The Library Agreement

12

I see the truth in his eyes, as if he's willing me to believe him, to believe that I am courageous.

But I'm not.

I know I'm not.

And he does, too.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I say softly, stepping away from him, my skin still tingling from where he wiped away my tears. "You barely know me."

"And that's the crazy thing," Charlie says, with the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "I barely know you, and yet—it feels like we've known each other for years."

I don't want to admit that he's right. That I feel the same way. Because this is crazy. No one—no one—meets someone and feels this way immediately. This must be some mistake. Some sort of insanely elaborate prank. Something has to be wrong here.

But, from what I can tell, there is nothing hindering us. Nothing is standing in-between me and Charlie Portman, right here, in this moment.

I take in a deep, shaky breath, and he smiles at me.

"I promised you that I would keep your secrets, Hailey." Charlie murmurs, stepping closer, and—this time—I don't move away. "I promised you safety. That's the Library Agreement. Not the free rentals. Not the recommendations. It's you and me, keeping each other safe. It always has been.

"And you don't have to tell me anything. You don't have to trust me. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm always here to listen, whenever you need me. I'm always here to keep you safe."

I can't help it; a few more tears escape my eye, and I don't even bother to brush them away.

"No one has ever said anything like that to me. Ever."

Then he closes the space between us, taking me in his arms, pressing me against him. I can feel the sincerity in the gentle pressure he applies to my shoulders as he holds me closer—I have never been held like this, but I love it. I love the way Charlie Portman embraces me. It feels so good, so pure, so real—and yet, it's over all too soon, because he lets go and I am left standing there, craving more, wanting him to hang on tighter and never let go.

"I mean it, Hailey." He says, and I nod.

"I know you do."

A few moments of silence pass steadily, like heartbeats. My mind whirs as I realize what I'm about to do—the things that might go wrong if I say this—but I know I have to risk it.

I trust Charlie Portman. I trust Charlie Portman.

So I take a deep breath, smile up at him and ask,

"What do you want to know?"

________

Everything.

That's what I want to say. Because it's true. Hailey Richards is such a multi-faceted human being, with so much depth and perception, that I want to know everything about her.

But she's trusting me. So I have to start out small.

"What's your favorite color?" I ask, deadpanning, and she bursts into laughter.

"It's blue." She says, a grin spreading across her face. "Navy blue, like the ocean."

"It's a shame we don't have an ocean here in South Carolina." I reply jokingly, but am caught by surprise when her eyes light up.

"Oh, but we have the next best thing!" She enthuses, breathless. "Have you ever been down to Conway? Lake Busbee?"

I frown. "No, I don't think I have."

"It's incredible, Charlie. Absolutely incredible. They have biking trails, and you can eat at the picnic tables, and the sunsets there are just to die for—"

She pauses, sucking in a breath, and looks up at me somewhat sheepishly.

"Sorry." She says, scuffing her feet embarrassedly on the carpet. "I didn't mean to get carried away."

"No," I intervene quickly, and she looks up at me, tilting her head a little. I clear my throat. "No, I think it's—it's nice that you like it that much."

"Yeah, well, I haven't been down there in years." Hailey says, through a sigh. "It's been way too long."

A pause. Something that looks like realization blooms in her eyes, and the smile is suddenly back on her face.

"You should come with me. It's a few hours' drive, but I think it would be fun."

I stand there in stunned silence, unable to believe what I just heard. Hailey's brown eyes widen, and she adds,

"I mean, only if you want to. I understand if you wouldn't—"

"Of course I would!" I exclaim, and she looks pleased, but slightly taken aback. "Of course I would. In fact, I'm free this weekend."

"This weekend...like, tomorrow?"

I nod, and the grin on her face says it all.

"Great. That's—that's really great."

"What time should I pick you up?"

Hailey looks shocked at my question. Her eyebrows shoot upwards, and she stands there with her mouth slightly ajar, seemingly frozen.

"Uh...pick me up?" She stammers, and I nod, with a laugh.

"Yes," I explain slowly. "It's a gentleman's thing to do. What time?"

Hailey just smiles at me, looking as if she can't quite believe that this is happening.

"Is—is three okay? In the afternoon, I mean."

"Sounds perfect."

She looks relieved at my reaction, unable to wipe the smile off of her face.

"Um, if you hand me your phone, I can give you my address."

I reach into my pocket and pull it out, placing it in her outstretched hand. Hailey unlocks it quickly and pulls up her contact, typing quickly. Then, she locks it once more and hands it back over.

"Thank you." She says then, a little breathlessly.

"What are you thanking me for?" I say, laughing. "You're the one who invited me."

"I know," she says, a little sheepishly. "I just—I didn't expect you to say yes."

________

I really didn't expect him to say yes.

And, what's more, offer to pick me up.

I want to hug him now more than ever, but that would probably be too intrusive, and he would think I was being weird, and I would feel awkward. So I go with the next best option.

I just stand there, staring at him.

"Hailey?" Charlie asks, softly. "Are you alright?"

In an instant, my gaze snaps back to the floor, heat flooding my cheeks.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." I say, though inside, my stomach flips.

I'm going to Lake Busbee. With Charlie Portman.

"So," he says then, after a while. "Have you started reading Alice's Adventures yet?"

It takes me a while to realize that the conversation has been redirected, and my mind goes blank for a second, before I realize what he's asking.

"Oh! No, not yet." I admit. "There hasn't been much time—"

"Don't worry about it; I was just curious. But—"

He pauses, smiling at me. His blue eyes glint with mischief, like he's letting me in on a secret.

"The next time you open it, look at the back cover."

I frown, slightly confused, but shrug anyways.

"Alright."

"Good." Charlie says. "Now, how long are you planning on staying? Got any plans tonight? Have to get home earlier?"

"No," I reply, and now it's my turn to grin. "Why, do you?"

"One of the perks of my work hours," he says, "Is the fact that we have this place all to ourselves."

________

About half an hour later, I am on my second slice of pepperoni pizza, Hailey still chewing on her first. The small TV is set up in the corner where we sit, playing an old black-and-white VHS tape that I was able to dig up from the video archives.

"You know, it's not even Christmastime yet, and we're sitting here watching It's a Wonderful Life." Hailey scoffs, raising her brows at me.

"Oh, come on, it was the only one I could find!" I protest, fighting back my growing smile. "Don't complain; it's something to do."

"We could have watched The Fox and the Hound." she points out, and I shake my head vigorously.

"No. No way. That movie makes me cry every time."

At this, she laughs out loud.

"Are you serious? You, Charlie Portman, have cried over an old Disney movie? Pathetic."

"If you didn't, you have a heart of stone." I say defensively, but she catches the joking tone in my voice and shoots me a small smile.

"Yeah, I might have cried when I last watched it. When I was seven." She teases, and I laugh.

"Whatever, Richards. Don't judge me for my emotional attachment to a pair of animated animals."

"Oh, I'm judging." She says, scoffing.

"Shut up and eat your pizza."

Smiling, she takes another bite. I shake my head and turn my attention back to the TV, where the concluding line has just been uttered.

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings."

The family laughs, an old-timey Christmas song plays, and the credits start to roll.

"Do you think that's true?" Hailey asks, quietly, and I turn to look at her. She meets my gaze, a curious look in her eyes.

I furrow my brow. "I've never really thought about it. It might be."

"Sorry. That probably sounds so stupid." She says suddenly, with a laugh.

"No, it's not." I say, and then pause. "But what I do know is that—whenever that bell rings—"

I point towards the front, at the entrance, where the small welcoming bell sits.

"I know that you're here. And that's pretty much the equivalent of having an angel."

Hailey's eyes go wide, and my heart thuds in my chest, heat infusing my face.

"Sorry." I mutter. "Sorry, that was really corny."

"It's okay." She says, softly.

Clearing my throat, I sweep her now-empty paper plate and napkin off of the floor, as well as the empty Diet Coke cans. I get to my feet, hurrying to the wastebasket and stuffing the trash deep into the plastic-bag lining. All the while, I am cursing myself for being so stupid.

"So," I say loudly, after the silence has gone on for too long, "Did you like it? The movie, I mean."

"Yeah." Comes Hailey's reply, and I turn around to face her. She offers up a small smile. "Yeah, it was great. Thank you."

"No problem. Thanks for sticking around."

At this, she nods, giving a huge yawn. I look down at my watch, realizing that it's 1:30 in the morning.

"You should probably head home." I say, and Hailey blinks her bleary eyes a few times, as if in agreement.

"But I'll see you tomorrow, alright? Three o' clock sharp."

Hailey grins, getting to her feet and crossing the room until she stands only a few inches away from me.

"Yeah." She says, the smile still lingering on her lips. "You're going to love it."

"I'm sure I will." I say softly, and she moves into me, hugging me.

"Thank you for tonight. For everything."

I lean into the embrace, tightening my hold on her.

"Of course. Thanks for pushing me to talk to Sanchez."

She gives a soft laugh. "No problem. Just—don't get yourself in any more trouble, alright?"

"I'll try."

"That's all I ask for." Hailey says, pulling away from me and looking me in the eye, her eyes crinkling from the smile that adorns her face. "See you tomorrow, Charlie."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

And, with that, Hailey pulls away from me, giving a wave before turning and walking out of the library. The bell chimes, and I remember what I had said about her being an angel.

Well, although it was probably one of the cheesiest things that has ever come out of my mouth, it's not like I was necessarily wrong.