Page 54 of Time for You
“Oh thank god, you’re both dressed,” Ellie said.
“Whatever else would we be wearing?” Henry asked.
“You obviously haven’t paid enough attention to the postcoital scenes in rom-coms.” Ellie clucked. “She should be wearing your shirt and nothing else.”
Henry raised his eyebrows at Daphne, making her break out into giggles again. Daphne wasn’t much of a giggler, except, it would seem, when it came to Henry. “Perhaps we shall wait for you to have a night shift, then, because I like the sound of that.”
“As long as I don’t have to see it.” Ellie stuck her head back out the door. “It’s safe, guys,” she announced.
“Oh thank god,” Brittany said, holding the door for Vibol and Michelle.
“I ask again, is this a communal apartment?” Henry muttered.
“It is, yeah,” Vibol replied.
“So are you staying for good?” Michelle asked.
Henry tossed Daphne a sad look. “I cannot, no. When the solstice arrives, I’ll have to leave.”
“When does the portal open again after that?” Vibol asked. “It’s a while, right?”
“Seven years,” Daphne said, and had to clear her throat.
Vibol whistled low. “Then we’ll have to make it a kickass few months, won’t we?”
Henry wrapped his arm around Daphne’s waist and tugged her closer. “What did you have in mind?”
Daphne held the bike steady while Henry fiddled with the buckle on his helmet. “Is this really necessary?” he asked, pointing to the helmet.
It did, admittedly, look dorky as hell. But Daphne was an emergency department doctor, and that meant she’d seen more head injuries in the last eight months than she cared to count. “Yes, very much so,” she said. “Now hop on.”
Henry looked dubious but did as she instructed. They had practiced in the gym in their building’s basement on an exercise bike so he could get a feel for it, but now they were on an empty basketball court at a park in the middle of downtown, not too far from where she’d first run him over—on that very bike. “It’s just like how you practiced, except now you have to balance. The faster you go, the easier it will be.”
“How can I go fast if it’s standing still?”
“I’ll hold on and push to get you started,” Daphne said. “And if you feel like you’re going to fall, just jump off. It’s just like riding a horse.”
“Is it?” Henry asked, cocking his head.
“I assume so. I’ve never done it.”
Henry grinned. “Then perhaps that’s the next thing we shall try.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss to her cheek, quick and thoughtless, and she wished she could have this forever. It was so easy with him, so of course it would have an end date.
Henry placed his feet on the pedals and gave her an uneasy nod, accompanied by a crooked grin as she pushed the bike by the seat andstarted jogging. Henry pedaled just as they had practiced, so Daphne let go and stopped running, only to see him wobble and fall over a mere five feet in front of her.
He had tried to do what she’d instructed—let the bike crash and jump off—but he got tangled and went down on the pavement with a very undignified grunt. Daphne hurried over to help, picking the bike up while Henry inspected his arms and legs. “Nothing’s bleeding,” he observed. “But that was a bit harder than riding a horse, you know.”
Daphne held out her hand to pull him up. “Let’s try again.”
Henry managed to keep the bike going straight without toppling over at least four times before they called it quits. He still couldn’t turn very well, and braking was hit or miss, but he was getting there. “What about you?” he asked as they walked her bike back to the building.
“Already know how to ride a bike, thanks.”
He snorted. “I meant, what would you want to do? I wanted to learn how to ride a bike, but while I’m here, what do you want to do?” He faltered slightly onhere, as did her heart.
“Promise not to laugh?”
“Promise,” he vowed seriously.
