v o i c e s

Chapter two

Everyday Liam went to the library. Considering he didn't have to be to work until noon, he always found himself hidden away behind the coverage that the dusty shelves provided him. He liked the library because the smell of old books reminded him of Ray. That was what he called Rachael because she reminded him of a beaming ray of sunshine. It seemed as if everything reminded him of her, though. When Liam sat in the corners of the library, he liked to inhale the scent of both the used and the new books and try to see if maybe somewhere around a tall wooden bookshelf Rachael would be waiting, with her freckled nose stuffed in a book, trailing the same scent. He never did find her though and it seemed that her scent of inked pages and thorough paragraphs lingered on his clothes as he left the library each day.

Quietly, Liam made his way through the entrance of the library and toward the back where he could sit on a purple bing bag and enjoy watching the rainy weather as the speckled and grey sunlight filtered through the windows.

He ignored the sound of her laugh as it echoed in his mind as a reminder of the time him and Ray had gotten kicked out of the library for laughing too loud at some lame joke he had told.

He didn't remember what that joke was anymore. It was so long ago that he and her had laughed together.

He blinked rapidly a few times as if to regain his slipping sanity. That was the problem...Rachael had kept Liam sane but what could he possibly do when the thing that once kept him sane was now the exact reason he was insane?

He sat down in the bing bag and stared out at the blurry sky as spring rain fell from it and he sighed sadly.

The gloomy days didn't seem to help his gloomy mind.

So there he sat with his knees pressed against his chest, the bing bag groaning every time he moved and he pulled out a book and flipped to the introduction page just as he had everyday. Written in loopy penmanship, his name was addressed along with a note. It was from her. Ray had written him a note on the cover page when she bought him the book two years ago for Christmas. It was her favorite book, and he had learned to love it as well.

Slowly, he traced his fingertips over the words. He had done that countless times. Turning the yellowing pages, he stared down at the words. He read this book over an over and well, he didn't really know why. Maybe it was because he wanted to continue reading the words that he knew Rachael had once read too? Maybe it was because he hoped she would somehow appear from the pages? That was ridiculous, he thought to himself, shaking his head.

Rachael was gone. She wasn't coming back.

This thought lingered in his head, the realization sinking in for the millionth time, but still tearing away at his broken heart just as painfully as any other time. He turned to watch the rain seep into the earth and slide down the windows, his mind beginning to trail off to the usual thoughts of Ray.

Ray had loved the rain. She had told him one afternoon as they sat on the couch of a small cafe, her legs thrown over his. He remembered how she had intertwined their fingers, her smaller ones warm against his big ones.

He closed his eyes and pictured her petite figure swung across his and their hands joined together and a small smile carved itself onto his lips as her lively laugh replayed in his head for the millionth time.

*

"I love the way it smells before a rainstorm." She giggled quietly and fiddled with their fingers. "It's like..."
She trailed off, dropping their hands into her lap and glancing out at the rainy weather. He admired her as a small smile appeared on her lips and she turned back to him. "It's like I can smell adventure clinging to the air...and it's quite wonderful." She had said in her pretty voice.