What was wrong with me? Normally, I'd just leave the book and look for another book instead, but I felt rooted to my place as if invisible ropes had bound me. On the contrary, I couldn't take my eyes off the pair of blue eyes that peered at me through the little gap that previously held the book. Even if I could move, maybe I wouldn't, as those eyes were paler than the evening sky, deeper than an ocean, yet shining like water glistening under the sun.
After what seemed like a few minutes, our eye contact was broken by the ring of a phone nearby, which was immediately picked up, the moment it rang.
I felt beads of sweat forming on my forehead as I tried recalling why I was there. The book. My legs seemed to have a brain of their own, as they took me towards the edge of the shelf, turning towards the frame where that guy probably was.
Taking a first glance at him, my heart skipped a beat. He stood, back against the shelf, with the book I wanted, dangling from his arm as he scrolled through his phone.
His brown hair was wild, Spiky, and ruffled, the lustrous locks looked like the choppy waves of a stormy sea. An enraged sea bound by rough rocky beaches on the sides, his undercut was glorious. Strands of lavender, pewter, azure, and silver, streaking and shrieking together, painting his locks the hues of nebulae.
He was dressed in an oversized black "NYC" hoodie, with a pair of grey trousers, and white sneakers. A couple of white earphones were visible in his ears, connected to his phone.
He probably noticed me staring at him, because he slowly took out his earphones, and taking off his gaze from his phone, he looked up at me, his blue eyes, making me melt on the spot.
I was probably staring at him like a freak because his eyebrows scrunched up as he stared at me, and that was enough to get me out of my little trance.
I immediately looked away, and awkwardly fiddled with my fingers. Taking a deep breath, I walked forwards, I needed that book. It was calling me, I just knew it.
As I moved closer, the guy straightened up, his back not resting on the shelf anymore. He stared at me as I came closer until we were only a few feet apart.
Now that I saw him up close, he was very tall, and I felt short standing in front of him. His facial features made him look like a celebrity, yet his casual appearance, made him look like a down-to-earth kind of guy.
I gulped as I lifted my head, to speak to him. His eyes pierced into mine, which made my heart beat rapidly against my chest. I tried calming myself down.
"I want that book," I said in the most confident voice I could, motioning towards the book that dangled from his arm.
"This?" he asked, raising the book, giving me a clear view of its exterior.
It was a leather brown book, with what seemed like gold inscribed neatly on the edges. Its pages looked old, yet it added to the beauty of the book all the same. From between the pages, you could see a little bookmark dangling out. Overall, It was a very basic book
"Yes," I said, annoyed by the fact that it was pretty obvious which book I was talking about.
"Sorry, I took it first." He said with a shrug, tightening his grip on the book, and heading to the table nearest to him.
"You don't understand, I must read it!" I said, taking large steps, trying to keep up with his long legs. I hate how short I am sometimes.
He sat on a blue couch and started examining the book.
"You can read it after I'm done." He said, with a stoic expression, gently following the gold inscribed on the edges with his fingers.
"Why are you so stubborn?" I said, losing my temper. Ok, I was an introvert, I hated socializing, and I was probably going to take a break from it for at least a month because of this encounter, but that doesn't mean I don't have a temper
"Says the girl who wasn't quick enough to take the book before me." He said, his expression, unreadable.
At this, I felt my ears redden. It was true, I wasn't quick enough, and right now, I was overreacting. Technically, he did take the book first, so he had all the rights to read it first.
As I was about to leave,
"Stop." He suddenly said, making me turn back to see he was standing up, and looking at me with interest. "We can read it together." He said, motioning towards the couch next to his
I stood rooted to my spot, surprised by the sudden change in the sudden change in mood.
"What?" I said, making sure I had heard him right. Just a few minutes ago, he acted as if I was annoying him and now he wants to read a book with me?
The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the couch next to his, and we both sat there for a few minutes in awkward silence.
"Uhm, so, what's your name?" He finally asked, breaking the silence and making my heart skip a beat.
"I-I'm Hazel," I said, anxiously while awkwardly fiddling with the sleeves of my hoodie,
"Yours?" I asked, with sudden confidence I didn't know existed.
"I'm Atlas."
113Please respect copyright.PENANA1VIStrWuFw