Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice

Betrayal

“Please?” I ask for the tenth time, “Please tell me?”

“Fine!” Nate sighs with a smile at the pleading look on my face, “I’m taking you to my favourite place.”

“Which is…?” I incline my head expectantly.

“New York City.” His favourite place is New York. I love the way that the city name sounds in his silky voice and adorable accent. “Where is your favourite place?” He asks.

“Honestly?” I raise an eyebrow and turn in my seat to face him.

“Honestly.”

“It’s in New York, too. It’s There’s this antique book store on West Sixty Second Street that I used to sit in for hours when I came to visit my Grandparents as a kid because my Grams worked there.”

“The Scroll Bookstore?” I am shocked that he knows the store I mean, and it makes me like him a whole lot more.

“Yeah! How did you know?” I let out a small laugh of surprise.

“My uncle just bought it last year. I can’t believe we’ve both been there.” He laughs with me as he checks his mirrors and suddenly pulls a U-turn.

“What the hell are you doing?” I squeal and clutch the edge of the seat.

“We’re going to your favourite place.” The sun is streaming through his window and making his face glow. His window is halfway open and the breeze ruffles his hair as he drives. I could look at Nate for hours and still not be bored. I’ve never felt this way about anybody before.

Nate’s phone begins to ring, pulling me back to reality. He pulls up at the curb and answers the call.

“Megs, what’s the matter?” He asks with clear concern and then pauses to listen for a while. “Oh my God, is she okay?” Another pause and he turns to look at me with apologetic eyes. “I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

“Is everything alright?” I ask as he pushes his phone back into his pocket.

“No, my mum just tripped and fell down the stairs. She’s broken her leg.” He slouches back in his seat, not knowing what to do.

“Well, you have to go see her!” I insist, but hesitate before speaking again. “I’m going to stay in New York, though. I’m going to go and see my Grams and Grandpa.” I needed to speak to them; clearly they know that I’m not really their granddaughter, so why didn’t they say anything?

We say our goodbyes; I climb out of the car and wave as he drives away. I’m on Hudson River Greenway, right across from West Sixtieth Street, and I walk towards the bookstore. It’s been eight years since I’ve seen my Grandparents and I don’t know where they live, so The Scroll seems a good place to start looking.

The store hasn’t changed one bit. The outside is still a green colour that’s turning grey, the sign still has faded lettering and there’s still a boarded over hole in one of the windows. I’m glad that Nate’s uncle left it the way it was, the way that I’ve always loved it. A bell rings gently when I push the door open to go inside. I’m greeted by the familiar smell of peppermint tea and damp books pages.

“Can I help you with anything?” A man appears at my right with a Cheshire cat grin on his tan face. He looks to be in his thirties, with thick brown hair and too white teeth. His name badge tells me that his name is Charlie Wolfe.

“Hi, I’m Jenny,” I hold my hand out and he shakes it with a firm grip. “I’m a friend of Nate Kardell. I’m looking for his uncle, but I don’t know his uncle’s name.”