and we fell

Chapter 24

Alec stops in front of a building and I look up to see the sign. It was a bookstore.

"Here?" I ask him confused. He doesn't seem to be the number one bookworm. I on the other hand am.

"You said you liked to read." he explains, pulling out a set of keys from his pocket. He opens the door and leads me inside. After Darrel entered as well, he closes the doors and locks it, so that no one can enter.

"Is the whole place ours?" I ask, looking confused at my date. He nods proud. My jaw drops.

"But, how?"

"I called a few days ago and made a reservation. We have the whole place for ourselves, so you don't have to worry about being recognized. The owner also allowed you to choose some books if you want."

I lose it as he says that, thinking that he paid attention and looked for a place where we can still be us without a mask. I run into his arms and hug him. He tenses. Like a lot. He doesn't move for a few seconds. After he recovers from the initial shock, he wraps his hands around me and pulls me closer. He takes off my hat and glasses, throwing them to the ground and kisses the top of my head.

"You opened Pandora's box, Foxy." he whispers, his lips still touching my hair. "Now I don't think I could ever let go of you." he continues and pulls me closer.

"Maybe I don't want you to let go." I whisper, my face sunk in his chest. With one hand, he lifts up my head so that our eyes can meet and asks me back, in the same whispering tone:

"You don't?"

I shake my head and sink my face back in his chest. He pulls me even more to him.

As we let go, I take his hand and walk with him along the shelves of the store. Darrel remained to guard the entrance. Sometimes, as I would see a book I like, I would stop and show it to him. He would ask me to read him the description every time. If he would find the book interesting, he would nod; if not, he would shake his head.

After going through the first section, we arrived at my favorite: the classics. I rush till I see Jane Austen's name on the covers. Pride and Prejudice. Emma. Persuasion. All some of my favorite works. All containing characters who hold a piece of my heart.

"You really seem to love these books." Alec whispers. I look up and see him leaning against the shelves. His posture looks better as ever. I can't feel my feet anymore.

"How could you tell?" I ask him teasingly. He chuckles.

"It's the spark in your eyes as you look at them. I can only hope that one day you'll have the same spark when look at me."

If before I couldn't feel my feet, now it felt like my whole body wasn't mine.

"Do you already have it? For me?" I ask him. He nods after swallowing hard.

"I have it for a while now, Foxy. But you aren't just a spark. You are the fire that keeps me alive."

Before I can know what I'm doing, I take his hand and put in on the spot my heart is. He freezes and doesn't know how to react. I put my hand on his to keep it there. I can feel my heart beating faster. Faster than it's ever beaten before. He feels it too. He shivers.

"Can you feel it?" I ask him though. He nods. I continue: "Every second beat is for you."

His eyes look up at me, understanding what I meant. I love you. I wasn't sure before, but I was now. I knew it for a while yet was afraid of what it would actually happen if I told it out loud. It would mean it's real. And if there was one thing sure until now, is that us being real means danger. We can't be seen. We can't be heard. No one can know about us.

He takes my hand too and places it on his heart. I can feel the beat under my skin. His heart is racing. He's as nervous as I was. He doesn't need to say it out loud, for me to understand.

We stand there, feeling each other's heartbeats for a while. It's a melody. His pulse goes through me. It's electric. My every muscle reacts to him. I tense. I am under his control. And from the look in his eyes right now, he feels the same. He's under mine.

After we let go, I take out my favorite book and look at him. "Read to me" I whisper. He looks confused and doesn't understand what I mean. I hand him the book and repeat, my voice more confident: "Read to me."

He stares at the book in his hands questioning, however, he does as I asked him. He sits down on the floor and I join him, leaning on him. I can feel he tensed, so I want to go away, but he quickly holds my hand and pulls me back. His hands are now so tight wrapped around me, I can't move. Yet I don't even want to. I feel that I belong where I am. In his arms.

As he makes sure I'm comfortable and safe, he opens the book and starts reading. I sink deeper in his hug and close my eyes, letting my favorite words said by my favorite voice take me away.