I love it here. I love how close the bookshelves are together, I love the lack of windows that separate it from the city outside and I love the immediate pressure once you walk in to be absolutely silen-.

“What’s that smell?”

Never mind. I forgot who I brought here. “That’s the smell of old and new books melding together.”

Bryan wrinkles his nose. “More like twenty tonnes of dust.”

The lady behind the wooden counter glances at us.

I push Bryan down an empty aisle. “Please don’t talk so loudly.”

“Sorry.” He runs his hand through his black unruly hair. “So why’d you bring me here?”

“You said you wanted to hang out after our shift.”

“Yeah, like get some lunch. Maybe even catch a movie.”

The Classic Literature section catches my eye. I drop to my knees and trace my finger along their ragged spines. I’m not sure which book I’m looking for. Maybe something light to read on the train. Ooh, I do have time for heavy reading this weekend. Perhaps I could read-.

Bryan groans. “Tim, tell me you didn’t bring me here so you could drool over a bunch of old books.”

“Well, I was looking for something to read. And you seemed pretty adamant on spending time with me.” I shrug. “So I figured I’d just do both at once.”

Someone walks past, and Bryan raises an eyebrow at the creaky floorboards. “Pretty sure this place is one bad storm from falling apart.” He gestures towards the river. “Or a flood.”

I stand up, keeping my voice low. “Don’t say that. And stop talking so loudly.”

“I’m already being quiet. What do you want me to do, whisper?”

“Preferably.”

He sighs. “Fine, but you definitely owe me a movie after this.”

I smile and Bryan pulls his phone out, trailing close behind me as I walk through the aisles and browse the seemingly endless range. Maybe I could find a book that even Bryan would like. He’d definitely enjoy a good short non-fiction book. I’ll look for one right after I have a look at Australian authors. I move through the bookstore with ease, my path memorised. Bryan has to duck for some of the overhead shelving and he makes an annoyed face each time he does. I find the spot and flit from book to book, my eyes taking in the authors.

“How have we been here for twenty minutes? You haven’t even found a book you want.”

Another customer turns their head.

I frown. “Remember to whisper.”

Bryan makes a point to slowly drop next to me and whisper really quietly. “Twenty minutes. You’ve been looking at the same books for twenty minutes.”

“They’re not the same-.”

He pulls one out, looks at the cover, pulls out the next and looks at it too. “They look the same to me.”

“One’s a sequel.” I try to grab them, but Bryan slides them back in the wrong way. I push him out of the way and switch them back. “You put them in wrong.”

“Did I?” A smile spreads on his face, a smile that I know all too well: his troublemaker smile.

He pulls more books out, putting some back in a random order and leaving others on the floor. I shove him this time, moving quickly to fix the books up, but Bryan just moves to another section and starts messing it up too.

“Stop it.” I whisper. “You’ll get us in trouble.” I’m sure someone’s going to round that corner any second and kick us out.

He ruffles my hair and keeps going.

“Bryan, please stop.” I grab his hand.

He starts laughing, pulling his hand back and putting more books out of order. A customer rounds the corner, their eyes like acid, and disappears down another aisle. They’re going to tell someone. I know it. I know that look. I’d tell someone. I would. No. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. I need him t-.

I need him to... “Stop!”

Bryan does. He stares at me blankly while I pick up every single book and put it where it belongs. Bryan moves to grab a book and I whip my head around and glare. He looks down and hands it to me. I’m sure just about everyone here knows that I was the one that yelled. The agitation from other customers hangs in the air. My eyes catch one of the staff’s eyes and I know that I’ll never be welcome back here. Bryan offers a hand when he stands up, but I ignore it and stand on my own.

“Tim, listen, I’m sorry if I crossed some sort of line here,” he whispers.

“No, it’s my fault.” I look at him directly. “I should never have brought you here.”

“Tim…” He reaches for my arm, but on my glare, shoves his hands into his jacket pockets.

The lady behind the front desk stares at me with a coldness I once thought impossible in her warm eyes. The comforting whispers of the bookstore have been twisted into vicious mutterings. For the first time, I welcome the noise of Charlotte Street when I step outside. Bryan lets out a breath of air and turns to face me, his expression remorseful yet his eyes glad. I take one look at him and march down the hill.

“Tim!” he runs after me and grabs my hand.

I yank it back. “Hope you’re happy.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I whirl around on him. “Didn’t mean to? You mean you didn’t mean to ruin my favourite place in the world? You didn’t mean to make it impossible for me to return there? You didn’t mean to act like an attention seeking child? Well I’m sorry, if you didn’t mean to then I better forgive you!”

“I thought you wanted to spend time with me, not those books.” He drops his voice. “I am sorry Tim. I only wanted to laugh with you. I didn’t realise you were actually angry.”

“What do you expect when you just kept pushing?” I turn around before he can answer. “See you at work.”

He probably says something, but I don’t hear it. I walk past the police station and an officer raises an eyebrow at me. My anger dissolves and I hug my arms across my chest. I didn’t mean to make a scene.