The Road to Us

✨ Chapter Four | Bound

— Hudson —

The library was unusually quiet for a Monday morning, the kind of calm that made every creak of the old wooden floors sound louder, every turn of a page feel deliberate.

I stood behind the front desk, sorting through a stack of returned books. The routine was soothing, a welcome distraction from the noise in my head. The familiar scent of old paper and polished wood settled over me like a weighted blanket.

The front door opened with a soft chime, breaking the stillness.

I looked up, and there he was. Colton... Walking in without Chuck.

His leather jacket was a little scuffed, black clothes fitting just right, his helmet tucked casually under one arm.

The usual group of giggling girls in the corner turned like a flock of birds, their whispering already starting up again. It was always the same when Colton showed up... like he brought a whole different energy into the room with him.

I tried not to stare as he was immediately surrounded, the small crowd forming around him like clockwork. He didn't see me yet, and I used those few seconds to take him in quietly, trying to ignore the way my pulse kicked up a notch.

Sara, my oldest friend and possibly the shyest person on the planet, shuffled up to him. She clutched a stack of books tight against her chest, like they were some kind of shield.

"Hey, is Chuck with you?" she asked, her voice almost too soft to hear.

Colton shook his head, flashing that easy grin of his. "Nope, just me today," he said, and then, like it had just occurred to him, added, "Actually, I was wondering if you guys are hiring. Could use some extra work, and I figure the library might benefit from a little more masculine energy to balance things out."

I couldn't help but smile at that, though my heart felt like it had skipped a step. It wasn't like I hadn't noticed how outnumbered I was here.

Sara scurried off to find Mrs. Thompson, leaving Colton standing there... and that's when his gaze finally landed on me.

His eyes met mine from across the room, and for a second, it felt like the air in the library shifted. He gave me a small nod, and I returned it instinctively, though my stomach fluttered... I raised a hand in a hesitant little wave from behind the desk, immediately questioning how awkward it looked. 

But when he smiled... soft, warm, and completely unexpected... I couldn't help but smile back.

Mrs. Thompson appeared a few minutes later, stepping out of her office with her usual sharp gaze. She took one look at Colton, her expression a mix of curiosity and skepticism. No one ever slipped under her radar, and I could already see her weighing him up. She didn't waste time on niceties, her silver hair pulled back tightly, and her glasses balanced at the end of her nose.

"So... you're looking for a job?" she asked, her tone neutral but carrying that no-nonsense edge that always made me sit up a little straighter.

Colton leaned easily against the counter, his casual confidence somehow filling the room without trying. "Yeah," he said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. "I could use the extra hours. I saw the flyer out front about the kids' reading program and thought it'd be worth asking about."

Mrs. Thompson's brow lifted just a fraction. "We need help with the elementary school read-aloud sessions," she said, her voice still level but just curious enough to show she was intrigued. "Five sessions a week, four hours each, keeping the kids engaged the entire time. If you think you can handle that... We can discuss the part-time position."