I understood. Even if I struggled to swallow it. ‘I want to talk to you; I’ve been trying to talk to you, Myraah.’
‘How did you know I was here?’
He shrugged. ‘I was looking through the old books, and then I strolled up here. I wanted to go to the children’s section.’
‘Why?’ I meant why children’s books.
He exhaled, rattled rhonchi.‘Maybe I was looking for you.’
He turned his head, to fix his thoughts, perhaps.
‘Like you, she had it all – the comfort of home and family. I just wanted something, anyone. I was searching for the familiar.’
He was shaking his head.
‘You didn’t want anything to do with me… I called, I messaged.’Andrew raised his hand, perhaps to stroke my cheek, but quickly pulled back.
I held his gaze.
‘Why didn’t you reply to my messages?’ he asked.
What was left to say?
Andrew’s eyes were moist. ‘Meena and I were friends. It was she who wanted more than friendship. Yes, I finally gave in, but that’s not why I had reached out to her.’
I laughed. The sound never left my mouth.
‘I had the hots for her in school.’
I was without air, I was suffocating.
After what seemed like an eternity, Andrew said, ‘Then I met you, and you were it.’
That’s where a good story ends,I thought.
‘I didn’t hear from you, but you were chatting with Meena.’
It was one, two or three, maybe four conversations at the most.
‘Why didn’t you respond to my messages or calls?’ Andrew asked again. He was looking down, his fingers locked in a tight clasp.
I did, eventually,I thought.
I heard whispers of conversations around us – people discussing books, what to take home.
‘No, wait, I know I was wrong to leave; I should’ve stayed.’ He was looking at me now.
Those were my words. I recognized them, but I had also admitted to being unreasonable. I’d told him to go, butI’d wanted him to stay. Just a tiny bit longer. Meena had obviously done some convenient editing before delivering my words to Andrew.
‘I was happy to have met her at first. I thought I had someone in my corner,’ Andrew said.
There were questions burning inside me, reducing my vocal cords to a cinder. I just couldn’t speak.
‘It was a physical thing.’
‘How long were you together?’ My tone was gruff.
He shrugged. ‘Not long.’
