A LOVE THAT WAITED

THE THINGS WE LEFT UNSAID

Finally deciding to step out of the house I found my way to the library I always visited when I needed to escape reality.

After 5 years the library hadn't changed.

Same tall shelves,same quiet hums, same smell of old paper and floor polish.

I walked towards a shelf and picked a book scanning through it when a voice drifted from the front desk.

"I knew my eyes weren't deceiving me"

I looked up and saw Liam, Elijah's younger brother.

He stood there with a stack of books in his arms, sleeves rolled up, glasses sliding slightly down his nose like they always used to. He had grown taller but he still had that open, easy face the kind that made people trust and love him easily.

"Hi" I said "I can see you're still guarding the books" I said nodding towards the stack in his hands.

"Someone has to and apparently that someone is me" he laughed.

He sets the books down on a nearby desk before sliding his hands into his jean pockets.

"It's been forever......you kinda vanished" he said.

"Yeah, I didn't mean to" I replied

"Life just got a little messy" I added.

He nodded like he understood more than I said.

Before I left this library used to be our unofficial meeting point, I'd sit at a table reading a book whilst listening to him rant about how tiring school is and his brother ......

"You look good though, different but good" he said

"Different " I asked .

"Yeah..." he replied looking at me dead in the face, tilting his head slightly, thinking like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

"Like someone who's carrying things quietly" he always had a thing for reading people's demeanour without interacting for too long.

I let out a nervous laugh.

"You're still volunteering"I said, changing the subject. "I always said you'd end up running this place".

"It's a matter of time" he grinned.

"How was life in the city" he asked

"Umm, it was good" I replied trying to avoid his eyes.

"Nice....you know I stopped by your house few days ago and your mom was talking about how she wished you could come home before the new year" he said adjusting his glasses.

"Well I guess the heavens heard her prayers, I'm home now" I said smiling.

"Yeah, and I'm so happy you're finally home we all missed you" he said

"Thanks for taking care of my mom while I was gone" I said leaning slightly on the bookshelf.

"It's nothing though you should thank Eli more, he spent most of his time at your house after you left" he said causing an increase in my heart beat.

I thought I could escape this conversation without bringing him up but Liam always has a way of bringing up his brother in every conversation we have.

"Right" I paused "How is he doing" I asked.

"He's good, just got back from the city yesterday" he replied

I nodded at his response.

"He might come visiting soon, he does that every time he comes home" he said.

"Oh okay" I said starting to get uncomfortable. I was saved by the laughter of a group of kids that bursted through the door.

"Duty calls" he said picking up the stack of books he dropped earlier.

I turned towards the shelf to return the book in my hands.

"Hey" he called out.

I turned to him lifting my eyebrow.

"We should catch up some time....okay" he said with a grin on his face.

"Sure" I said returning a smile.

"Same location" he asked with mischief in his smile.

"Definitely" I replied laughing.

I watched him return to the front desk before attending to the kids that came in.

I walked slower than necessary listening to the soft music coming from my airpods.

I thought I could avoid him during my whole stay here but who am I deceiving this is a small town where they hold multiple activities, one way or the other we were eventually going to meet.

I never thought he would stay and fill up the space I left empty, be the shoulder my mother needed to cry on, treat her like his blood after everything that happened.

And somewhere between my mother's house and the library a thought never left my mind.

Will he ever want to have anything to do with me?