The library was quieter than usual that evening. Selene found herself wandering the aisles, pulling books from the shelves absentmindedly, her mind elsewhere. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation she'd had with Lyra just a few days ago. The vulnerability Lyra had shown, the quiet admission of fear; Selene couldn't shake the feeling that there was something real between them, something that could bloom if they both just stopped holding back.
But Lyra had not been forthcoming since then. She remained polite, cordial, but distant. Selene had been patient, understanding, but it was becoming harder to ignore the growing frustration. Every time she saw Lyra, it was as though there was a wall that Lyra was too afraid to tear down. She wanted to let her in, but for some reason, she kept pulling away.
It didn't help that Eliza was always there, like an unexpected shadow. Selene had started to feel guilty about it; how easy it was to fall into Eliza's flirtations, how easy it was to smile back at the way Eliza made her feel noticed. It was the sort of attention Selene didn't get from Lyra not the way Eliza made her feel alive with a few words, a playful touch, or a teasing smile. But something about Eliza didn't sit right. Selene couldn't help but compare the electric tension she felt with Lyra to the fleeting thrill that Eliza offered. And it only made her feel more confused.
The evening was drawing to a close when Selene found herself standing near the counter once again, watching Lyra from across the room. Lyra was hunched over a pile of books, sorting through them, but her posture was stiff, her brow furrowed in concentration. She didn't seem to notice Selene, who, despite herself, couldn't help but feel drawn to her.
Selene hesitated before walking over. It was the quiet moments like these, where the weight of what they were becoming seemed to hang in the air, that made Selene feel the most connected to Lyra. There was no need for grand gestures, no rush for words. It was in the silences, the moments when their eyes would meet and linger just a little too long.
"Hey," Selene said softly as she approached. She didn't want to break the quiet, but she knew she needed to say something. "How's the sorting going?"
Lyra looked up, her face softening when she saw Selene. "It's going alright," she replied, her voice gentle. "Just trying to get everything organized."
Selene smiled, feeling a rush of warmth at the sight of Lyra's smile. She couldn't help it—there was something about Lyra that made everything feel right, even in moments of uncertainty.
"Anything I can help with?" Selene offered, a hint of playfulness in her tone. It was the same offer she had given the past few times, but this time, it felt like there was something more behind the words, something that was pulling them closer.
Lyra shook her head, her smile still soft but distant. "I've got it. You don't have to stay."
Selene didn't move right away. She was caught in Lyra's gaze, the unspoken tension between them so thick it almost felt suffocating. "You know, you're not as difficult to talk to as you think you are," Selene said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Lyra blinked, her expression flickering with surprise. She didn't respond right away, and for a moment, the silence stretched between them. Selene could feel the weight of her own words hanging in the air. She wanted to explain, to let Lyra know that she wasn't backing off, that she was here to stay, but she didn't know how to get the words out without feeling like she was forcing something that wasn't ready.
Before she could say anything else, Eliza appeared at the door, her voice carrying through the library with her usual energy. "Selene!" she called, her tone unmistakably flirtatious. "There you are! I was hoping I'd run into you."
Selene turned, reluctantly pulling her gaze away from Lyra, who had already turned back to the books in front of her, the distance between them growing once again.
"Hey, Eliza," Selene said, forcing a smile as she stepped toward her. "What's up?"
Eliza grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I was thinking, since you're done here, maybe you'd like to join me for a drink? I know this great bar downtown."
Selene felt a pang of guilt. Her eyes flickered back to Lyra, who was still focused on the books, not looking at her. Eliza's presence felt like an unwelcome intrusion, but Selene couldn't deny the easy charm that Eliza exuded. She had a way of pulling Selene in without even trying.
"I don't know..." Selene began, biting her lip. "I'm not sure if"
Eliza stepped closer, cutting her off with a soft, playful laugh. "Come on, Selene. I promise I won't bite." She raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Besides, you could use a little fun, right? Lighten up a little."
Selene hesitated. She could feel Lyra's presence in the background, like an unspoken weight, but the invitation from Eliza was tempting. It was easy. Carefree. Exactly what Lyra wasn't offering.
But as Eliza stepped even closer, Selene's thoughts returned to Lyra. She couldn't help it. The connection she felt with Lyra, even with the distance, was so much deeper than what she felt with Eliza. She didn't want to pull away from Lyra again, didn't want to lose the fragile connection they were slowly building.
"I think I'll pass tonight," Selene said, her voice more sure than she felt. "Maybe some other time."
Eliza raised an eyebrow but shrugged, giving Selene a knowing smile. "Alright, alright. But don't keep me waiting too long, okay?"
As Eliza left, Selene looked back at Lyra, who hadn't moved, her back still to her. The distance between them was palpable now, and Selene realized just how much it bothered her.
She took a deep breath and walked over to Lyra, who didn't look up until Selene was standing right beside her. Lyra blinked and met her gaze, but there was something in her eyes something unreadable, something Selene couldn't quite decipher.
"I'm sorry if I made things awkward," Selene said quietly, her voice laced with vulnerability. "I just don't want you to think I'm avoiding you."
Lyra gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, then returned to the books in front of her. "It's not that," she murmured. "I just... I'm not sure what I'm doing."
Selene's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to reach out, to pull Lyra into her arms and tell her that it was okay, that they didn't need all the answers yet. But instead, she simply smiled softly. "It's okay to be confused," she said, her voice gentle. "I'm here. Whenever you're ready and by the way are you free tomorrow? Let's hangout over the cafe"