September's Staircase [On Hold]

Chapter 34

The drive to the library took us an hour mainly because of the pouring rain and also because Matty took a detour to collect the keys to unlock the library. It's actually quite a beautiful building made of grey brick walls that have mosses and vines covering the sides and massive concrete pillars to the front of the building with one or two benches under the covered outer porch of the library and the flooring appears to be all marble.

It's shocking because I would have never expected such an elaborate building for a library in the small town. It appears even more tauntilizing in the translucent fog and pouring rain and I almost squeal from delight.

I try and take small steps to avoid tumbling onto the soaking floor of the parking lot and I make it to the second step of the Institute before I slip loosing my bearing-as per usual, I flare my arms in a moment of panic but instead of hitting the marble floor I hit hard flesh-his chest.

He chuckles a little before moving to walk in front me bending his head so we're eyelevel he whispers "Clumsy as ever my sweetheart" and the cinnamon brown of his eye turns a pale powder blue as mines widen to saucers.

"What the f-" he fake gasps before I can finish, snickering a 'naughty naughty' before asking me what's the matter, "Your eyes how's that possible?" I put some distance between us I'm not Bella and i have absoulety no intention of falling for a vampire, oh god what if Alec was right. A harsh wind blows as I'm mentally hyperventailing and my hair blows out in front me almost smacking him in his face he gently brushes it aside looking at the black tendrils with pupils that turns from blood red to scarlet before melting into his usual brown.

I let out a cry snatching my hair back and pushing my self up the remainder of the steps. "Your eyes p-please tell me you didn't bring me here to suck my blood dry" He regards me rather calmly stalking up the steps with his usual cocky grace while I chant one lovely curse word like a mantra.

"I would ask how hard you bumped your head bbbbut I stopped you from smacking into concrete like the knight in soaking designer I am and you're accusing me of wanting to murder you,typical," he's smiling at me and it's irking every last bone in my body. Matty reaches out for me the minute he's in my personal space but I dodge his grasp grabbing onto his elbow and flipping him on his back just like I've practiced.

He makes a sound like the wind has been knocked out of him a kind of 'omphh' but I know he did not go down that hard so it must be shock, not wasting anytime I climb on top of him pressing down at his throat with my forearm, a white Balinese cat perched on one of the benches purrs and looks on excitedly.

He's not struggling to breathe I'm not pushing down hard enough to obstruct his oxygen flow and he looks even more amused than the cat, smirking up at me his right hand reaches up and skims my cheek bone as if to say 'I'm only in this position because I'm allowing it.' Feeling a bit silly I remove my hand from pressing down on him and sit up on his torso with my legs on either side of him.

"Little miss not-so-observant-shehulk I believe you missed the coloured lights hanging from the pillars concealed by the vines," he says this slowly pointing behind us and sure enough there's a silver light with a crystal bulb flashing numerous different colours, "Or would you have preferred it to be because of florescent?" I groan and clamber off of him.

I feel like a complete fool while apologizing and even more ridiculous when I tell him Alec has been talking about his suspicion of vampire existence. Matty teases me lightly about it while unlocking the wooden doors to the library and pushing it open. The cat comes trotting in- tail high in the air like it's his pride and glory and jumps on one of wood stained tables.

The inside is even more impressive than the outside with a section of the library having a skyline roof which is currently being beaten harshly by rain droplets, large bay windows and a split level overflowing with rows upon rows of metal shelves stacked with books. Matty ceases the teasing and allows me a minute to gape- wide mouth and wild eye. "Well I guess that reaction is worth being tackled by a lunatic," I apologize again for good measure. He just smiles and shoos me away walking over to the table the cat is sprawled on and taking a seat, his boots leave a wet trail behind but he doesn't seem to mind.

"So what are we here for that you couldn't of just asked me," he flashes me a smile " a born and raised citizen about?" The question is asked lightly but I still wince I was hoping he had forgotten and would allow himself to be amused by some comic book or something, he pokes at the cat who glares at but doesn't move. I tell him what I can as casual as possible, stretching the truth where need me and trying to maintain my lie.

It sounds believable to my ears so I'm pleased. I tell him how his ring caught my attention that it was just so uniquely stunning and that I'd taken a picture without his knowing, that I'd wanted to take more pictures to go along with it something to tell a story and Google searched his ring and that's when I'd come across his family history and learned of his wealth and social status but as I drew closer to the end of my story I realized I haven't left much room to make up a lie about what more I need to research and I begin to feel slightly panicked, nerves getting the best of me.

I feel part of myself shut down refusing to cooperate and frozen on the spot trying to grasp something believable to add to the lie but then this other part of me that I'm not familiar with, this strange ripple of bravery courses through me and it feels like ice running through my veins perhaps it's idocy because I blurt out about the picture and my run in with the young man who strikingly resembles it.

I try and stop half way through telling him but my tongue moves on its own accord and only when I'm finished does the frost embracing my body melt and I believe I actually saw the condensed air leave my mouth when I spoke and once again I say it surely I'm loosing my fricking mind.

Matty doesn't acknowledge it which leads me to further believe I'm insane I know he thinks it by the way he's looking at me as though contemplating contacting a mental asylum to have me admitted but instead he calmly asks if I've still got the picture in a level voice and I reply in an opposite with 'yes.'

Sliding my phone across the table to him- the cat makes a wipe swipe for it but Matty picks it up before frisky over there knocks it off the table. He stares at the picture then at me then at the picture, looking a bit flushed-from the cold he let's out a breath of air passing the phone back to me and I retrieve it one fussy paw swipe later.

"Well I can see why your curiosity has been peeked but do refrain from listening to that imbecile of a friend sweetheart," sweetheart Kapian's voice echos through my head- Matty never called me sweetheart before today but I did ask him to stop calling me love didn't I ? "You are right my cousin Kas is in town and they do have the same face he's always been teased about it by our Nan."

Kas Kas kaspian "Do you know the man in the picture's name?" I ask him hurriedly and I'm slightly disappointed when he shrugs at me carelessly and says 'not a clue' poking the angry cat again but at least vampire existence is out of the picture. "Do you know of the woman's?" It's a long shot but if I find out her name maybe I could find out more about the man and about Matty, The city.

He looks pale when he responds, "this doesn't seem to have anything to do with photography-to me just pure curiosity but yes her name was Elizabeth."