Page 121 of As the World Falls

“And astronauts get to brag they were on the moon. Tell me that’s not way cooler?”

“Fine, I’ll get the space book,” the boy relents, pulling the outer space book from the shelf.

“Excellent choice,” Lance gleams, standing up now, his gaze falling directly on me. I smile, waving my hand at him as the boy runs off. “Lia?” he questions, walking toward me. “I thought you were off today?”

“I am. I just came by to talk to you,” I say, anxiety churning in my stomach. “Actually, I feel really stupid doing this at work. I should have done this in private. I’m such an idiot.”

“Lia, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me,” he rushes out, moving closer to me.

A sudden and surprising amount of tears fill my eyes. “Let’s go somewhere a little more private.”

He nodded as I followed him back to the front desk. Behind it was an office we both used as a break room. It was supposed to be my office, but I felt guilty keeping it all to myself, so I shared it with him— just like I shared everything in my life with him.

He cracks the blinds on the office windows so we can keep an eye on the library, but then he winces, grabbing his arm. I finally notice now that he’s wearing a sling on his arm, and my eyes shoot wide open as I lunge toward him.

“Oh my gosh, what did you do to your arm?”

He chuckles as he casually leans back against the wall. “I fell off the ladder while stocking some books last night and fractured my humerus.”

“Why didn’t you call me?” I shout at him.

“I did, actually. I know it was my night to close the library, but I called you from the emergency room several times. What were you doing?”

Shit. I haven’t even checked my phone. I felt like such a shitty friend right now. “I’m sorry, last night was pretty hectic for me, too,” I tell him.

“Is everything okay? I know we haven’t talked much since I left the other day. I was just a little angry, I guess.”

“I understand,” I tell him. “I’ve been good, though. That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

He stands straighter now. “What? Are you coming home?”

“No, that’s not it. There have been some new developments recently in my life that I wanted to share with you because I really, really care about you, Lance. Please believe me when I say that.”

“You’re making me nervous. Just tell me what it is.”

I breathe out slowly, feeling like I could be sick at any given moment. “Okay, here it goes… I’m in love with James. I know that’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth, and I don’t want to keep this from you. You deserve to know.” He’s deathly quiet. His eyes are like two cold orbs staring back at me, his expression betraying nothing of his thoughts. “Please say something,” I beg.

“I don’t know what to say,” he responds softly. “I thought…I thought you had feelings for me. I thought you were going through things with your brother and then your dad. I thought…you’d come back to me.”

My tears finally spill over. “I’m sorry,” I cry. “You were my plan, Lance, but sometimes things don’t end up as you expect them to, and James…I didn’t see this coming.”

“You didn’t?” he finally snaps. “Cause I could see it. I knew what that guy wanted from you the minute I saw you twotogether. He may not have been your plan, but you were his all along.”

“You’re making it sound like something dirty, and it’s not. Neither of us expected to fall in love with each other—quite the opposite, actually.”

“Neither of you?” he shouts now. “Does he love you, Cecilia? Has he told you he feels the same way?”

I swallow hard, my emotions making my stomach feel weak. “Yes. He told me last night.”

He scoffs, running a hand through his hair as he glares at the ceiling. “Unbelievable.”

“I’m so sorry?—”

“How could you do this? You know he’s not a good guy. He’s some rich asshole that is probably playing with you. I never had a good feeling about him.”

“Stop it,” I snap now. “I understand you’re hurt, but I won’t let you belittle him or me for loving each other.”

He chuckles darkly. “Are you hearing yourself? This all sounds ridiculous, Lia. You’re being crazy.”

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