Lost and Found

Finding a Book

"Admirable," I give him a look of appreciation and we both begin to read.

We sit reading until there's around half an hour or so to dinner until Asher snaps up his book suddenly, sits forward and stares at me.

"Um... can I help you?" I ask, not looking up from the page.

"Not important," he's still staring at me expectantly, "tell me something about yourself, Miyah Foster. If this," he gestures his finger from me to himself, "is going to become a regular thing, then I think I need to know more about you." He leans back again but still does not break eye contact. 

"Ok... what do you want to know?" I close my own book and put it on the arm of the chair and look up at him.

"Anything. The first thing that comes to mind. No. Wait... something that you've always wanted to do but have never done," he accentuates each word by narrowing his eyes and tipping the top of the spine of his book towards me.

I think for a few seconds before answering, "Dance in the rain," I say matter of factly. He stops staring and blinks, looking at me in confusion, apparently completely taken aback. "What? You asked!" I blush, looking down at my lap.

"But why in the rain?" He's looking at me in amusement now, no judgement but just as if he's really interested in what I have to say.

"Don't you think it's romantic?"

"Well, I guess... but you'd get all wet and cold right? Shivering and soaked to the skin can't be that romantic surely?"

"Well yeah, but just think, you have a great time messing around in the rain but when you get back inside, have a hot shower and get all cosy together under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate."

"Wait, 'together'?" He looks at me again in confusion.

"Well yeah... that's why it's romantic. I wouldn't do it by myself; I'd look insane, but when you're with someone, you don't care." I look at Asher, and he smirks,
"A special someone?"

"Maybe..."

"Sounds like you've thought this through."

"I guess you could say that... yes." I say slowly, I don't know what he's getting at but I can tell he's getting at something.

"So do you have a special someone that you want to do this with maybe at home?" There it is. He's trying to... well not so subtly ask me if I have a boyfriend.
"No. You can be sure that if I did then I would have made them do it already."

"Ah I see. I mean well of course, of course cause it's definitely something all sane couples do..." he smirks at me again as he can tell he's getting under my skin so I scowl at him and pick my book back up and continue to read. He doesn't accept this however and continues to talk as if I'm not so blatantly trying to ignore him. "You're not sane are you Foster? I bet you've got a million little scenarios in that head of yours don't you?" Just keep reading... "every night before you go to bed you think up a new one to help you get to sleep..." don't let him get under your skin... "why, do you even pay attention in your lectures with all those romantic images flying through that brain?"

"Alright! Alright shut up!" I've had enough, he wins. "I admit I'm a romantic and you know what? I don't care what you think because I quite enjoy it."
He smirks with satisfaction and gets to his feet, "ah there it is." He winks at me and walks towards the door, "see you at dinner!" He calls and leaves the library.
I smile to myself, I can't believe I gave him something to tease me about already, and he did it so easily too...

                                                                                      *

The rest of my week goes by pretty quickly, I'm able to spend most of my free time in the library. Most of that time, if he doesn't have a lecture, Asher will join me. We'll just sit in silence reading or doing work, but it isn't awkward at all. In fact, it's comforting to have someone in the background. We'll often swap books when we're finished or give each other recommendations on our favourites. I feel so relaxed around him, as if I hadn't met him for the first time at the beginning of the week but known him all my life.

                                                                                     *

"So you just sit there in silence?" Saffi asks me as we're getting into bed.

"Most of the time, yeah."

"And you just read..."

"Yep. We talk, just not really in the library. I've gotten to know him well now; he's a really nice guy, I like him a lot." Her head snaps in my direction, and I screw up my face, I didn't mean for that to come out...

"Miyah! are you starting to catch feelings?" She comes bounding across the room, jumps onto my bed and sits cross-legged at the end smiling like an eight year old. I'm never going to get to bed now.

"Are you serious? It's been a week Saf!" I lay down and pull the duvet over my head but this doesn't last long as she shuffles her way down to me and pulls it straight back off again.

"So?"

"So... it's been a week! I hardly know anything about him and he hardly knows anything about me."

She snorts and rolls her eyes, "yeah and that's a straight out lie. You guys are always talking, you said so yourself! You've already formed a tight little bond and you even just sit in the library and read together!"

"Oh come off it Saf, I'm sure he has a 'tight little bond' with most of the girls."

She snorts again and gives me a disbelieving look. "What?" I pull the duvet right up to my chin again to try and hide the redness coming into my cheeks.

"I see the way he looks at you, Miyah."

"What? What do you mean by the 'way' he looks at me?" I roll my eyes.

"You really don't see it?"

"No!" I am honestly confused; I haven't noticed anything like that.

"In the dining hall across the table, the classroom, the library... he steals a glance at you every chance he gets and looks at you like you're the most beautiful thing he's ever seen."

"Well, maybe he's just trying to be friendly?"

Saffi reaches over and pulls the duvet away from my face again, "Miyah, if anyone's going to notice, it'll be me. I know him. He looks at you like you're the only one in the room. I don't think you've noticed because he won't let you but believe me everyone else can see it. He's been hurt before, but I can see he wants to let you in. You've opened something in him, allowing him to trust you."

He really thinks of me like that? If everyone else can see it then why can't I?

I can't sleep that night. Not for a long time, at least. My mind is overwhelmed with thoughts and questions about the conversations with Saffi.