Page 53 of Wonderstruck

My brows screwed up as my claspedhands pressed against my mouth.“Écureuil?” I said it more like a question, but Rory’s eyes soon lit up.

“Yes! Okay, next one.” Her smile mademe smile. “Kettle.”

I chewed my lip for a moment before itcame to me. “Easy. Bouilloire.”

Her gasp was probably the prettiestthing I’d ever heard. “Have you been studying?" My face pulled. "Finn Rhodes, MrI hate pronunciation, has been practising?”

I shrugged, not wiping the stupid smileoff my face. “Maybe.”

She let out a breath, her bodyshrinking, like she was relieved. Like she was hoping this would all work out for me. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

Rory straightened her arched back, asthough a lightbulb went off in her head. “Happy. Yeah, do that one next.”

I didn’t budge, the word and theawkward way to pronounce it leapingto the tip of my tongue. “Heureux.”

Her playful eyes narrowed, the brown inthem barely visible. “Use it in a sentence.”

“Easy.” I let my eyes search hers,falling deeper into those gorgeous brownswirls, before licking away my smile. “Êtreici avec toi me rend plus heureux que je ne l'ai été depuis longtemps.”1

The words fell from me before I couldtranslate them in my mind. And for amoment, I forgot that Rory could understand every word.

Those eyes widened as my words settled, and I’m pretty sure the whole library heard her swallow. “That was happiest. Not happy.” Her voice was breathless.

I nodded, resting my arms against thetable and not breaking away from her stare. “I know what I said.”

I saw the realisation flush across her skin, a quiet, undeniable shift. It held me still—held everything still—like the world had taken a vow of silence just to witness this moment. Just to listen for whatever came next.

I sunk back into myself a little, rollingthe sleeves of my grey sweatshirt and falling back into that armour I knew so well.

“My pronunciation has stunned you to silence, how bad must I be?” The laugh that came from me was every bit forced, a way to fill the empty space while I waited for Rory to say anything. Do anything.

My sigh broke the silence. “Rory—”

“I’m fine—”

“I meant—”

“I said I’m fine.” Her tone was firm, buther eyes soon softened, along with the rest of her features.

My mouthacted quicker than my brain. “If that were true wouldn’t look sosad.” That got her attention, and I took the chance to lean forward. “You can be honest with me, you know. This isn’t last year, you don’t need to protect yourself—”

“Of course I do.” The hushed tone ofher voice chilled me. I don’t think I’dever heard her so… compressed. “And you of all people should know why.”

Whether she knew it or not she wasshowing me her heart as though it was sewnto her sweater. Right there. Glinting just right to show me the ways I’d broken it. How the world had broken it.

“It’s just a sentence. I know that.” Herlaugh was forced, so annoyingly forced asshe shook her head. “Let’s just move on. Please.”

I couldn’t just sit here in silence. Thatwas how we’d ended up in this dynamicin the first place. “I don’t think it was just a—”

The table vibrated as my phone lit up,the sound cutting through the quiet of the table and of the upper wing of the library. Both our heads turned toward it at the same time.

Dad.

I snatched the phone before Rory couldsee the name on the screen, my chestalready tightening. “I’ll be back in a second,” I said, keeping my voice even.

She didn’t say anything, just nodded,but somehow, that stung worse.

Sliding my chair back, I scraped itagainst the floor louder than I meant to and retreated toward the bookshelves. The spiralstaircase leading down to the ground floor felt like a lifeline, giving me just enough distance to breathe. Leaning over the stone railing, I glanced back at our table, before the vibrations drew me back to what was happening.

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