Beverly opened the book, her curiosity piqued to the max. It might have been just a book but it didn't seem that way to Beverly. It was like looking into the life of Bryan, she wasn't sure of what she'd see but she wanted to look, to assuage her growing curiosity. She wanted to get right to reading but she took her time to savor the experience, slowly basking in the words she wanted to read.
On the very first page, she saw a beautiful handwriting in cursive, with the words that held relevance to her ever since she was little written on it.
"Rainbows bleed in colors unseen."
Those were the words written, and she had to stop to catch her breath. One of the most beautiful quotes she'd seen, since she'd always had a fascination for rainbows. There was just something ethereal about them, something too magical to place a finger on. She loved the rainbow and from the very first page of his book, he'd already stolen her heart.
"Did you write this?" She asked as she turned to Bryan who watched her, those keen eyes missing nothing.
"Yes, it's my book after all. Anything the matter?" He asked even though he saw how shaken up she was. He knew the effects his words had on people, he didn't need to be told. But sometimes he loved hearing the words from someone who truly appreciated his art.
"Nothing- I was just shocked. That's all." She said as a way of explanation. He said nothing after that, just stared at her as she read the works he had hidden from the world until then. There was just something about her that made him want to be vulnerable with her, something she couldn't quite place.
"Oh, wow. I don't know, is there something to say in this situation? I'm tongue-tied and wondering just how you managed to weave words beautifully. It's like art, art, and magic. Whatever you do, do not stop." She said, dumbstruck by his sheer abilities. He was like an exotic creature she discovered and she wanted to keep him, to hold on to what he represented to her at all costs.
"I love the way you appreciate things, it's wholesome. That book has been in my custody for a little over a decade. I toyed with the idea of being an author for a while..." He trailed off as soon as he realized that he spoke too much but Beverly didn't pick up on it, she was still stunned by his prowess and wondering just how random their meeting was. She wasn't the type to believe in fate but everything he did pointed to that. It was as though he was specially made for her and as much as she tried to quell the idea, she couldn't get it out of her head. It was stuck there like a wart that refused to leave. She ignored it in hopes that it'll fade eventually but the idea seemed to take root in her mind and built a nest there.
"It's impossible not to appreciate you and what you do. Truly. I'm just glad you didn't leave me alone in the rain and took me in without knowing who I was and without prying. I appreciate that gesture, more than you'd ever know." Beverly gushed, stumbling over her words as Bryan did his best to reassure her that there was nothing to thank him over. He made her feel at home, like being with him was the true reason for her existence. It was like hypnosis, one she didn't want to snap out of. Her ideas that were rock solid melted like wax, she couldn't seem to remember why she was so antagonistic towards love in the first place.
"Okay, your car should be arriving soon. Wanna play a little game while we wait?" Bryan asked her, courteous as usual. She was tempted to tell him that her car could go to hell since she didn't want to leave, but she knew that such behavior was the first sign of insanity bordering on obsession. It wasn't even a day with him yet, she just couldn't understand what was wrong with her. She craved his presence, the smile that lit up his face, his laughter, everything. Nothing was making sense, at least to her. He was consuming her senses, stealing her breath and taking her off her feet at the same time without even moving. She chalked it up to the way he saved her and her hero-worship of him but she knew that wasn't it. There was something else that went far deeper than she wanted herself to go.
"What kind of game?" She asked after a momentary silence, mulling everything over. She couldn't tell what he was thinking and it weirded her to no end. She couldn't read him but deep down, she didn't even want to. She wanted him to remain a mystery, an unsolved puzzle. It meant that he was always going to be intriguing, which was a win-win situation for her.
"Well, it's poker. But with a different set of rules. I came up with it when I was bored one day. Wanna hear?" He asked and she almost leaped out of her chair in response, like an affirmation.
"I really do. You seem like someone who'd come up with things like that. So, hit me." She spoke in a flippant way, even though her heart raced erratically, waiting for his response.
"Do not expect too much though, your expectations might be too high," Bryan warned but she didn't know how to tell him that no expectations were too high as long as they came from him.
"Oh, it doesn't matter. Just tell me how the game goes and how to play it." As Beverly beckoned Bryan to spill, they heard the roaring sound of a car engine just outside the door. Beverly felt a twinge of pain for the game she couldn't play since the sound signified that her car was ready.
"That should be the sheriff. He's a pretty good guy with a good head on his shoulders." Bryan said as a way of explanation but Beverly waved it aside in a bid to not lose her composure. But Bryan noticed it, he always noticed the littlest of things.
"You're a friend of the sheriff? That's surprising." Beverly said, honestly surprised. She didn't take Bryan as the kind of person to bond over drinks with the local sheriff, he was the kind of person prone to ignoring everything around him, it was the kind of person he was, the kind of person she knew him to be.
"I know right? It just happened suddenly one day and that was all. We became friends, just like that." He spread his arms and she was tempted to run into them even though there was literally no reason for her to.
"Then, let's go welcome him. He deserves my thanks for helping with the car." Beverly stated as she stood up from where she sat and walked to the door, stretching a little. Being with Bryan never made her see how time flew by, it was like he stole time and stopped it in its tracks, at least for her.
Before she got to the door though, a man with stubby beards stood there, hat in hand. She presumed that he was the sheriff and the way Bryan made a beeline for him made her deduce that she was probably right.
"Thanks for getting here in record time. I knew I could count on you." Bryan shook the hands of the sheriff and they spoke like old friends.
"It's fine, really. You don't have to thank me so effusively. Anything for a friend right?" The sheriff replied and gave a small bow to Beverly as soon as he was done speaking to Bryan.
"Pardon my rudeness, this rogue here distracted me. I'm James Camden, the sheriff of this little town." He flashed her his most brilliant smile but strangely, she didn't find it in her to return it. She suspected it was the influence of Bryan, he'd managed to screw up whatever inkling of sanity she had left.
"Thanks for coming all the way here sheriff, it was a truly nice gesture on your part. I'm Beverly, Beverly Bowens. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Beverly replied, blithely polite. She didn't know why she acted the way she did, she just didn't want him to come too close to her. It wasn't because of his looks, she knew that much. James Camden was a really handsome man even by her standards but she was just uneasy.
"Thank Bryan here, he puts enough pressure for one to scream for mummy. He's a good one," The sheriff said as he winked at her in a conspiratory gesture which she didn't reciprocate. Asides from the fact that he interrupted the game Bryan was about to show her, he made her feel uneasy just by being there. It was a weird turn of events, the weirdest. She'd never felt such intense dislike for anyone before, she'd never even experienced such. It didn't make sense to her but it still felt alien.
"Ignore him, he's like that. Well, are you ready to leave? The sheriff would drive you home, at least to ensure your safety." Bryan said to her but she didn't really hear what he was saying after he mentioned the sheriff. She wanted to burrow into his arms and hide away from the world, hide from herself. She couldn't understand what she felt but she was tired of questioning her emotions.
"Sure. I'm ready to leave." She replied, not betraying her emotions. She wanted nothing more than for him to ask her to stay but he didn't seem like one to take the incentive and she wasn't the type of person to force her ideals or feelings on people. She waited for them to come to terms with it, that was the only way she could be sure it was true acceptance and not manipulation.
"No problem then. Also, don't forget about our promise!" Bryan smiled as he responded to her, and she felt her heart constrict, knowing that she'd never forget even if she was paid to.
"Oh? Making promises now, are we?" The sheriff winked at her and Bryan and she was tempted to tell him to get his nose out of her life but Bryan took it in, laughing along with him.
"Friends make promises all the time." He said flippantly, a little too flippantly in her opinion. She wanted him to say something, something that showed that she meant more to him than a random stranger he housed for a night. She wanted to prod him gently but she held herself back, knowing that it won't do a thing.
"That's good then. So, ready to leave Beverly?" The sheriff asked as she nodded once before stepping out of the door, not daring to take a backward glance at the larger than life figure of Bryan on the doorway.
"Wait! I don't have your number yet. Friends have to keep in touch, don't they?" He said innocently and she ratted it out, not caring that the sheriff was listening. She just wanted to put as much space between Bryan and her as soon as possible. It felt like heartbreak, but it didn't make sense to her. He didn't make any moves on her, he didn't say anything inappropriate or anything to get her thoughts on fire. Yet, she constructed a life for both of them in her imagination, not caring if it was one-sided.
"See you later then," Bryan said as she gave a cheery wave and walked to the passenger side of the sheriff's car as he opened the door for her to enter. She didn't look back once, even as he revved the engine and she could see the form of Bryan by the doorway through the rearview mirror. She was going to maintain her stoic expression even if it killed her.
She waited till the car pulled out of the driveway and drove into the highway. Only then did she allow herself to breathe.
Love, love was going to be the death of her.