Recover: Book 2 of the Magic Mutations Series | ✓

31: Alone Again

July 2017

We still hadn't found anything, despite having been to the Czech Republic, Spain, and Norway to search their school's libraries. Jayce and I were about to head to a school in Italy for the next week before we'd have to cast our nets outwards to Asia, Africa, and the Americas—which made me anxious of course. I didn't like being this far from Ollie. But the sooner I tried, the better. Because we were starting to assume my uncle had a tighter control over the European schools than expected... but perhaps in other continents we'd find the solution we were seeking.

Not knowing how long our bond invitation would hold out and how long we would be gone, I figured the last day of July—just before Ben was due to visit the British library—was the best time to pay her a visit. To 'woo her heart', as she liked to call it.

But I was hesitant.

How was I just going to walk away from her when I saw her?

How could I look into those evergreen eyes, watch her face flush as I flirted with her, and then ask her to forget our interaction all over again?

The thought of it alone was killing me.

And while the spiralling terrors kept me up at night, staring at my empty bed, wishing I had her hand to hold, her heart to lull me to sleep, eventually I did close my eyes for a few moments... until the sun came through the blinds, demanding me to face the day.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

I waited until she'd be inside already with her station set up before ascending the steps of the grand building. And the moment I pushed open the large doors, I felt the familiar buzz in the air that she was nearby. Coming to a pause, I closed my eyes, relishing in the feel of her proximity, my heartrate already racing. The sensation I, at first, detested had now become one I yearned for.

Then, as I did all those months ago, I let my body move on autopilot, guiding me towards her even though I already knew where she'd be.

One foot in front of the other to the first floor.

Down the walkway.

Around the corner to the mythology section.

But the moment my eyes landed on her, her station set up, her head resting on her palm, copper curls cascading like a curtain around her face, my breath caught.

Four months we lived together. Four months of waking up to her every day. But only thirty days apart and my heart was flipping at the sight of her... like a school boy seeing his crush.

She seemed to feel my gaze studying her. Posture now statue-still, her eyes had stopped flickering over the page. Then her gaze snapped up to mine.

Her emerald eyes bored their soul into me, caressing my heart, begging me to scoop her up again.

But the last time we looked at each other, she held so much warmth and familiarity in her gaze. Now, even though her mouth popped open and a red tinge covered her cheeks, her brows furrowed like she didn't recognise me.

And, with the vacancy in her stare breaking my heart in two, I walked closer to her, turning just before her table to sit at the one nearby. Then I pulled my book I had brought for aesthetic purposes from my bag and pretended I was engrossed in reading, all the while taking stock of how long her eyes studied me.

Was this enough? I started to wonder. Did I move her heart enough with just a look? She blushed... surely that gained her interest for the moment to make the bond glow. I should leave now... before I do something I'll regret.