Revealed

8. Jeremy

When I know I'm far enough from the block, I start walking. In my mind, I can only see vivid images of the girl. Her hair being twirled around her fingers and her lips opening and closing to speak.

Then, I feel a nudge on my shoulder. "Jeremy? Where's the stuff?" Neal asks confused.

I put my hands on my head in frustration and my shirt lifts itself up a little. Neal notices my gun was missing. "Bro, where's your gun?"

I can't let the boys know that I, as their leader, allowed a girl to not only steal my gun but distract me long enough to make me leave empty-handed.

"The store was packed with men. They were all ready to fight me. I tried to take them on but they ended up jacking my gun. There was no way I could take on all seven of them. Next time, I'll be prepared to take them down. It won't be that easy for them again."

Neal buys my story instantly.

The next few weeks went on as usual. I steal a few drinks, rob a few shops, sell a handful of drugs, and best of all, I didn't get caught once. Life is going pretty well for me. I actually kind of blame the city's lazy police force. They know damn well they could have pulled up a few camera's or set some traps, not that I'd fall for them, I'm a professional, but they're not even making an effort. It's actually ridiculous.

I head out for another casual stroll. Then, I see her. The girl. She's inside a library. I didn't know she liked to read. All of a sudden, I felt the urge to open up a book as well, so I casually walk in. She's in the fiction section. I wondered where she hid my gun? While thinking, I stay two shelves away from her and try my hardest to see what she's doing through a hole in the books.

As she finds the book she's looking for, she smiles and finds a seat at an empty table. I've never seen anyone so eager and willing to read.

I grab a random book off the shelf in front of me. The Great Gatsby. A memory traces my mind. A book about the past not being able to be recreated. I can't help but take that meaning and apply it to my past. Wow, Fitzgerald really knows how to make a man think about his life all over again.

With the book in my hand, I sit two tables away from the girl. Something about her was seriously intriguing. Maybe the way she stood up for herself when I was about to take her life turned me on. Or maybe they way her hair waved smoothly in her high ponytail. Or maybe the idea of her clothes being see through...

Pretending to read, I scan her side of the library. She's reading Twilight. So she's into vampires and werewolves? From what I can tell about her, she loves fantasy romance and action.

"Oh, I love that book," says a voice not easy to forget. "I feel like Nick is a victim though. Why did he have to go through all that drama? And for what? He literally gets nothing at the end of the novel."

I try my hardest to hide my face behind the book. What if she recognizes me? She can call the police for harassment or make the 20 people around us aware that I was the one who robbed her and pretty much every other store in this town.

My efforts aren't good enough because she sees what page I'm on and completely ignores my face. Maybe she just hadn't remembered me.

"Omg, I'm so sorry. I thought you'd finished the book. And I just spoiled it for you."

"Yeah... it's whatever. I kind of have to leave now though." I heighten my voice so that she can not clearly identify it. I want to leave before I say something that could sell me out. The girl (Should I even call her that? She was a woman.) seemed upset at my remark.

"Oh... um.. Okay. Sorry anyway. Um... Can I recommend you a book? The Sun is Also a Star is one of my absolute favorites. Two people destined to fall in love." Her eyes sparkle as she sighs.

I shake my head. Maybe a little too quickly. I have to get out of here before I make any more stupid decisions. It was already a bad idea to have even entered the library in the first place.

I stand up and begin to run out of there, but I'm stopped by a woman behind a desk.

"I'm sorry but you need to sign that book out," she says clearly annoyed with her job.

I look down at my hands which are still holding the novel. I drop it on the floor and run out of the library.

I had to remind myself to never take risks like that again.