Page 9 of Time To Learn

Taking my wallet from my back pocket, I jerk my chin at the books on the floor. “What books do you want?” I ask thegirl.

“Look…” the mother starts, only she’s interrupted by her daughter.

“Black Beauty, Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone, and The Wind in The Willows.” She picks up the books and walks towards me. I raise my eyes and crouch down next toher.

“Oh, wow,” I murmur. “Great choices.”

“Yeah, I think so, too, but Mummy will only let me have two of them,” she sighs. I look at her mother whose mouth is turned down in an unhappy frown, and I wink ather.

“Well, you should always listen to your mummy.” I turn my eyes to the girl. “What’s yourname?”

“Ailith.” She holds the books close to her chest as she gives me a tentative smile.

I purse my lips. “A beautiful name.” Hesitating, I look back at her mother, frowning when I notice that she’s standing up now, her feet planted firmly on the floor. My eyes flicker down to her fists, clenched tightly by her side. I wonder what that’s all about.

My mind screams at me to let the couple be. To just go away and forget about them. To find Lise and gohome.

But, for some odd reason, I’m rooted to the spot, my headache and churning stomach forgotten.

I take a deep breath and look closely at Ailith as I open my wallet.

“Listen, young lady, if you promise me to get your mum an ice cream, I’ll buy one of the books foryou.”

“What?” the woman gasps, but I ignore her as I hand a ten pound note to Ailith. Her mouth pops open and as she nods, the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen spreads across her lips. Chuckling, I give her the money. “We have a deal, I believe. Enjoy your books, Ailith.”

Wanting to get away, I stand up and nod briskly at the woman.

“Have a good day,” I mumble, suddenly feeling embarrassed, and leave them alone.

“Wait!”

I ignore the woman’s soft cry following me, and continue to walk faster as I head to the main entrance. As I text Lise to tell her I’m going home, the woman’s tearful eyes haunt me. I shouldn’t have meddled. I should’ve ignoredthem.

Why the fuck didn’t I just leave them alone?

The sun hits my eyes when I leave the bookshop, and I pull out my sunglasses from my back pocket. Shit, I feel like how I imagine a vampire would if they were real—achy, sick, and in a crappy mood due to lack of sleep.

She’s trouble.The words pop into my head, surprising me, but then I scoff. I’ll never see that woman, or her daughter, again. No reason to think Iwill.

Shortly after, I open the small gate in front of Lise’s house and walk down the couple of steps to the basement that I’m borrowing from her while I’m here. As I unlock my door and open it, I force the morning’s events out of myhead.

But as I lay down on my bed and yawn, I can’t help but hope that Ailith will like her books. And that she did like I told her to do—took her mum out to get an ice cream. The woman looked as if she could do with a bit of sweet to brighten herday.