Bittersweet Expectations (Hate at First Flight #0.5)

14. The Conspiracies of the Universe

After what felt like forever of me sitting by the kitchen counter, my mind swallowed up with thoughts of Ethan Clarke and the perplexity that he was, I headed to the library where I knew I would be spending the better half of my day in.

The scent of old books, coffee and a pleasant and woody smell greeted me as I made my way towards the closest bookshelf that reached up to the ceiling. I estimated that there were hundreds of books on only this bookshelf.

My fingers traced the books, a smile on my face as I just enjoyed the feeling of having nothing else to do the entire day but drown myself in a world of words.

I had been a bookworm ever since I picked up a copy of those Rainbow Magic books that I found to be pretty when I was six. A light chuckle escaped me as I remembered the hoe obsessed I was with those books. I could even remember the names of the fairies from the first collection.

I remembered staying up until mom had to walk into my room and take the books away. I still had it somewhere back at home in storage.

Reading to me was what some people found alcohol to be. An escape.

It took me to places that I felt I didn't have to face all the problems I had to deal with in reality. It took me to a place in my imagination where I can be someone else, something else, or anything I wanted to be.

A huntress, an heiress, a femme fatale or even someone that had someone that loved her no matter what.

When the accident with my parents happened, once I went through the process of grief, I found solace in books. To me, they offered more comfort then words from people that seemed almost halfhearted to me at the time. The books that I escaped to seemed to help build me back up and at the end, I felt more confident to face the world.

I stopped perusing the books when I spotted a book I had been meaning to read but never got the chance to.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

It was about a young shepherd in his journey to the pyramids of Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding a treasure there.

I felt as giddy as a kid in a candy shop. My eyes wandered on the shelf and found some books by the Bronte sisters that I have yet to read. Just as I moved to pick it up, someone broke the silence.

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." 

My hand dropped to my side and I turned around, stopping short as I meet the eyes of someone I least expected.

"Julian?" I wasn't sure whether I was more surprised by seeing him or by the fact that he was standing so close that only a few steps separated us.

He towered over me, looking down at me from his great height that I had to step back to look at him properly.

His eyes lit up at my words. "You remember me then?"

I nodded, brows furrowed by his comment. "I remember you being the drunk one of the two of us last night. I'm surprised you remember me."

"Of course I remember you," smiled widely, showing his teeth. "Even alcohol wouldn't make me forget you." He winked at me bringing a frown straight to my face as I crossed my hands across my chest.

The memory of Finn doing the exact same thing to me when we got partnered up for a research paper in my first year of college played in my head. I didn't like that he reminded me of Finn, but at the same time I was glad that it in a way served as a warning to me.

A warning that if I didn't want another Finn Hammond happening then I better put up walls around me.

"For someone who looked like he was going to be in bed the entire morning, I 'm amazed you're up early," I said in hopes of breaking through the awkwardness that had settled into the room.