The Family LIES

11

The library was an old building. It didn't have more than 2,000 books but it was pretty crowded. The archival section was downstairs, away from the others.

"Are the files stored digitally?" Kim asked the librarian who was a middle aged woman. "Yes, the digital archives are also in there."

Hayley was silent when she climbed the creaking stairs to downstairs. There were three computers and seats adjacent to it.

"So how are we going to find the year?" Kim asked. "Text Ryan. He's going to do everything he can to help us after today's incident." Hayley looked determined.

"I am going to call him." Kim went upstairs and to outside to do the call leaving Hayley and Alonso alone.

"Are you okay?" Alonso asked to Hayley who was looking through the old newspapers. She nodded. "Listen, Hayley, I need you to know that this changes nothing. You are my family as much as Kim. And I know that it is same for her too. You would never feel left out."

Hayley stopped looking through the archives, walked to where Alonso was standing and said, "I was only invisible to you Alonso. So I guess it's true that it doesn't change anything for you. You could go on and ignore me like you did always."

"No wait." Alonso wasn't ready to let go of her. "If it means anything to you, it does change something for me." Hayley looked him straight in the eye and asked, "What?"

Alonso came closer to her. He was a lot taller than her and he was towering over her. "Now I don't feel the need to stay away from you!" He said and kissed her on her lips.

Hayley felt her insides melt again. She felt her tension and sadness being washed away by the kiss. But she broke the kiss and moved away from him. Alonso looked at her questioningly.

"I am not someone whom you could kiss and then ignore whenever you feel like it. I do have feelings and you have been playing with them." Now Hayley couldn't stop her words. Everything came pouring out of her. "I knew then that what we did was wrong, but I couldn't stop myself and you decided to act as if nothing happened. I know that you look really hot and all and you could play with every girl's feelings as you wish, but not mine."

Tears were flowing out of her eyes. The earlier incident with Mr Stem left her emotions and her mouth uncontrolled. She could neither stop her tears nor control her words.

Finally, she went and sat in a chair near to a round table. For a moment Alonso didn't know what to do, but then he slowly walked towards her and knelt in front of her.

"Hey." He said while keeping a hand on her thigh. "I'm sorry if you felt that way, but I didn't know that." Hayley looked at him through tear stained eyes. "I was just, I guess I-I was j-just trying to, keep my distance away from you so that I wouldn't fall too hard over you."

Alonso took her face on his hands and said, "I love you Hayley, from the moment I saw you. But I knew it was wrong. I knew that the kiss was wrong but I couldn't stop it. When Mr Stem said those things to you, I felt relieved that we weren't related. But then I understood how much it affected you a-and I felt pathetic for thinking like that." He was saying all this at a faster rate and his eyes were pleading with her to forgive him.

She took his face and kissed it. The moment their lips touched they knew that it was what they always wanted. It was filled with desperation and love.

They were so engulfed in their kiss that they didn't hear the arrival of another person. "Guys!" They turned to see Kimberly standing with a disapproving look.

"We have a job at hand and you should focus on it rather than kissing in a dust filled room. And I have got the date."

"You got a date with Ryan, is that what we should be focusing on?" Kim looked shockingly at Alonso, "Hayley what have you done to him! He lost all his senses!" With that Hayley and Kim laughed leaving Alonso who looked questioningly at the other two.