“Come on, Tom, let’s go,” Gwyn said, pulling my arm away from the door. The butler took the opportunity to slam it in my face leaving me on the doorstep with nobody to argue with but Gwyn. In one of the windows, I could see two young women in uniform staring out at me and I turned away before I shouted something at them that I’d regret later on.
“What the hell did you do that for?” I shouted at Gwyn, turning my ire on him. I stormed off down the driveway to the gate before he could answer. “You should have stayed out of it.”
“What were you going to do? Stand there all day and night until Arthur comes back? Didn’t you hear him? He’ll be gone for days. What good were you doing?”
“That’s not the point, Gwyn.”
“Then what is the point? Why don’t you explain it to me?” He stopped me again and we stood face to face in the road. I felt sure the people in the house were still watching from the windows but I didn’t care anymore.
“He’s got my ring and I want it back!” I tried to keep my voice level and calm but it was seething with anger.
“Jesus! That fucking ring,” he shouted, raising his hands to his head. “Why do you even care? Let him disappear if that’s what’s to happen.”
“You don’t get it,” I screamed at him.
“No, I think I do.” He replied, pointing a finger in my face. “I’m not stupid, Tom, no matter what you might think.”
“Gwyn, I don’t thi-”
“You think just because I didn’t grow up with… what are they called, cars? And moving pictures and fancy schools that I’m some sort of simpleton? That I don’t know someone trying to run away when I see one? I don’t need your expensive education to know there’s life beyond this valley. Beyond this time.”
He dropped his voice to a low growl and came close enough to my face that I could feel the warmth of his breath. He was furious. I’d never seen him like that before and I didn’t like it.
“You want that ring because you want to be able to run away the moment things get uncomfortable for you. The second you find out how it works you’ll be gone. Do you think I don’t know that?”
“Gwyn, that’s not-”
“I can’t do this, Tom.” His voice had changed from anger to sadness and I tried to reach out to him but he moved away to the other side of the road, turning his back on me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“We can’t see each other anymore.”
“You don’t mean that.” I reached out again and grabbed his arm but he shook me off. He raised his hand to his face, biting at the tip of his thumb as he thought about his next words. I wanted more than anything to just connect with him but he could barely even look at me.
“If you find that ring then you’ll leave the moment you work out how to get back to your own time. And even if you don’t, what do we have? A lifetime of sneaking around? Of stolen moments hoping nobody catches us? A life lived in secret? Is that what you want? And what of me? Should I spend the rest of our time always wondering if you wished you were somewhere else? One big argument and you disappear, never to be seen again. I can’t do it. We shouldn’t do it to each other.”
“But I want to be with you.” I could feel myself beginning to cry and I looked to the ground, embarrassed. Finally, he softened, coming towards me and putting his hands on my face.
“This isn’t your time,” he said softly, raising my head to look him in the eyes. “Things are not as simple here as they are for you back home. You could never walk down the street and hold my hand, or proudly be with me without anyone paying any notice.”
“But I don’t care about any of that.” I was now openly sobbing, my eyes pleading with him to change his mind.
“You should care,” he said, wiping tears from my face.
“But what about all the things you said? About how you felt?”
“I meant it. You know I meant it. I think you are amazing. But when that ring went missing, I was glad. I didn’t know I would be, but I was. And then seeing how desperate you were to have it back… Your heart isn’t here. I wish things were different.”
“They can be. Don’t do this,” I pleaded.
“We have to, Tom.”
“Don’t say ‘we’. You’re choosing this.”
“Then I have to.”
I threw my arms around him and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to let go but he kissed me on the top of the head and gently pulled himself away. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him so I turned and I ran and I didn’t stop until I reached the farm.