Unraveling Her Secrets

Chapter 2: The same book.

Riya's POV :

I hurriedly went inside shutting the door behind me with a loud thud before taking a deep breath. I felt like someone was watching my every move and following behind. So I had to run all the way down from my bus stop to the library. "Mary Ann's Library," my safe haven. I pulled my hoodie cap down as Ms. Ann gazed up at me through her glasses sitting behind the counter and surrounded with lots of books and registers around. "Hi, Ms. Ann," I said, adjusting my hair. "Good morning dear, Did you drop Ava at school?" She asked, removing her rimmed glasses and keeping them down. "Yes, Ms.Ann," I replied, looking around and saw a few people lingering around here and there. "Riya dear, I have told you so many times to call me Eloise or Aunt Eloise," she said exasperatedly. I smiled sheepishly, shrugging my shoulders saying "Oops, sorry I'll try from now on." She shook her head before carrying on with her work. I walked up to my desk and took a seat on the chair releasing a sigh of relief. An old gentleman approached me asking for a spiritual book named, "A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle." I went to search for it in the spiritual book aisle but, much to my dismay it wasn't there. As I looked through the next aisle, really hoping to find the book there but again odds were not in my favour. I groaned inwardly. I was so close to giving up but that's when I remembered someone else asking for the same book a day before yesterday. I went back to inform him the same but he was nowhere around.

I shrugged my shoulders, went back to my table and took up the book I was reading, "The Wolf and The Watchman by Nikolas Matt och Dag," and continued to read it. I gazed upon the pages through my black rimmed glasses in silence. I purposely hid the sign on my table that said “Library Assistant” with a few other books that I had fancied reading later but that didn’t seem to help much. Books are my only friends, the only ones I had by my side always. But since last week it felt like the whole universe was conspiring to get me away from them. “Being a library assistant comes with its own perks and downsides," I thought to myself.

As soon as I had settled down and got to the best part of the chapter I heard a fresh pair of boots approaching . The footsteps slapped the eerie silence of the hallway. I pulled the cap of my black hoodie down and kept my head low. My clammy fingers made a perfect blinder for anything other than the old pages that have turned yellow with time. My sneaker’s toes drummed on the floor with the every approaching step of the stranger, competing with my own heartbeat. As soon as the stranger took a right turn on the aisle number six my blinders dropped and so did my heartbeat.

Suddenly I felt nostalgic, so I kept the book down and decided to have some water. I got up from my seat to grab my water bottle from the bag only to realise that it was empty. I sighed in annoyance before getting up from my seat again. I went to the water tap which was on the other side of the library and started to fill my water bottle. I stiffened sensing a presence behind me and a sudden tap on my shoulder made me flinch.The water bottle slipped from my hand and fell down on the floor making a mess on the carpet. "s**t, " I muttered before looking up. I saw a guy standing in front of me with messed up blonde hair, forest green eyes and wearing a white buttoned up shirt paired with a black tattered jeans. I again looked at his face and saw a teasing smirk along with a mischievous smile playing across his lips. "What the hell?" I exclaimed loudly keeping my hands on my hips. "What?" He asked, smiling innocently c*****g his head to a side. I bent down and picked the water bottle from the floor, muttering "Jerk" under my breath.

I stood up and glared at him asking,"What do you want?" His eyes were trained on my hand. "Nice tattoo," he said, tilting his head to the other side which made me roll my eyes. I huffed asking yet again, "What do you want Mister..? as I pulled the cuffs of my hoodie down hiding the tattoo. "Theodore Russell Wilson," he said, pushing his hair back. I looked at him quizzically wandering out loud "What?"

"My name," he said, emphasizing as if it's obvious. "I didn't ask for that," I snapped but quickly covered it up and asked, "I asked what you want Mr. Wilson? mimicking his actions and emphasizing on each and every word the same way he did. He raised his eyebrows saying, "I'm looking for a book " The Wolf and The Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag, but it isn't available in the thriller/ mystery aisle," rubbing the back of his neck.

I thought for some time and realised, we only had two copies of that book and one was already taken by someone two days ago and I was reading the other one. I groaned, rubbing my face, at the thought of lending that book to him and had to wait for a few more days to continue reading it. But nonetheless I asked him to follow me to the desk. I reached my desk and took a seat in my chair. "Do you have a membership card?" I asked opening the cupboard. "Nope," he said, playing with the paper weight.

"Alright, here is the form for getting a membership card and the fee will be $175. You can pay it on the main desk and then I can lend you the book you have asked for," I said, pushing the form towards him.

He took the forms and inspected it for a few seconds before looking up at me.

"Can I get a pen?'' he asked, rubbing his neck smiling sheepishly. I grabbed a pen from the penholder and gave it to him. He took it muttering a small thank you before wandering off to find a seat. A loud tap on my table broke me out of my trance, I kept the book down and looked up at the owner of the hands. " The same guy" was standing in front of me with the form in his hands. He forwarded the papers towards me and I took it in my hands checking the details before registering his name in the computer. I closed the book and forwarded it to him half heartedly along with a brochure. Our fingers brushed making us to look into each other's eyes. His forest green eyes held me captive as I felt a spark of connection dancing around us. I hurriedly took my hand back looking away. I looked through the corner of my eyes and noticed him looking at his hand before looking up at me. "Is there any other books you want?" I asked, trying to clear the awkward tension, to which he replied "No" before turning around and walking away. I kept looking at the side he disappeared into for some time, before sighing.

I got up from the chair to continue with my work which was arranging books and helping people to find the books they need. The day winded up pretty quickly. It was almost 2 pm when my stomach grumbled in hunger. I walked up to the main desk to inform Ms. Ann before going for a lunch break.

"Riya dear, come here," she said looking at me as I neared to her desk. "Yes, Ms. Ann?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. "Here," she said, pushing a small box towards me. I carefully took it in my hands before shaking it gently close to my ears.

"What's this, Ms. Ann?" I asked looking at her. "A small gift from me and Ava to you for your new start tomorrow," she said beaming with a proud smile. I grimaced at the thought of starting at the new school tomorrow but masked it with a smile just for her. "Thanks, Ms. Ann. I'm going for lunch, do you want me to get you something?" I asked keeping the box inside my bag. "No, sweetie. Also you can leave for home now and take good rest. I'll pick up Ava from school today," she said, removing her glasses. "Alright. Once again thank you for the gift, Ms. Ann,"I said before adjusting my bag.

I grabbed the keys from the counter and walked out of the library to the nearby bus stop. Taking a bus I reached our home, "Mary Ann's Inn." After staying on the cheap motels and streets with the mere money I had, one day I ended up in front of this place. Knocking on the door I asked for a place to stay for that night but after hearing I had no one and nowhere to go they accepted me as one among them with open arms. It's been three months now and I had never been this happier or felt safe in so long. I smiled pushing the gates open. I straight went to the back side of the home where I had my room. Even when Ms. Ann and Ava had asked me so many times to stay with them inside the home, I preferred this small room at the back side of the house because I don't want the danger lurking around me to get hold of them in any way.

I closed the door and entered inside. I kept my bag on the table and sat on the bed sighing. I took the box in my hands and unwrapped the gift cover around it. I opened the box and found a mobile phone inside it. I took it in my hands smiling before turning it on. The screen came to light and I saved the only two numbers I knew in it before keeping it down. "Finally a new school and a new start tomorrow," I thought as I grabbed my bag to take out the last picture I had of my mom. I opened my bag and searched for the picture in my diary but it wasn't there. I panicked and started to search inside my bag turning it upside down. My eyes welled up with tears when I realised it wasn't there. "Where the heck did I keep it?" I thought to myself as I hugged my diary close to my chest as a tear rolled down my cheek. I opened my eyes as I remembered that I had kept it inside the book I was reading.

"s**t," I muttered as I remembered giving it to that annoying guy in the library. I kept the bag down and grabbed my wallet. I hurriedly closed the door and went to the library again. I entered inside the library and went to the main desk asking Ms. Ann for today's membership filled out forms file register. I picked out his form muttering, "Theodore Russell Wilson." I copied his number in my new phone I had in my hand and took a picture of his address before dialing his number. It went straight to voicemail. I groaned, rubbing my face. I searched for his location and realised it was three hours away from here but the good thing was it was near to my new school. I decided to go and check on the address tomorrow after school. I dialed his number yet again but it went to voicemail making me annoyed. I kept the phone inside my pocket and left for my home. I arranged everything for tomorrow before writing down my diary.

Ava came asking me to join them for dinner to which I obliged. Ava kept telling us about her first day at school which made us all feel amused. We chatted having our dinner after which Ms. Ann said "Bedtime Ava" which made her pout. But eventually she got up from her seat and hugged me saying "Good night, Rena." I wished Ms. Ann the same. I went to my room after asking Ms. Ann to lock the back door. I entered inside my room and laid on the bed closing my eyes as I thought about my mom. "I miss you,Mom," I whispered before falling into a deep slumber.