Memories Made of Lies | A Short Story [COMPLETE]

| Katie |

The day was cold, the coldest it had been since winter had changed to spring. No matter how tight I held my arms to my stomach, the wind still cut under my grey zip up and made every hair on my arms stand on end. I knew today wasn't the best day to walk to work but my car still wasn't starting right, so walking was my only option.

When I finally saw Faded Pages Bookstore on the corner, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Slipping into the shop, the entire atmosphere shifted. The cutting wind from outside was closed off as warmth surrounded me. Coffee and spices wafted up my nostrils, filling my chest with a calming aroma. The soft shuffle of pages turning and people quietly chatting at the cafe made my shoulders relax slowly.

"Hey, Katie!" Sam called from behind the cafe's counter where she was mixing up a coffee for someone.

I ran a hand through my wind tossed ponytail, sending her a gentle smile. "Hey, Sam. Working hard?"

She sent me a smirk before flipping the whipped cream bottle in her hands. "Of course."

I giggled, rolling my eyes. She was always so dramatic.

As I shrugged off my jacket, she perked up. "Oh! I almost forgot. Someone's waiting for you in the back room." She wiggled her deep brown eyebrows mischievously.

"Who?" I questioned, holding in a nervous laugh. I had a sneaking feeling of who it was, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.

"A certain Ben Whitlock," she murmured. A wide smile spread across her face, showing off her dimples.

"Oh?" I glanced away from her, busying my hands by straightening a book that was crooked on the table in front of me while biting my lip. I wish I could say that my heart didn't flutter and my stomach didn't roll in circles every time I heard his name, but then I would be lying.

"You're so oblivious. Get back there!"

I threw my hands up just in time to catch the damp dish rag that she hurled at me. I chuckled as I rubbed off the water that had transferred onto my hands. "Fine, fine. But keep your dirty dish rags to yourself."

I tossed it back to her and she expertly caught it, not missing a beat. She was way more athletic than I was.

I weaved my way through the dozens of bookshelves that filled nearly every space of Faded Pages, making my way to the back room. I tugged at the sleeves to my black, long-sleeved T-shirt, making the hems cover my fingers. I didn't know why I was nervous to see Ben. We had become close friends since he started working at the store four months ago. But, recently, things had felt different. And I hadn't realized why until a couple weeks ago as I tossed and turned in bed at one in the morning. I had started to like Ben as maybe more than a friend and it was an exhilarating but nerve wracking feeling.

And now, every time I saw him, I wanted to hug him and run away all at the same time.

Inhaling a deep breath, I reached for the handle of the storage room door. As the door gently swung open with a squeal, a wave of old-book-smell hit me in the face. I felt my lips tug into a smile. I would never get tired of it.

As the nostalgia subsided, I looked around the storage room for Ben. Stacks and carts of books took up nearly every shelf, table, and cabinet, along with most of the floor. Some were in mid-repair, others needing to be priced. But, mostly, it looked like chaos, but a chaos that I liked.

"Ben?" I called since I couldn't see him around the castle of books around the room. I closed the door behind me then started walking down an aisle created by shelves and a table. As I scanned each section of the room I entered, the heater churned, trying to warm the old building and keep up with the sudden cold front.