Page 54 of All Along

My legs tremble as I make my way past the crowd in the front room and past the rows of books to the very back of the library where there are a few private rooms. This is where Maya used to tutor me back in high school.

I have a lot of good memories from our times here. She’d make me laugh so loud we’d get in trouble with the librarian despite the closed door.

I notice my hand isn’t shaking as much as I open the door to the private room where Maya is. She’s huddled in her coat on a chair with a book. But she isn’t reading. She’s gazing out the window.

“Maya.”

She startles and nearly falls off her chair. I rush to steady her. She bats my hand away.

“It’s me, Caleb.”

“Caleb?” The surprise in her eyes has me frowning.

“Why are you surprised I’m here?”

She shrugs and glances away.

I settle in the chair next to her. “What happened, Maya? I’ve been worried sick.”

“Worried sick?”

“You haven’t been answering your phone. No one could get in touch with you.”

“No one?”

“Nova, Sophia, Chloe, and Paisley have all tried.”

“I switched it off.”

“Why?”

She fiddles with the edge of the desk. “I didn’t want to speak to anyone.”

“Why not?”

“Do we have to do this here and now?”

I nod. “I had to walk through a large crowd of people to get to you. We’re sure as hell doing this here and now.”

She gasps. “Oh my gosh, Caleb. I’m such a selfish cow. I didn’t think.” She stands. “Let’s get you out of here.”

I grasp her hand. “I’d prefer to wait until the library is less crowded before leaving.”

“We can sneak out the back way. I haven’t set off a fire alarm in ages.”

I shake my head. “You can try to change the subject as often as you want, but we’re not going anywhere until you tell me why you’re hiding in the library.”

“How do you know I’m hiding?” She waves the book she’s holding at me. “This book came out today. I rushed here to be the first one to read it.”

I shrug out of my coat.

Her eyes narrow. “What are you doing?”

“Settling in.”

“Settling in?”

“It’s obviously going to be a while before we get to the topic of why you’re hiding. I might as well be comfortable. They always did keep it too warm in the library.”

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