“Okay.”She stilled at that, seemingly thinking through her options.“But Master, I don’t understand.How can we go back to that exact moment when it’s in the past?”
Leaning down, he planted a chaste kiss on Shelley’s forehead.He had shared a lot with her over the last year, yet still, there was much she didn’t comprehend.She knew he was powerful, but she had no idea just how much.
“I am Father Time, Shelley-Ann.”He straightened, staring down at her.“Just as you have done, time shall bend to my will.”
Chapter Fifteen
Kris
“Why are we here, Kristina?”Shaun peered at her over the rim of his coffee cup, the noise of the other patrons dimming in the background as he went on.“Didn’t I make my feelings clear?”
Staring at him, she realized it was a good question.He’d more than made his feelings apparent, so why had she felt the need to meet him in person?Shifting on her hard seat, though, the answer came to her.She couldn’t let him get away with ghosting her.She had to let him know he’d treated her badly.
“I wanted to see you face-to-face.”
She gripped the handle of her mug of tea tighter, unsure why her reply was so awkward.The meeting was her idea, so why were the words so hard to find?It was as if she had lots to say, but the sentiment was stuck in her throat.
“Well, here I am.”His brow rose as though he was suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.“And I haven’t changed my mind.”
“I’d guessed not.”Irritation at his smug tone knotted in her tummy.“I would have liked you to tell me how you felt instead of ghosting me for so long.”
“You’re a big girl.”His voice dripped with disdain.“If I don’t reply, then I’m sure you can work out what that means.”
“Oh, very mature,” she retorted, narrowing her eyes.“I think I deserve better than that.”
“No shit.”He had the temerity to roll his eyes that time.“But you’ve always had an inflated opinion of yourself, haven’t you?”
“What?”Watching his sneering expression, anger surged in her.“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know what it means.”He put down his coffee cup, his tone scathing.“You think you’re smarter than everyone else.”
Iamsmarter than most people.
The line hung on the tip of her tongue.She didn’t quite have the courage to articulate it, but she hoped he was bright enough to see it burning in her eyes.
“So, you gave me the silent treatment… to what?”she snapped.“Punish me?”
