He wanted to move past all that had happened, he wanted to forget. Forget the time machine, forget the time traveling, forget losing Sly in time, and forget being with her.
After months and months of unending work, he finally managed to find Sly and bring him back.
He still felt raw from the guilt and shame from just having created that confounded contraption that caused the whole mess altogether.
Bentley slowly withdrew his hand, using it to rub at the bridge of his beak instead as his voice began to soften.
“What do you mean ‘you didn’t expect me to worry?’ Penelope... I worry when Sly and Murray don’t eat breakfast in the morning. Did you really believe I wouldn’t have worried about you? You didn’t think about how terrified I was when you disappeared for days on end? You left no notice, you didn’t call, you didn’t answer my calls, nothing to let me know that you were alright. That you were safe. You didn’t realize how utterly horrifying it would have been to have the love of your life, just vanish like they never even existed?”
“And I know you used to do that sort of work but-…..weren’t you happy with me? Weren’t you happy that you didn’t have to do that type of work anymore? I know we didn’t have much money but- we had enough to do the things we wanted….wasn’t that enough? I know you say being with the gang were the ‘best moments’ but if that were the case, you wouldn’t have betrayed us. We weren’t just ‘a gang’, Penelope. We were a family. All of us. And that included you. Sly and Murray thought the world of you. They weren’t just my friends, they were your’s too.”
It’s almost as if he suffered a slap in the face.
He can feel the prickling sensation at the corners of his eyes and the dry lump in his throat that’s threatening to let everything break loose. ‘
It should’ve been obvious that she would’ve moved on by now, but it still hurts to hear her say it.
He should’ve moved on as well, but it was painfully difficult for him, like removing a large thorn from one’s side. Penelope was someone that had been imprinted onto his heart, figuratively speaking. He had bared his soul out to her, gave her access to everything and anything she could want from him, and while that didn’t seem like much to some people, it was all he had.
She was the first and only person he had ever shared all of himself with.
And to hear that she’s already moved on and still feels like being ‘greedy’, he could only force out a bitter laugh.
“-you….heh, you really don’t understand me at all….do you, Penelope?”
The sounds of that bitter laugh made it feel like someone had wrapped a tight hold around her neck, she had thought by saying that she moved one that he would move away from the pain she caused....it was clear that was just making things worse. A exhale was made through her nose, not having the ability to do so with her mouth, a brief blink of the eyes did reveal some tear works.
But they were swept away with a gesture that tried to make it seem like Penelope was just rubbing her eyes and nothing eyes.
She wanted to hope he was better
she made it worse....again.
“Of course I was happy to be with you, every moment we had were moments I just wanted to enjoy forever. I had hoped you would not at all notice as I thought that my passing in time would only be a few minutes...and then I would be back into your arms again. Clearly it just shows my utter incompetence...” She spoke in a soft tone, moving forward to Bentley before having her knees touch the ground..she needed to be eye level with him.
She started to laugh a little as well when hearing the turtle speak after hearing that bitter laugh. Seems they both had a rather bitter sense of humor now, though she began to choke on her laugh, stopping herself from down right crying. “I lied...about moving on, I only said that so you might be able to do what I seem incapable of doing.....getting over the pain.....I thought by saying those words you would learn to hate me and just forget about me....and maybe find someone better....someone who won’t hurt you like how I did.”