Bittersweet Expectations (Hate at First Flight #0.5)

14. The Conspiracies of the Universe

"What can I say? I can handle my liquor."

I nodded, not knowing what exactly to say to his words. My eyes lingered on the door, hoping the answer would walk in through those doors. But it didn't. "What are you doing here exactly?"

"Doing here talking to you, or doing here as in in this house?"

"Both I guess."

"Well to answer the second one, I'm here to meet Ethan before we head off and as for me talking to you, I quite like talking to you." His face had a playful glint to it that I had seen too many times on Finn but I pushed down in those thoughts, reminding myself he was good friends with Ethan Clarke and that I should tread lightly.

His words reminded me that Ethan Clarke was to head out today to Washington for a business meeting for the next couple of days, which meant I was free from his temper and self-conceived thoughts of me for that duration of time.

"And you got that from conversing with me for the better half of five minutes?" I asked Julian, finding myself amused by how carefree and frivolous he was with his words.

He nodded. "Exactly. Isn't it amazing what those five minutes can do?"

I rolled my eyes at his words. "What did you say before? When you walked in?" I asked, avoiding his gaze as I turned around, making sure not to fully turn around. My tone was as formal as I could muster up as if to remind him that I was an employee of his friend.

A paused echoed in the library before Julian replied, sounding unconcerned by my sudden change in tone, "The book," I felt him move to stand beside me before he pulled the book out of my hand.

I looked up at him, a small glare directed at him, although I didn't move to get it back.

Julian wore a smile on his face as if he enjoyed the glare I was giving him. "I was quoting it." He held up the book and waved it. "It's something that I really liked when I read the book. When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. I like to believe that there is some truth to that statement. It makes me hope that despite me feeling like nothing's going right for me in this world, that somehow, somewhere out there, there is hope that everything will just go right at one point in your life, y'know."

I must've looked incredulous because Julian laughed at my expression before he said, "You look like you're about to call me out for talking a load of bull."

I couldn't help but smile a little at his choice of words, "It's not that. You just seem like the type to never have to want for anything in the world. It just makes me wonder what exactly you have to want for."

He shrugged, a look that I couldn't quite place crossed his face before it disappeared. "I know right. What exactly could I want for?"

The question echoed in the expanse of the library. He was deep in thought, and me wondering whether I should have said anything at all.

Both of us was too preoccupied in our thoughts that we didn't hear someone entering the library until it was too late.

"I see that you've met Julian already then?"

My chest instantly tightened and my back instantly straightened as I recognized the voice of the only person that I wished I didn't have to see at all for the remainder of the day.

Julian was the first one of the two of us to react and look up before he walked towards where Ethan Clarke must've been. "Ethan, you're finally ready?"

"Why didn't you come to Building X?"

"I was just curious about something. Besides, I knew you were going to come this way anyway."