Unpredictable Love

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Karleigh's POV

I park my car in the fairly familiar parking lot of the library, and hesitantly get out. As I walk towards the building my feet are dragging against the concrete. I'm not really sure what caused me to come here of all the places, but here I am. Once again, the door jingles as I push I open and step inside. The same old lady at the reception desk smiles at me, but I don't return the gesture.

Just like last time I walked straight the the fiction section. I know what I'm looking for, that old raggedy book that I was observing last time, before Harry knocked me upside the head. I was in such a rush to escape Harry's presence that I never checked the book out.

The aisle comes into view and I scan up and down the shelves for the shitty looking book. For some reason I can't find it, and I don't know what would motivate someone to read a book that looked like, besides me. With my index fingers I massage my temples trying to remember what the book looked like.

Navy blue? Ripped, tattered. Faded words, definitely. Fuck.

I walk over to the reception desk and approach the old lady. She glances up at me from her old dinosaur computer that looks like it was made in the 1970's. "Can I help you honey?"

I grimace at her sweet tone and her use of the word 'sweetie'.

"Yeah, um I'm looking for a navy-bluish book. It was in the fiction area, it's old and tattered. I can't remember the title." I explain, praying that she can help me.

"Oh yes. The book is called 'Sense and Sensibility' by Jane Austen." Oh good, she knows what book I'm talking about.

"Great, where can I find it?" I ask while looking around the library.

"I'm afraid, a young gentleman checked it out about a week ago. He should be bringing it back any day now..." Her soft voice trails off.

I sigh, pretty pissed off but I nod and walk away before I can anything too cruel. As I'm turning down another aisle I hear the door to the library jingle and the soft voice of the old woman.

"Oh yes, a young lady is actually looking for that book right now." I hear her say. I peek around the corner of the book shelf to see who she's talking to and my heart stops.

I should've known it'd be Harry.

Harry's POV

"Where can I return this?" I ask the older lady at the desk, as I enter the library. While I was out absentmindedly driving, I remembered that I needed to turn in my novel. Ironically enough, I only got this book because the day I accidentally hit Karleigh in the head, I saw her examining this book.

"Oh yes, a young lady is actually looking for that book right now." She informs me and I nod.

"Alright, would you like me to give it to her?" I ask her politely.

"That would be lovely, she looked quite angry when I told her it was gone." The lady says with a giggle and I smile. "She's right around the corner of that shelf." She tells me and points to a nearby bookshelf.

I make my way to the corner, and freeze when I round the corner. Nobody's in the aisle. The bell to the library door jingles and I hear the librarians voice.

"But the young man is right there, with the book you were searching for." She calls out. I step backwards out of the aisle and see the silhouette of a petite girl rushing out the library doors. The librarians face holds a look of confusion, and I pity her. I return to her desk and set the book on the counter for her.

"Here." I murmur before shooting her a smile and exiting the building.

The sun beams down on me as I walk out to my car, and I squint my eyes to see. I'm almost positive that I see Karleigh's silver mustang pulling out of the parking lot, but the sun is so blindingly bright, that I can't tell.

Karleigh's POV

Sense and Sensibility. I've read that book a countless number of times, no wonder it managed to catch my attention. My Dad used to read it to me when I was very young, just before bed. Granted, back then I hardly understood anything that was occurring in the novel because it was beyond my comprehension level. Mainly I just listened to my dad read it, because he had a soothing voice and it helped put me to rest. I remember, I read it once my sophomore year of high school while my dad was away.

I cried for nearly an hour.

I wish that I could miss my dad the same way I used to miss him back then. When my dad was in the military, I missed him while he was away. But now he's deceased and although I miss him in every moment, I cannot satisfy my want to see him like I could before.

When my dad used to come home from his base, that was the most amazing feeling. It was like, I'd missed him all that time, but while I was seeing him it was worthwhile. Our constant separation only made our bond stronger.

Seeing Harry in the library really through me off, and I'm glad I was able to get out of there before he noticed me. I'm slightly pissed that he had the book I was desperate for. I feel as if he stole something from my father and I. At the same time, my chest feels tight from not speaking to him.

I've found myself craving to hear his heavy British accent, his corny sense of humor, his beautiful knowledge of good music. But I know I must stay away, he must not get attached to me any further. He deserves freedom and wisely spent time.

I cannot proved that. I'm like a horrific poison, in his delicious food. Hopefully, he'll understand my distance. This is much more than just that fucking creep from the club the other night, whether Harry knows it or not.