“Um, Edna?” I call hesitantly.
She glances up, her expression flat. “Yes?”
“These crates are… uh… kind of heavy. Any chance you could—”
“Are you seriously asking an old woman to lift those?” she interrupts. “I hired you for a reason, dear.”
Of course. How silly of me. I force a smile. “Never mind. I’ve got it.”
“You’ll be fine,” she says dismissively, waving me off.
I so donotgot this.
I grip the edges firmly and pull with all my might.
I need to join a gym.
Gripping the crate again, I muster every ounce of strength I have. With one final heave, it breaks free—sending me sprawling backward onto the floor.
“Thanks for the help, Edna,” I mutter under my breath, rubbing my definitely bruised back.
Without even glancing up, she says, “Perseverance, Adeline Ross. Now separate the others.”
Internally, I grumble at her comment. I see Edna is enjoying watching me in my torment. I thought the elderly were supposed to be nice?
Clearly, Edna missed the memo.
I continue wrestling with the crates, to no avail unfortunately. Seriously, these crates are going to be the end of me. Amidst my struggle, I hear her say something about my struggling being too loud.
“Sorry.” A quick apology that I definitely don’t mean.
I’ll make sure to dial it down for your convenience.
Of course, I don’t actually say that part.
I’m still struggling when I hear the doorbell chime and the soft murmur of Edna’s voice. My concentration breaks, and I let out an undignified grunt as the crate slips. Great. My face flushes in embarrassment, but I dare not turn back to see if anyone noticed.
“Adeline,” Edna’s voice cuts through the moment.
“One second,” I say, tugging at the stubborn box. With one last pull, it comes loose, sending me flying backward again. Smooth. Real smooth.
I scramble to my feet, wiping off the dust from my clothes, and finally turn to face Edna and the customers. When I see them, I almost trip over my own feet. Standing there, in all their intimidating glory, are Christian Ryder and Kai Seele, looking like they don’t quite fit in this little bookshop.
It’s like giants in a teacup. I freeze, my brain short-circuiting. Do they look annoyed? Did they see me fall? Probably. Definitely.
“Hi,” I manage to squeak, my voice an octave higher than usual. “Can I, uh, help you with something?”
Edna, unbothered as ever, nods toward them. “These fine young men are looking for books. Help them.”
I nod dumbly, not moving.
“Now would be good, Adeline,” she adds, her tone as dry as ever.
“Right. Sorry,” I blurt, gesturing for Christian and Kai to follow. As we head to the shelves, I plaster on a smile, trying to shake off my nerves. “So, what kind of books are you guys into?”
I know Christian always buries himself in books, but Kai? I guess I should have known. You don’t become the most promising student in the entire school by doingnothing.
And I also know Christian is more into the classics.
