Eclipse

Epilogue

Brave

I leaned into the sofa, engrossed by my book, when the cushion dipped next to me. I sat bolt upright and stared at a man around my age who smiled cheerfully at me beside me.

"Hello," he said cheerfully. "What're you reading?"

I stared at him in confusion, showing him the cover of the book. "The...Werewolf of Paris? Wow, I never figured you out to be a werewolf chick."

I cleared my throat uncomfortably at his too-close-for-comfort statement and slowly shifted my attention back to the book.

"Aw, come on! I didn't mean that! I mean, like, everyone can be crazy about anything right?"

I looked back up at him, blank and unspeaking, hoping my eyes told him exactly how crazy I thought he was. I mean, who was he? To me, he seemed like he was fresh out of a lunatic asylum!

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?" The man cringed slightly as my eyebrow slowly rose in disbelief.

"Are you insane in the membrane?" I finally asked, suppressing a reluctant smile.

"Possibly, but as far as I know, no, I am not insane in the membrane."

I scoffed softly and tried to return my attention to the book, only he snatched it out of my hands.

"Hey!"

"No more hot werewolf guys for you," he said, adopting a mocking tone as he held the book out of my reach. "You need to see the real world and talk to real people like me."

I glowered at the stranger, and said quietly, "Give me back my book." I knew from experience that that tone often terrified people, but he only grinned wider.

"Nope!"

I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes before storming away from him and further into the books, where people shushed my heavy treading. I picked a random book and slumped into a different chair, when an annoyingly familiar voice said, "Fancy a coffee?"

I glanced up from my book to look up at him.

"Sorry, beg your pardon?" I asked innocently, deciding to play dumb.

"Fancy a coffee?" he repeated.

"Um...sorry, I don't think I caught your name?" I asked, annoyance filtering through.

"No, actually you didn't," he replied, a bit embarrassed. "Asher Everett. You?" He sat down beside me, waiting for an answer.

"Um...Megan Vaughn?"

"You don't sound too sure of yourself, do you?" he said with a laugh.

"Yes, well, I don't often get asked out by complete strangers though, do you? And I don't get robbed of my books either." I shot back dryly.

"Touché. So will you?"

I stared at him exasperatedly. "Why would you want to have coffee with a stranger?"

He shrugged. "I like making friends. Plus it feeds my ego. You know, knowing how many times a stranger would agree to go out with some random hot guy," he added, winking. "And besides, you have a life outside your books. So will you?"

"What would you do if I said no?"

"Hm...I would probably persuade you to agree regardless. I have this killer charm which makes girls swoon over me. See, you like a keeper, so I'd like a chance. See how it happens. See, I can see it in the stars now," he said with a grin, staring up at the library ceiling. "Five years down the line, I see an engagement. Few more, and there's a little toddler who loves to gouge people's eyes out. Wouldn't you want that?"