The silence of the library pressed in on Lyra, a heavy, suffocating blanket. Each tick of the large wall clock echoed like a hammer blow. She mechanically finished stacking the books, her movements robotic, her mind a numb void where Selene's parting words still echoed. Fine, I'll give you some space but I'll be back before closing time. The promise felt like a lie since it's 5 minutes before closing time, a placating gesture tossed to a petulant child before heading out to the real fun.
She was just locking the main doors, the key cold in her trembling hand, when the shrill sound of her phone ringing shattered the quiet. The noise was so abrupt, so out of place in her current state of despair, that she fumbled with it, nearly dropping it. The screen glowed with a name she hadn't seen in months: Ariana.
Swiping to answer, she brought the phone to her ear, her voice coming out as a hoarse whisper. "Hello?"
"Lyra! Hey! Guess who just landed at the international terminal and is desperately in need of a ride from her favorite librarian?" Ariana's voice was a burst of vibrant, sunny energy, a stark contrast to the gloomy interior of the library and the gloomier interior of Lyra's heart. It was so familiar, so achingly normal, that it made Lyra's eyes well up with sudden, unexpected tears.
"Ari? You're here?" Lyra managed, trying to inject some warmth into her tone and failing miserably.
There was a pause on the other end. Ariana's voice softened, the cheerfulness dialed back into immediate, intuitive concern. "Lyra? Hey, are you okay? You sound... awful."
The genuine care in her friend's voice was the final crack in Lyra's crumbling dam. "I'm... I'm at the library. Just closed up."
"I'll get a cab, it's fine" Ariana started.
"No," Lyra interrupted, the thought of being alone with her thoughts in her empty apartment utterly unbearable. "No, I'll come get you. Just... give me twenty minutes."
The drive to the airport was a blur of streetlights and swirling, painful thoughts. By the time she pulled up to the arrivals curb, she had almost managed to school her features into something neutral. But the moment Ariana threw her large suitcase into the back seat and slid into the passenger side, one look was all it took.
Ariana dumped her carry-on bag at her feet and turned in her seat, her brow furrowed with deep concern. "Okay, seriously. What is going on? You look like you've just lost your best friend. And not to be dramatic, but I'm right here, so it can't be me."
Lyra tried to offer a weak smile, but it crumpled instantly. She stared straight ahead at the road, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. "It's... it's stupid."
"It's not stupid if it's got you like this," Ariana said gently. "Talk to me."
And so, Lyra did. The words spilled out of her in a rushed, tangled torrent as she navigated the late-evening traffic. She told Ariana about Selene. About the magnetic pull from the very beginning, the shared looks in the library, the terrifyingly vivid dreams that felt like memories. She confessed about the accidental kiss, the hope that had sparked, and her own paralyzing fear that made her push Selene away. And then, with a fresh wave of pain, she described tonight. Eliza's intrusion, Selene's choice to leave with her, and the devastating feeling of being an option while someone else was the priority.
"I told her I needed patience," Lyra finished, her voice breaking as she pulled into her apartment's parking lot and turned off the engine. The sudden silence was heavy. "I literally said the words, 'I thought you were going to be patient with me.' And then she just... left with someone else. But it's my fault anyways for pushing her away and asked for space I thought she'd comeback I guess the push and pull tact doesn't work that way"
Ariana was quiet for a moment, taking it all in. She reached over and placed a comforting hand on Lyra's arm. "Oh, Lyra. Oh, honey."
"I feel so foolish," Lyra whispered, finally letting the tears fall freely. "I let myself believe for a second that I could have that. That someone would actually choose to stay."
"Hey," Ariana said, her tone firm but kind. "Listen to me. Your feelings are not foolish. Needing patience isn't a flaw; it's a request for respect." She sighed, looking out the window at the quiet apartment complex. "This Selene person... she sounds like she's in her own world of confusion. And that's her stuff to figure out. It doesn't mean you're not worth waiting for."
Lyra just shook her head, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.
"You know what you need?" Ariana announced, a determined glint in her eye. "You need a hard reset. You've been cooped up in that library with all those dusty books and even dustier dramas. You need salt air."
Lyra looked at her, confused. "Salt air?"
"Yes. We are going to the beach tomorrow. First thing in the morning. We'll get greasy breakfast sandwiches, we'll walk on the sand until our feet hurt, and we'll let the ocean scream for us since you're too polite to do it yourself. It'll make you feel better. I promise."
Lyra wanted to refuse. She wanted to say she planned to spend tomorrow buried under her comforter, wallowing in her heartache. But the look on Ariana's face was so steadfast, so full of unwavering friendship.
A small, real smile finally touched Lyra's lips. The first genuine one all night. "Okay," she agreed softly, the word feeling like a small step forward. "Okay, let's go to the beach. After I settled my Place ofcourse" She laughed.