The Accidental kiss

niel'

tside is chaotic. Emails pile up, contracts wait for my review,

iles, the way her voice softens when she talks about books, and the

i

stop unraveling, no matter how

uriating

under the pretense of browsing, just to hear her voice. She doesn't see how I pick up on every small habit of hers-the

ow that I noti

w that I've been protecting he

a's

th the smell of old paper and coffee

ands brushing over the vibrant book covers. This is my happy place, th

use

e Nathaniel standing a few feet away, his tailored suit a

?" I ask, unable t

eyebrow. "Sho

okstore, noting that we're the only ones here. "You don'

ne teasing. "But I enjoy the

suspicious. "Are you sayi

ing a smile. "Not at all. I'

the way his gaze softens, that makes me feel

o push away the strange w

d help finding anything," I s

but I can feel his

niel'

esn't

p coming back, the reason I linger in this small,

when all I want is to pull her into my arms and tell her how she

elf with a stack of books. Her focus is admirable, though a bit

y voice cutting

up, startl

, the words coming out more

arly caught off

taking a step closer

s about to argue, but she hesitate

wing full well that she doesn't. "For h

t together. "

ain, cutting her o

re she finally sighs, rel

ile tugs at the corner

a's

ss from Nathaniel at a café near the boo

st natural thing in the world. Meanwhile, I can't stop fidgeting with

oice smooth and reassur

say," I mutter, a

at suppose

his direction. "You're Nathaniel King. You belong in fa

ssion I can't quite read. "Maybe I don't want to be i

my tone dripping

g forward slightly. "Maybe I like

uard, and I stare at him

the waiter arrives with our

alk about books and work. But even as we part ways, his wo

niel'

't help but feel a strange mix

l doesn'

never she's near, how she's the only person

hat's

, in every little way I can,