Cyrus (The Henchmen MC 9)

Then we left the coffee shop, Cyrus walking me back to my car.

The silence, even for someone who generally preferred it to useless noise, felt oppressive. It felt like it was full of things that needed to be said.

"Hey," he said finally as he held my car door open for me. "Let's walk," he suggested.

The library was a good twenty-minute stroll. And I was generally someone who didn't stroll often.

But there was almost a sort of desperation in his voice that had me moving away from the door so he could slam it. "It's a nice day for it," I commented, offering him a smile he seemed desperately to need.

The walk, like the walk to and from She's Bean Around was mostly silent.

It wasn't until we were almost at the doors of the library when he really spoke again.

"Why don't you throw me a book, and I'll hang here."

"Cy, shouldn't you maybe get some sleep? You're dead on your feet."

"I probably should. But I don't want to. I want to be here."

Again, there was that desperation that seemed so at odds with his usual persona, that there was no way I could refuse him.

So I handed him something off the new release section that was more of a mystery, and light on the violence, not wanting to add anything to his dark mood.

He gave me a weak smile, took his book, and headed off to a corner seat situated in the underused teen section, a seat that most people didn't know about, and was, therefore, the most comfortable.

When I walked past an hour later, he was asleep sitting up, the book open on his knee.

I thanked the universe that I was working with only Bradley that night, and that he didn't really ask why when I asked if he could try to stay away from the teen section so my friend could get some sleep, commenting only that Yeah, he looks rough before going about his business.

It wasn't until ten minutes after closing that Cyrus reemerged, looking a little more like himself, though a bit more disheveled.

"Guess Morgan isn't the author for you, huh?" I teased. "Put you right to sleep."

"Why didn't you wake me up when you closed?" he asked, looking around at all the dimmed lights.

Bradley had taken off a few minutes before, but only after I reassured him that my 'strapping male friend' (his words) would make sure I got to my car safely.

I had never been in the library alone after closing before. Even knowing the doors were all locked, and the windows didn't open, and that Cyrus was one scream away, it had felt eerie, like some lunatic could be hiding behind any corner. Which was why, as soon as Bradley left, I locked the office door, then sat down right beside it at the circulation desk, pretending to go over a spreadsheet, but really just trying not to jump at every noise in the freakishly silent space.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the printer turned itself off with a beep.

"You needed to rest, Cy," I said with a shrug as he laid the book down on the desk.

"I did," he agreed, reaching up to run a hand through his hair which managed to muss it, but only for a second before it fell back into place perfectly. It's like each strand simply understood that Cyrus was too darned good-looking to have one hair out of place. "You ready to get going?" he asked, making me aware for the first time that we had another twenty-minute walk ahead of us. In the dark.

"Ah, yeah. Just let me get my coat," I said, jumping up, and having to unlock the office where I had left it. "All set," I said with a smile as I walked up to Cy who was waiting by the doors.

He reached out after I unlocked the door, tucking a strand behind my ear, his eyes heavy with some emotion I wasn't sure I had seen there before. "Thanks for letting me hang here. And get some sleep, Ree."

"Anytime. Well, no," I rushed to cover. "I mean, you know..."

"Yeah, angel, I know," he agreed with a small smile as he opened the door for me.

We walked for a few minutes in silence before he asked me about what he missed while he was sleeping. And, well, it was a library, so not much. But I told him about some old lady who came to me frantically with her cell phone which was playing a very explicit porn video.

"I'm so sorry, miss. I don't know who else to go to. Something came up on my phone and, oh, it is so embarrassing. But can you please just... turn it off?"

Cy gave me his full, boyish laugh at that, always liking the stories about the older people who frequented the library the best.