That Sexy Librarian and Me

45th

                                  He'd counted

And there'd been only forty five 

                                and that didn't include her

I’m not seeing anybody of importance.

Athenia smiled at his email, her hands having found the ease to unclench as she took a breath she didn’t know she had been keeping. How hard would it have been to win Remy back, even if he were seeing someone else?

I miss our... craziness. She typed out on her phone and sent with her eyes on the door. She knew her brother was bound to come barging in any minute now. The meeting would commence and she would have to lead the parade into the children’s home facility.

Her brother knocked twice, right on time. “Athenia?”

“Oui?”

“La réunion commence.” He said before clearing his throat. “Are you coming?”

Hearing her brother’s voice made her want to give up and give in. Then, she remembered the beach. “I must speak with you, brother.”

He hesitated before stepping into her room. “Regarding?”

“My stay here.” She sighed before walking to him. “It has been more than time.”

“You are the chair person to the people and the committees. How could you abandon us at a time like this?”

“I already told you, brother,” she turned away before adjusting her dress, her corset pinching into her skin more and more by the second. “Ce n'est plus ma maison.”

Her brother said nothing as she stood her ground, her eyes staring out of the windows, thinking about her talks with Remy. That brought a smile to her face. Home.

“You have always been a disgrace to a family. You will only disgrace us further.”

She turned around then, her smile in place. “Then so be it.”

I... don’t know how to respond to that. He typed that out and got ready to send it, then, he backspaced. I’m not sure...

He shook his head and turned the laptop off. Sleep would help this problem. Nothing solved a mess like eight hours of blacking out did.

And it did. In the morning, right before he ran off for class, he saw the mail.

How filthy is my studio now? It must be drowning in toxic waste as we speak.

As he looked around he found that it wasn’t all too bad. If Athenia were here she’d complain, sure, but it wouldn’t be that much of a stick up her ass. She’d be proud. He responded on his way to class with a picture of their apartment. Funny how it was still hers... and now it was more than his.

That is freaking atrocious!

He laughed all the way through his day, and while he spent all of it by himself, he felt whole. He was no longer really alone, because he had his words. And so, finally, he wasn’t lonely. Or alone.

“You were fucking pen pals?!” he shouted into the phone as he reached home, making the call he’d known was more than due. It didn’t matter if she was sunbathing in the Bahamas. She owed him some answers.

“I don’t see why that’s any of your business.”

“Remember that Best Man stunt you pulled on me?” he sneered as he turned on the lights in his apartment, not remembering how he got up the stairs. “And that brilliant speech you have on tape.”

“It was an alright attempt at speeching.”

“Speeching isn’t a word.”

“Remington isn’t a straight man’s name, yet here we are.”

As he sighed he heard her shift and put him on hold. Then, when she came back on the phone, her voice echoed.

“What’s so shocking about it?” Maddie asked incredulously. “Many people are pen pals in this day and age.”

“You invited the fucking Princess of Brussels to commit sins. You encouraged this.”

“When she was involved in things that had nothing to do with her, yes.” She yawned then. “Simon says hello.”

Remy snorted.

“Suit yourselves. I tried to play nice.”

He growled at her then. “Do me a favour? Keep your secrets and shove ‘nice’ up your ass, will you?”

“Gladly,” she told him snappily. “Just tell Miss. Smarty-pants I said hello, and I’m still pissed as hell.”

“It was just your fucking wedding. Get over it.”

A moment of silence passed, but it didn’t register until Maddie had said the words “No, it wasn’t. And no, I won’t.”

Then, she went ahead and hung up.

So, Maddie is pissed with you.

Athenia smiled. She is my best friend. We are born to be pissed at each other when we piss the other off.

Remy hesitated before asking. Do you want to text me?

Athenia watched the screen blink once. Twice. Thrice... before the next mail came in.

I just think it’d be easier to...

She didn’t even read the rest. She didn’t want to care about how it’d be easier, or why. She merely sent in her number and left the message at that, right before clicking on send.

Her phone blinked with a beep. The first text message he’d ever sent her, and he was out to break her heart and put it back together all at once.

I missed you in ways I can’t describe. I miss you every day.

                                                                   You kept me sane.

It might have been craziness for you, but it was the one piece of normal I’d ever had.