Teach Her | Cillian Murphy x Reader

29. Library

November 17

6:57 PM

1 week later

After a painfully long week that consisted of ignoring Cillian, skipping his classes, and avoiding him at all costs, I found myself spending nights at the library helping out Mr Moreau, the librarian. Sam told me about the open volunteer position, suggesting that it would 'help me get my mind off of things'. She was under the impression that I was experiencing family problems, hence my late night crying and persistent gloomy mood. She was right, it did help me get my mind off of things, but all that I could worry about was now failing history due to my poor attendance and lack of work.

"Do you mind staying a bit later, Jeane?" Mr Moreau asked, the sound of books thumping against the receptionist desk as he looked up at me. "I got a call from my wife. She wants me home now, you know the way she can be."

I laughed quietly with a nod, standing on my tiptoes as I slid a final book into the bookcase, finishing off the cart of returned books I had been working on for an hour.

"Of course," I agreed turning to him, leaning against the bookcase slightly. "I don't mind, you know that I don't have much to do anyway."

Mr Moreau smiled, shaking his head, giving me a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you, truly. I promise that I'll repay you."

I shook my head as I watched him go behind reception, sliding his messenger bag over his shoulder and grabbing his coat off of the hook.

"Is there anything that I need to cover? Or is it just more book returns?" I asked, my eyes glancing at the pile of books that he had just dropped onto the desk, dreading the thought of having to skim through every shelf, attempting to find where they belonged in what Mr Moreau calls 'an organized mess'.

"Hmm," he hummed as he paused for a second, pulling his keys out of his bag. "I know that Mr Murphy is going to come by soon.. just to pick up a book. It's in the back of the office, it has a sticky note with his name on it. Other than that, just finishing up with book returns is fine."

Without hesitation, Mr Moreau was out of the room, leaving the library at exactly 7 o'clock, the time that I was usually leaving. I mentally prepared myself for the encounter with Cillian, dreading any small talk that he'd probably coerce me into engaging in. I looked around the room, noticing the small amounts of students that still remained, their faces buried in their computers, books, or notebooks. I spotted Grace tucked away in the back of the library, quietly working away for what had seemed like hours.

I sighed quietly to myself, walking over to the desk and piling the books onto the cart, staring at the cart that was once empty, now almost full again. I paused for a second, thinking of an idea, a way to avoid Cillian when he inevitably walks into the library. I quickly hurried behind the desk, making my way into the office, scanning the room for the book that he was coming to pick up, deciding that it would just be easier to leave it on the desk while I hid away.

I glanced around the room, quietly groaning to myself, unable to find the mysterious book that somehow vanished, internally panicking.

"Jeane?" a voice that I wanted to forget about said, his irish accent and deep voice making my stomach twist, just like the first time we had spoken. "Are you supposed to be back here?"