The Flames of Amarra - DR STRANGE x OC - COMPLETE

THE LOST BOOK

Tobias handed Nora another book and shook his head. “I’m not doing it.”

“Why ?”

“I don’t have to give you a reason. I’m just not gonna spy on Julie,” he whispered. “I thought you liked her.”

“That was before,” Nora explained, taking another book from the pile. “Now that I know Wong doesn’t like her, I don’t like her.”

He kept following her, until she asked him once again and he had to say something. “You know what ? I think you’re jealous.”

Nora froze and slowly turned to him. “Jealous of what ?”

“Julie. Because she’s-”

“Don’t say it,” she firmly said, holding her hand in front of his face. “Don’t even think about it. I’m not jealous, where did that come from ?”

“From the fact that you’re obsessed with her. You always talk about her, and now you want me to spy on her, Nora.” He swiftly managed to keep his books from falling when she violently grabbed the one on top and sighed. “Remember when you were mad just because he didn’t tell you about her ? That’s jealousy. I don’t blame you, he’s a very handsome man and-”

“I didn’t know you were into men,” Nora said, lifting a brow at her friend. 

“I’m not into anything, I’m just not blind.” He pointed at her desk and smirked. “If you can get through one conversation with him without bringing her up or being aggressive, I’ll take it back.”

She hurried back to her desk and waited for Stephen to tell her why he was here. He didn’t seem happy, and she wanted to know why. And if it had anything to do with the thing Wong didn’t want to tell her about Julie. Or with Julie at all. But she clearly couldn’t ask, or Tobias would never let go of his assumptions. 

“I’m not saying you’re doing a poor job, Nora,” Stephen started, “but you forgot a book from the list.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Check the list and tell me you brought it to New York, then.”

She grabbed the piece of paper she kept in a drawer and took a quick look at it. A few seconds later, she gave him a satisfied smile. “I brought it to New York.”

“If you did, I would have read it. As it turns out, I didn’t read that book.”

Nora checked the ones he was bringing back. “I’m telling you, Stephen. I’m sure I gave it to you.”

He closed his eyes for a second and sighed. “I don’t want to argue with you over a book, so I’m gonna leave. But you didn’t bring it anywhere.”

He walked away before she could say anything. She didn’t bother asking Tobias to take back everything he said and kept looking at the list in her hands. She hurried to the shelf where that book was supposed to be, only to find an empty spot. Now she was completely sure she gave it to him. She even remembered asking herself why he was interested in people from space. 

That being said, he seemed pretty sure to never have touched that book. To clear her conscience, Nora checked the boxes around her desk and a few places where, she had to admit, she had a habit of misplacing books pretty often. It was nowhere to be found, and she concluded that it was probably still in New York. She left the library and took a cigarette break. The first one in five days, but she really needed it.

“Thinking about the book or the girlfriend ?” Tobias asked with a smile, joining her outside. 

“The book,” Nora sighed. “I took it from the shelf, left it on the desk, and went straight to New York when I was done for the day.”