The Eastwood Archives is not a place to be crying your heart out after a heartbreak.
No, definitely not when the said public library houses endless rumors of a weird Library Ghost that appears at midnight.
But when Ebony Suarez, a graduating college...
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Eastwood has been my home for almost a decade now.
"Excuse me, sir. Can I ask where I can find this bookstore?"
The officer glanced at the newspaper clip I was holding and pointed me down the street. "Turn left then head straight until you've reached a commercial building. The bookstore is just beside it, you wouldn't miss it," he instructed. "But you might need to hurry though. It's almost three o'clock."
I nodded and muttered my thanks before almost running down the street he told me about.
Damn it, I'm late!
I know I should've gotten here sooner, but the traffic is always a pain in the neck during a time like this. It almost made me regret commuting, but then again if I brought my car with me, I'd be faced with the problem of parking space. Julie already warned me about it the last time she took a trip around the city area to purchase some supplies.
"Is he still here?" I huffed, clutching my shoulder bag as I reached the entrance of the bookstore.
"You need to fall in line, Miss. Also, please unseal your copy before having it signed by the author," a lady wearing a yellow shirt told me. I nodded and followed her instructions, not to mention that I also have something else I plan to give him.
In the distance, I saw some marshalls already handing out stubs and ushering people to a line.
A very long one.
In fact, this area of the large bookstore is packed with so many people that I could barely see what was happening ahead. As the line grew shorter and I walked closer to the front, I could feel my impatience getting the best of me. Why are my hands going cold? Oh, God. 'This is crazy,' I thought, smiling to myself as the memories came rushing in the closer I got to the front.
Why am I so nervous yet excited to finally see him again?
Ronan.
Just a few more people and it'll be my turn---
"We're sorry, everyone! We need to do a cut-off. Unfortunately, Mr. Ronan will no longer be signing any more copies this afternoon due to his busy schedule. Thank you for your time and support!"
I heard someone announce at the front. That instantly gained disappointed grunts and murmurs of complaints among the ones left in the line. My eyes widened when I heard several girls talking behind me.
"But this is the first time he's in Eastwood!"
"I know, right? Plus Mr. Ronan rarely does physical book signings nowadays."
"Well, I heard a rumor that he's secretly engaged to one of his editors. Maybe that's why he doesn't show up in public anymore."
That made me pause.
Honestly, I don't know how I should feel about that. For almost ten years waiting for his return, never have I ever taken a moment to consider how those years might've caused a rift between us. Indeed, I'm not the same person as I was ten years ago, so I don't expect Ronan to be either. It's selfish to assume he's still single too... Is he?
