Page 60 of Only You
‘My little brother volunteered for the navy,’ he confessed suddenly. ‘He wanted to make me proud, get out and save the world. Every day, I prayed for hours that he would survive, that he would come back. He died in the first battle he went into. I know it’s part of war but… part of me couldn’t help but feel like this is God’s answer. The reaper coming to harvest.’
He could still remember the way the wood dug into his knees every morning he prayed and when he’d collapsed from the news. One of his favourite people in the world, the person with a smile that he swore lit up the world, was gone and no war victory would bring him back. It had been his biggest heartache until that moment. Now, it took a back seat to lying next to a girl with a wounded heart like his that he wanted more than anything to save, knowing he failed her.
‘I lost my brother, too,’ she told him. ‘Years ago. He moved to America, promised to pay for a ticket for me as soon as he could. One day, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time… I loved him more than anyone in this world. Even war was easier to swallow than losing him.’
‘And now…’ The last part of David’s sentence was drowned out by the sound of another bomb exploding, practically on top of the house. His grip tightened around her hand, and Sarah nodded in understanding, another tear falling.
Now, he thought,this would be the only legacy we have.
Words left unsaid. Arguments never to be had. A connection forged in the darkest of days. The rare chance to not be alone in the end.
She pressed her forehead against his. ‘Close your eyes,’ she whispered. He did, holding on tight as a loud whistle pierced the air.
The light that followed was blinding until the building crumbled around them.
Chapter Twenty-One
Washington, D.C.
September 2013
‘We really appreciate your help, Stephen.’
‘It’s no problem, Ms Diane,’ Jones replied.
The librarian smiled brightly, and, for a moment, it took him back to Atlanta. She reminded him of some of his aunties, her silk press dotted with grey though there were no wrinkles to be found and her smile was as warm as her mahogany skin. Though he hadn’t talked to her much – the Tenley-Friendship Library being fairly new – there was already a level of comfort between them. Every time he visited, she would tell him about a new book, and he would tell her about a new album, going back and forth at the reference desk. Of course, when she asked him to host a music class over the autumn break, he immediately agreed.
‘Well, it’s not every day we have a world-class musician visiting. Oh, the kids are going to love you,’ she gushed, making him feel a bit bashful. He was never good with praise. ‘I have to get back to the front desk, but I will send you the details later this week, okay?’
‘Okay.’
‘Wonderful.’ She patted his shoulder before walking off, throwing over her shoulder, ‘And make sure you get a book before you leave!’
‘No promises,’ he teased, even as he headed to the stacks.
Jones explored the shelves with cursory glances and a slow gait. Occasionally, he would pick something up, but nothing caught his attention. It seemed to be a running theme for a while. He looked at his phone, checking his call log. He scrolled until he found Dani’s last call, sighing and leaning on the shelf in defeat.
Dani hadn’t contacted him in over a month. At first, he didn’t panic. She was a grad student; of course, there was going to be a point where she fell off the face of the Earth. But the days stretched to two weeks, and he just called to check on her. He even sent a video, a remake of her friend’s video, with a text saying, ‘Copycats or a remix?’ but there was silence. For a moment, he feared the worst – accidents happened everyday – but a quick Facebook search revealed she was fine. So, after the relief wore off, he was forced to realise the truth: she didn’t want to talk to him.
He wished he could wonder why but it wasn’t hard to guess. By now, she probably remembered the end of Sabine and Damien, possibly even David and Sarah’s, stories. What did people say? Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times would make it a pattern… And who the hell would want this kind of pattern?
He pushed off the shelf and continued to walk around the library. It was smart; it might hurt less when the inevitable happened. Still, it felt like his heart was turning to stone at the thought that it might be all over.
The universe, however, seemed to have another idea.
The moment he rounded the corner, time seemed to halt. He spotted Dani at a nearby table. He watched her pore over a pile of books. Her braids were piled on top of her head, pulled out of the way, showing off her cheekbones and full lips. She almost looked at peace were it not for her furrowed brows. He almost wondered if he should give her a few minutes to study, but she huffed, looking around. It didn’t take her long to spot him. Her mouth formed an ‘o’ and Jones felt it would be too awkward not to walk over.
‘Hey,’ he said. His voice seemed to break her shock and she looked down quickly.
‘Hi,’ she said. ‘I have to go.’
‘What?’ She didn’t look as she grabbed her books, hastily getting up from the table. She didn’t notice that she had left her coat on the back of her chair and he grabbed it. ‘Dani, wait.’
She didn’t turn to look at him, instead picking up her pace as she weaved between stacks and towards the exit. He jogged lightly to catch up to her. He expected her to stop at the front to checkout her books but she beelined for the doors.What is she doing?He hurried to catch up to her as the alarm went off.
‘Dani, what are you doing?’
‘I have to get away from you,’ she said, still not looking at him.
