After breakfast, we decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood, just to stretch our limbs or clear the air, maybe both. The sky was pale blue, the kind of soft morning light that made everything feel slower, quieter. She walked beside me, hands in the pockets of her sweater, her steps small and a little hesitant at first. But she looked better than she had yesterday. Like something had settled in her, like the weight she'd been carrying had eased, if only a little. I was glad I'd brought her here. Glad she'd had somewhere safe to fall asleep.
Somehow, knowing that made everything feel a little more worth it. After a while, we passed the old library, tucked between the bakery and the post office. I offered to take her inside, and she lit up immediately.
"Really? Can we?" she asked.
"Of course." I replied
The library was nearly empty, quiet except for the faint rustle of pages and the distant hum of the ceiling fan. She moved between shelves like she belonged there, fingers brushing book spines, eyes wide, curious. Watching her flip through pages that piqued her interest lit something in her. There was a spark, like stars catching light again. It hit me all at once: I was falling for her. Deeply. Irreversibly.
But I wasn't going to tell her. Not yet. She needed space. Time. And honestly, maybe I did too. So, I stayed quiet and just... let her shine.
"Hey," she said softly, pulling a book from the shelf and holding it out to me. "This one fits you."
I took it and read the title: We Are Bulletproof. I looked at her, confused. "Fits me? I don't get it."
She hesitated, eyes flicking away like she hadn't expected me to ask.
"Well..." she began, brushing her hair behind her ear. "You kind of carry yourself like nothing can hurt you. Like you're always holding everything together. Even when it's hard."
I blinked, caught off guard. She smiled a little, not quite meeting my eyes. "It's not a bad thing. It's just... I see it." I looked down at the book again, then back at her.
"Guess I'm more see-through than I thought," I said, trying to make it light.
But she didn't laugh. Just offered a small, understanding smile.
"I think you're strong," she said. "That's different."
I didn't say anything right away. Just held the book and let her words settle in. Maybe I wasn't as bulletproof as I thought. But standing there with her, in that quiet corner of the world, I didn't mind.
I turned the book over in my hands, pretending to study the back cover, but really, I was just trying to figure out what to say. Her words were still echoing in my head. "I think you're strong."
It wasn't something people said to me often; at least, not like that. Not quietly. Not like they meant it.
I glanced at her. She was pretending to scan the shelf again, but I could see it in the way she shifted, she was waiting for me to say something. Maybe not out loud, but still... waiting.
I slipped the book under my arm and leaned lightly against the shelf beside her.
"You always read people like that?" I asked softly.
She gave a small shrug. "Not really. Just... sometimes. When it's obvious."
"Oh," I said. "So, I'm obvious?"
She looked at me then, a little startled, like she hadn't meant to say that out loud. Her eyes held a kind of softness, not pity, just... understanding.
"No. I just noticed." Her voice was quiet. "You were really patient with me. Last night. And this morning. Most people would've been... weird. Or annoyed."
YOU ARE READING
Ungullible
General Fiction"Why should people be deceived?, why can't everyone just be satisfied with one thing ?, is it necessary to be what everyone likes or what everyone wants ? I'm tired of this and I won't let that be me. Novia Adams is a God-fearing girl that has had...
