In-Between the Shadows

1. Encounter

My lips moved on their own. "I can show you of one." I paused, realizing what I said. "O-only if you want, of course."

He thinned his lips for a moment as if thinking over the thought before blinking and dismissing it.

"No. I rather you don't."

His silence made me uncomfortable, so I made quick talk of the directions before hastily excusing myself, blushing as I walked back to my room.

Never in my life had I been more embarrassed as to give simple directions to a bar.

***

I found him in the sitting room later that evening, a novel in hand before a fire. It was a little past midnight, and I could not force myself to sleep. I hoped a brisk walk would calm me, though I regretted it once I saw him. I wanted to turn away, but he had already heard me and looked up with his pale eyes searching my face before looking back down at his novel.

"It's chilly. You need a coat." He said. My heart stopped.

"Sorry?"

He looked back up. "You need a coat. It's cold."

"I have one on already."

"It doesn't look warm enough."

"This is my only coat."

He looked as though he were figuring out what else to say before finally deciding not to say anything, shifting in his chair and looking back down at his novel.

I stood there for a moment, replaying the conversation in my head and cringing while doing so before resuming my path toward the door with the dire need to forget it. However, once I opened the door, I was met with wind that nearly knocked me over. I shut the door.

"Come sit by the fire," said Daniel, still not looking up from his novel.

I did as I was as told, partly curious about him, and partly because I was cold. I sat in the armchair beside him, close to the fire. I felt much better.

He didn't say anything after that, though I was hoping he would. "What are you reading?" I asked, my hands tightly bound in my lap.

I was surprised when he looked up, meeting my eyes. "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

"That just came out, didn't it? Isn't it a children's book?"

"Reading is reading."

"Yes..." I looked down after that, picking at my nails. I felt his eyes on me, but I couldn't find anything to say.

"Have you read it?" I looked up.

"What?"

"Have you read the novel?" He said.

I blinked, looking back down again. "I don't have enough time to read. I'm a doctor, you see-. Err, I mean an apprentice to one. I would read, but I'm too tired to and I don't have the patience for it right now. I read textbooks, but that's just flipping through pages and reading brief statements. I do like to read though. I did enjoy Pride and Prejudice, but I suppose that seems odd to say as it is a romance and popular for women. I did quite enjoy The Odyssey, though-"

I stopped when I found myself smiling and met his eyes. He was staring.

"So no." He said.

"Yes. I mean, no. I mean, I haven't read the book."

"I see."

"Yes."

He thought something over. "By chance do you happen to know of a bookstore?"