“No,” she replies curtly. “But I’ve read all the books before. This is my second time rereading them all.”
“Twice, huh?” I say, smiling. “That’s pretty impressive. I’m guessing you’re a big fan.”
Julie shrugs, tucking one of the loose curls back into her bun. “I just like escaping into another word,” she admits before quickly dropping her eyes to the floor. It’s like she’s revealed too much or didn’t mean to say it so casually.
“Books can be a great way to escape, even if it’s for a little while.” I nod.
“Exactly,” she says with a hint of excitement behind her tone. “Well, sometimes. I like how Bella is able to find love even with all the chaos in her life. It’s nice to read something that always has a happy ending.”
Her words hang between us, raw and vulnerable. It feels so familiar, like a memory from my past echoing across the silence.
“Well, I think you should watch some of the movies if you ever get a chance. Sometimes, seeing something outside of a book makes it feel real in a different way.”
Julia tucks the book against her chest, and a pang hits the bottom of my stomach with a thick vibration. “Maybe.” She nods quietly, and her hands stop shaking as she relaxes. “Thank you.”
I give her another comforting smile before she turns away and heads toward the door. As I watch her walk out, I have to push down the emotional tidal wave that threatens to spill over inside me.
I desperately wanted to reach out and hold her close until she let her own emotions spill out. Pain was easy to recognize when you were familiar with it. It was like a badge that people kept tucked away, but you could see it when you took a moment to really look.
I knew the second I asked someone like Julia to talk to me, they would turn into themselves, and I wouldn’t be able to help them. All I could do until she got comfortable was offer any kindness I could and pray that she warms up to me.
I take a deep breath and give myself a little pep talk before heading to see Henry. When I start walking toward the back, I realize I have another good reason to come to work now.
“How does this sound?” I question, sliding my laptop across the table to Henry. I was intentional when I sat across from him. When he looked at me with a deep frown weighing down his face, I had to ignore the guilt churning inside of me. I was determined to keep my distance with the little control I did have in this situation.
“Let me see,” he responds while reading over the paragraph I just wrote.
I peek at the time on my phone, and it’s almost closing time. The library closed at eight sharp and then I had a list of things I had to do before I could lock up. Most nights, I was able to get out of here quickly because the library was dead after seven. But with tonight’s tutoring session derailing my routine, I most likely wouldn’t get to Colt’s house until nine.
I shoot Colt a quick text telling him I’ll be late. Henry's eyes are on me when I look up from my phone. His lips are pressed tightly together, and his forehead is tightly knitted in obvious tension.
“Sor—” I start to say but stop myself. “I was texting Colt to tell him I’d be late to pick Milo up.”
The tight line of his lips tilts slightly upwards in amusement. “It’s fine, Emma. I’m not going topunishyou for being on your phone.”
I let out a shallow breath. The air between us feels thicker, and a flash of warmth travels from the back of my neck to my cheeks. I’m sure he didn’t mean to use punish in the way I’m imagining, but it still makes my skin buzz with anticipation.
I lean back in my chair and fold my arms together. I narrow my eyes at him, but it does nothing but fuel the amusement behind his eyes. Thankfully, my phone buzzes and reminds me of the reason I’m here. “What did you think of my conclusion?”
“It’s good, but I think it could be better. Come over here and I’ll show you what I would do.”
My body stills at the sound of his palm tapping the wooden chair next to him. “You can tell me from over there.”
Henry’s body does the opposite of mine and perks up from my refusal. He leans forward on his elbows, and I have to stop my eyes from darting to his forearms. Halfway through our session, he rolled up the sleeves of his button down and it’s been pure torture. I didn’t even know I could be attracted to that part of a male’s anatomy.
“Come on. I don’tbite,” he says, his voice droppingslightly. The way he annunciates the word bite makes me think he does, in fact, do that. My tongue swipes out to wet my bottom lip, contemplating my next move. I immediately regret the small movement when his eyes darken, stilling my body.
Once the initial shock passes, I push my feelings down hard. “Fine.” I swallow, standing up from my own chair. I am an adult. I can sit next to an attractive man for five minutes without melting into a puddle of shame.
His eyes follow every movement as I walk around the table. He effortlessly pulls out the chair with one arm and I produce a manufactured smile.
“Happy?” I ask, plopping down on the poorly cushioned hard surface. I make sure to covertly scoot the chair an extra inch away from his. I was strong, but I wasn’t unbreakable.
“Very,” he taunts. My ears perk up when I hear the familiar friction of chair leg and carpet. Now he was scooting his chair closer. My breath catches in my lungs. “Now look at this.”
He spends the next two minutes suggesting various elements to make my closing paragraph stronger. He pauses occasionally, glancing over to make sure I’m following. I nod, but every time his eyes flicker to mine, the words blur together. I’m hyper-aware of the inches between our shoulders. I’m even more aware of the warmth radiating off of his body.
“Does that make sense?” he asks, his voice and eyes softening when he turns to look at me. His gaze locks onto mine, waiting for my reply.
