Beyond Time

Lies And Truth

Two weeks had gone by, and Arthur seemed more distressed with each passing day. All I could do was offer him coffee.

Theo walked in without even knocking and I didn't look up from my book. He pulled a chair and sat down, his legs up on my bed.

"What brings you here?" I asked, closing the book.

"Do something about Arthur," muttered Theo. He seemed distressed and annoyed at the same time, and I was pretty sure Arthur was fine.

"What happened?"

"The idiot's been talking about you too much. You should've seen him when he got drunk."

A certain warmth flooded up in me, but I squashed it down as quickly as it rose. This wasn't for me. Love wasn't for me.

"He's got his other girls," I said nonchalantly.

"He hasn't met with any of them in days. He keeps blowing them off gently every time they make a move, and then the lightweight goes and gets drunk and I have to drag him home every time!" Honestly, I was glad we weren't in the dining or drawing room, because I was sure Theo would've slammed a hand on the table.

He leaned back, and I just stared. "Wow."

"Exactly." His eyes held the weight of two weeks of suffering. "So what do you say?"

I shrugged. "I don't—"

"Liar."

I wasn't even standing, so I definitely didn't shuffle my feet this time. I sighed. "I can't love him. My love is rather destructive."

"To who? Arthur? He's already a mess."

"I meant to me, but wow. You were really ready to set up one mess with another?"

He sat there for a while, studying me. "So you're both broken."

"You could say that." I opened my book, my eyes on the same line for almost thirty seconds. The weight disappeared from my bed, and the door closed softer than I had expected. "Those red flags really are heart-shaped though," I muttered, closing my book and leaving the room.

I headed down to the city for a quick walk, relishing the air on my face, and the sun overhead.

As I headed back to the mansion, I saw Arthur talking to a woman. He hadn't seen me yet, and I wondered whether what Theo had said was true. I mean, he certainly did make it seem like Arthur was being a pain, but still... The woman had a hand on Arthur's arm, and to my surprise, he brushed her off gently. Declining her advances, he headed in the direction of the mansion, leaving her biting her lip as she walked into a shop.

I looked from one of them to the other, and then sighed. This wasn't going to end well for any of us.

                               *

"We need to talk," I said, finding Arthur in the drawing room after I'd finished washing the dishes. He looked up. There was no one else in the drawing room, so he gestured to the seat next to him, and I obliged.

"Well?"

"Theo had some choice words to say about you," I said, rubbing my hands together. The water had been cold and it would take a while for my hands to warm up. Arthur noticed, and took my hand in his gloved one, letting that warmth seep into me.

"I think I have an idea of what might have happened."

"He told me you loved me," I said.

"And what about you?" he asked, rubbing his thumb over my wrist.

"I don't—"

"Liar."

I sighed. "I can't love you."