The Dark Inheritance

Chapter 15

Serah and Gareth were now only separated by one shelf and she had no other way to go, so she waited impatiently for him to be done. When he endlessly shuffled through the books, she chanced a peek at him but as soon as her eye landed on him, his head also turned her way. She instantly pulled back, retreating several steps. However, just then, she bumped into someone. 

"Are you avoiding me, Serah?" A familiar voice whispered right against her ear.

She whirled around, her eyes widening when she saw none other than Gareth standing behind her. 

"You… how come..." her confused gaze darted between him and the other shelf where she just saw him. How did he get here in such a short time?

His brows drew together as he stared down at her. "Your eyes…" his gaze then turned angered. "That alcohol smell... Was it Natalia?"

Serah glanced down self-consciously. She made sure to properly wash all the smell from her and thought herself successful. 

"Are you okay?" He asked with concern. "Can you see properly?”

"I'm fine. I managed to wash off the alcohol on time and my vision wasn't affected." It was all thanks to Asher but she didn't want to feel grateful towards that annoying guy.

His gaze turned apologetic. “This happened partly because of me. Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. You’re not to blame. She already held a grudge against me because of this morning.”

His eyes glinted in admiration. “I witnessed that. I must say I was quite impressed by your strength of will.”

“I’m not that strong,” She said demurely. “I just voiced out my thoughts at that moment.”

“Most people would have never had the courage to defend themselves in this situation. Even when you were confronting Owen, you didn’t back down in the least. Your strength is really admirable.” He said sincerely.

Faced with such a heartfelt compliment, she couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. “Thank you.” She murmured.

A soft smile graced his lips, further sharpening his handsome features. As she stared up at him she understood why girls were all over themselves to catch his attention. His face was carved to perfection.

“I didn’t get to properly say this before.” She added. “But thanks a lot for helping me out with Owen.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m the one who should apologize for the way my brother acted.” He stared at her solemnly. “If he ever tries to trouble you again, just let me know.”

Serah felt confused by his display of concern. Why was everyone suddenly feeling an urge to protect her? Still, she could only mumble out her gratitude, hoping he wouldn’t bring up the subject again. She still intended to avoid getting too close to him. Not because Asher asked her to but because she still felt that weird vibe coming from him.

His grin widened. “So, you’re also here to borrow some books?”

She shook her head. “I work here.”

“For real?” He asked in amazement. “But I never saw you here.”

“I only started a week ago.” She curtly replied.

“I see… so if I came here earlier I’d have met you.”

“You’re a regular customer here?” 

“Yes…” He dragged his gaze over the library’s high shelves. “I’ve always been passionate about reading. And this library happens to be my favorite.”

“I see…” This meant she would be seeing him a lot here. It sure wouldn’t help her efforts to avoid him.

“For some reason. The vibe emitted by this place gives me a sense of familiarity.” He said, his eyes nostalgic. “So I always come here to unwind.”

“Familiarity? How?” She couldn’t help asking.

He shrugged. “I don’t know myself. It’s just a feeling.”

“Strange… I also felt some familiarity with this place.” She said pensively. “That was why I chose to work here.” So it wasn’t just her imagination?

“You too?” Gareth asked, staring down at her as if he was trying to figure something out.

“Or maybe I was just drawn here because I’m also passionate about books.” She shrugged, glancing away. “I should probably go and see if Heather needs help.”

“Wait!” He called. “Is it okay if we exchange phone numbers?”

Serah gaped at him, her feelings conflicted.

“I don’t have any ulterior motives.” He quickly explained. “I just thought… if Owen ever tried to target you again…”

“That’s…” she shuffled on her feet uncomfortably. “I appreciate the thought, but I don’t want to bother you with my problems.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Gareth said. His eyes then dimmed with disappointment. “Unless… you don’t want to get involved with me?”

She grimaced at his spot-on guess. “It’s not that… But I don’t understand why you’d want to get involved with me.”

"I think you're a cool girl and I thought we could be friends. But if you don't feel like it, then I understand.”

She realized it was unfair to behave like this just because of the strange hunch she had. "It's not like that." She sighed, then smiled at him warmly. "I'll be glad to be your friend."

If she thought about it logically, Gareth has been nothing short of nice to her so there was no harm in befriending him. Her mood was unexpectedly as bright as his as they exchanged phone numbers.

Just then, Heather’s voice carried over to them. “Is everything okay, Gareth?” 

Serah and Gareth turned to face Heather who appeared shocked when she saw them. 

“Everything’s fine.” Gareth vaguely told her before turning back to Serah.

Heather appeared discontent as her gaze darted between Serah and Gareth.

"You guys… know each other?" She asked cautiously.

Only then did Serah remember she let Heather believe that she didn't encounter Gareth at school. She couldn't have fathomed that the guy would suddenly show up here.

"We met at school earlier." Gareth responded and Serah cringed internally.

"It was only a brief encounter." She quickly explained to which Gareth gave her a strange look. "You want me to take over at the desk?" She asked Heather.

"Wait." Gareth said before the girl could respond. "I'd like to ask you about some books." He told Serah.

"If it's about the books here, Heather should know about it better." She said, casting a nervous glance at Heather,  hoping she wouldn't misunderstand their relationship. 

Gareth frowned. "I just want to know your opinion. I hope that's okay with you, Heather."

"Umm… sure." The girl reluctantly replied, giving them a strained smile. "Let me know if you need anything."

With this she turned around and headed away. Serah felt guilty when she saw Heather's dejected demeanor.

"You shouldn't have cast her aside like this." She told Gareth several minutes later. "She might misunderstand our relationship."

"What's there to misunderstand?" He gruffly replied.

She sighed. "Nevermind."

At Gareth's urging, Serah ended up having to accompany him through his book quest for a full thirty minutes. The guy had a rather authoritative air. Probably a habit from being an aristocrat. But she quite enjoyed his company. They shared many interests, especially their fondness of mythological books. 

When Gareth finally left, Serah approached Heather, but the latter's attitude was rather cold.

"I'm sorry about what happened just now." Serah said, her tone slightly pleading. "But I swear there's nothing going on between Gareth and me. We're just friends."

She huffed. "Why are you even telling me this? It has nothing to do with me."

"I just want to clarify it. I'm not interested in him and the feeling's mutual."

"There's no need for you to clarify anything." She broodingly responded. "You should hurry up and finish the remaining tasks before it's closing time. We're already running late as it is."

Serah felt despondent as she went back to arranging the shelves. Heather has been close to a friend and she didn't want to spoil their relationship. But then an idea struck her and her mood brightened. She would help Heather get together with Gareth. It should be easy to accomplish since they’re both her friends. Several ideas were already popping up in her mind and they brought a huge grin to her face as she finished accomplishing her tasks.