Thy Will, Not Mine

Chapter {38} Destiny

"I came to the library but those books were nowhere to be found. I even asked the librarian and she claimed that she had no knowledge of them or perhaps where they could be," Sienna sat in the familiar spot we occupied the day before, frustration etched on her face as she recounted her unsuccessful visit to the library. The books she sought were nowhere to be found, and even the librarian claimed to have no knowledge of them or their whereabouts. Perplexed, we pondered who could have taken the books, our minds racing to unravel the mystery.

"Okay, let's recount our talks to figure out who might've been listening without our knowledge."

We wracked our brains, desperately trying to recall any individuals who might have been in close proximity while we discussed this significant matter, but our efforts yielded no results.

Turning her attention to Enna, Thato inquired if she had divulged the existence of the books and her perilous discoveries to anyone other than our small group. We were fairly certain she had only confided in us, as she had no other friends or siblings, and her closest cousin lived some distance away.

"No, you guys were the only people I had shared this with," Enna sighed, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Thato then redirected the focus to me, questioning whether I had disclosed the secret to anyone. As I retraced my words, I realized that there was indeed one person to whom I had let slip this confidential information.

"Nio, I told him," I admitted, causing both Sienna and Thato to react with wide-eyed astonishment, drawing confused glances from those around us and a reprimand from the librarian.

"Please, let's calm down," I urged, attempting to defuse the situation. "Yes, I did share it with him, but only because I trust him implicitly. He is the most reliable person I know, and I am certain he has no involvement in this."

"What!" they both exclaimed, their disbelief palpable.

"I assure you, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is trustworthy," I reassured them, unwavering in my conviction. I knew him intimately, and my faith in him remained unshaken.

"Alright, I have faith in you. However, the issue is that I can't incorporate this information into my journalism research because it lacks sources and reliable information. The deadline for the research is in four days, so I'll have to find another topic to write about. Thank you for your assistance. I'll contact you later," she said, feeling disheartened that she couldn't hug us before leaving, which was our usual routine.

After Sienna had disappeared from sight, Thato turned to me, as I expected, and began questioning me.

"Listen, Des. I know you have strong feelings for Antonio, but that doesn't mean you should trust him with everything. I'm going to be brutally honest with you. You tend to be gullible, and people, including him, can take advantage of that. Remember how Samuel deceived you, making you believe he was a good person worthy of your attention, only for you to discover that he was actually a deceitful individual?" I knew Thato's words came from a place of love, but I couldn't help feeling anger welling up inside me.

"Are you suggesting that Nio is a liar?" I accused her, pointing my finger at her. Yes, she was my best friend, but she had crossed a boundary she shouldn't have touched.

"I didn't say th-" she started, but I interrupted her by raising my finger.

"I don't want to hear it. Not only have you questioned my judgment, but you've also portrayed Nio as some kind of antagonist. I won't sit here and listen to you say all of that," I declared, standing up from my chair, grabbing my bag from the floor, and leaving without another word. She called out to me, but she didn't follow. I thought it was best that way.