Page 45 of Live Like Legends

“Yes. I knew I wouldn’t though.”

“How would you know that?”

“My dad loves to make dinner and sit around at the table and eat food with his family, having conversations about their day. He wouldn’t be out and about right now. Despite most things, my father is predictable when it comes to things like this.”

I crumbled up my paper sleeve, throwing it in a nearby bin as we walked. I grabbed onto his arm, nuzzling closer to him. “Aha, well, you asked me on this date for my benefit, right?”

He kissed my forehead as we passed more shops and some kids playing. “Absolutely.”

“Good because right now, I’m not asking you to speak to your father, I’m not asking you to tell me how you feel about him or the situation. All I want from you right now is for you to tell me about him, about you growing up, your time with Reese, and anything else that you can share. I’m told dates are about getting to know the other person, so spill it, Mr. Cassial.”

Nick sighed, but it wasn’t from annoyance, I knew that from the way he looked down at me with those brown eyes that told me he wanted to speak about the man that brought him up, but he didn’t want it to be more than just conversation.

For the sake of my time with him, not to mention how in love with him I was, I could do that.

I found myself continuously looking at the sky. I kept thinking I saw something or at this very minute was when we needed to leave. Nick would follow my eyes and remind me that there was nothing there, but there were moments when I felt like that tiny ripples that I saw were for me, just to fuck with me. I kept telling myself that it would all be dealt with.

We had sat down at a small table near the end of the rows of buildings to talk. I let Nick talk about anything and everything. I’d fire my questions and he would ask what he wanted as well. There were things he already knew about me, but some things I surprised him with. He had ended up placing his hand on my knee, drawing tiny circles with his thumb.

He would occasionally move that hand higher up my thigh but then retreat back to my knee. I was no better with how I dragged my foot along his ankle and up his leg. It was nice to see him laughing when his father was brought up, rather than the tension filled moments that always seemed to happen.

“So, your father and Jonah both discovered that little path into the Divine Library?”

He nodded, leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, it was odd since he’d always huffed and puffed about Jonah ever since I started at The Skies. After he told me about the secret passage, I guess he was in a forthcoming mood to keep talking.”

“And?” I pressed, intrigued.

“And he told me Jonah was always fond of the library. He liked going there at night and he’d drag my father with him. I don’t know, I guess it became like a little secret meeting place. I don’t particularly think Jonah’s father was a fan of mine and Jonah himself was always busy with future executive things, that slowly I think they spent less time together but ‘best friends will always find a way to meet up’. Those words are straight from my father.”

“So, the library was Jonah’s favorite place, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess so, the Divine Library is always quiet and it’s a good place to think. I can see why he enjoyed it.”

“Hmm, do you have a favorite place? I mean besides between my legs,” I joked, getting an eye roll from him that made me giggle even more.

“You are so much more than just a very nice body, Dani, so…” His words trailed off while his eyes looked off to the side as if he was deep in thought.

I snapped my fingers at him. “Hello, Nick?”

“Wait, Jonah’s favorite spot was the library.”

I slowly nodded. “Yeah, you’ve said that.”

“My father is probably one of the few people that knew him the best, so that has to be accurate, right?” He started to get up from the table.

“Sure. Nick, what's going on?”

“I’m not sure, but we have to go.” He grabbed my hand, pulling me around a corner. He had his portal key out in seconds and started to create a circle.

“Go where? Context would be nice, you know.”

Once the portal was done, he started to yank me inside the glowing circle. “The Divine Library.”

I clearly wasn’t processing what was happening fast enough, but I’d given up asking any other questions the minute the portal he had created led us into the closet that held the doorway to the secret passage into the Divine Library. Nick started talking as he maneuvered the bookcase out of the way, revealing the door.

Today was just filled with moments of déjà vu as we walked the same path, we had the first time we were down here. Everything from the smells to the darkness sent me back. Nick lit his own path, but his footsteps were faster and more determined. We were meant to leave soon and somehow this man decided to go rogue and tell no one his thought process. I couldn’t say I was surprised.

The minute we got inside, away from the dank air of the tunnel, I took an easy breath inward. I hadn’t been in the library for quite some time, but I’d almost forgotten how beautiful it was. The stained-glass windows collected the last of the sunset and it would be pitch dark soon. The tiny orbs of light started to glow as the inside of this building began to dim. Nick darted for the stairs while I followed behind him, my curiosity slowly morphing into annoyance. “Tell me why you couldn’t just portal us in here?”

---