In Between the Lines

Chapter 24: Red and White Lights

I was more than eager to clock out by the time my shift came to an end, but a chime at the door followed by a damp breeze indicated another customer walking in—odd considering it was a weekday and the bookstore was to close in five minutes.

Glancing up, I found that it was Reed who had entered, wiping the rain from face. His dark brown hair was so thoroughly soaked that it looked like he'd just gone swimming. More surprising than the fact that he'd chosen to wear no protection whatsoever from the rain—no hood or jacket or umbrella—was that he was here in the first place. I didn't think I'd ever seen him in the bookstore before.

He walked past me until I poked the back of his shoulder.

"What the—" Reed's scowl twisted into a grin as he spotted me. "Lyra! What are you doing here?"

"I work here, remember?" I chuckled as I shrugged on my jacket, the material light enough to warm me against the evening chill but durable enough to keep me from getting drenched when I stepped outside. It had started downpouring a little over an hour ago, and it showed no signs of stopping. "Looking for Liv?"

His smile broadened at the mention of her name. "You know it. I told her I'd give her a ride home from work today." 

And as if she'd been called, Olivia appeared from around a corner, too busy fumbling with the zipper on her rain jacket to notice us standing at the front of the store.

Reed shook his head as he watched her.

"That girl has me entirely, and she doesn't even know it." Despite his smile, his eyes were rueful as he turned to me. "Or maybe she does, and she doesn't want to face it."

She reached us before I could give him a proper response, nearly bumping into Reed before he caught her. The sorrow in his gaze was gone in an instant—or at least, hidden from her for now. It was impressive how quickly he'd concealed it, as if he'd done it enough times before to have mastered it at this point.

"Hi, cutie!"

Olivia took an ample step back, away from him. Though she didn't appear to be shocked by his presence, she asked, "Why are you here, Reed?"

"I'm giving you a ride home."

"I can walk."

"It's two seconds away from a lightning storm."

"I don't care."

"You are not walking home in that." He pointed to outside the bookstore, where the rain pounded sharply against the windows and sidewalks and trees. Lightning flashed in harsh strobes before thunder cracked, the rattle so mighty that the shelves in the store seemed to shake.

"Fine." Olivia turned away from him to face me. "Then I'll go with Lyra."

I grimaced at the thought of getting in between the two of them—but thankfully I didn't have to as Reed hissed, "You have to stop avoiding me at some point, Olivia."

Her only response was to glare at him, her baby-blue eyes like crushed glass. The jagged edges were piercing even from beneath her glasses, almost intensified by them. But Reed merely returned her glare with equal intensity.

I shifted a subtle step back, and then another. In the direction of the doors. Maybe if I moved slowly enough, they wouldn't notice—

"Lyra." Olivia's head snapped in my direction, and I could have sworn there was a trace of guilt in her expression as she said, "I'm coming with you."

I looked between the two of them. While Olivia had always brushed off Reed's jokes and affection, she'd never been this short with him. Ignored him to this extent.