Page 25 of Making It Up

CHAPTER 5

MIA

David Bennett came into my library.

Not only that, but I almost had to go over and shush him. He and Charlie were talking by the door and got really loud at one point. I’m dying to know what they were talking about. It looked like Charlie was telling David something important and interesting.

In my library.

I’m used to seeing Charlie Bennett, but when I saw the two brothers together today, I was struck by how very different they are.

Charlie is a bookworm. Quiet. Thoughtful. He has a sarcastic sense of humor, has eclectic reading taste, and is incredibly creative.

David is rugged, much broader, and more muscular than Charlie. He’s also quiet, but where Charlie gives you the impression he’s in his own head mulling things over, imagining or creating something, David seems to be watching, observing, and taking in all the details around him.

It seems to me that Charlie’s world is very internal, while David is all about the external world.

Charlie is all about words, thoughts, and ideas.

David wants to do things—get his hands dirty and be out experiencing the world instead of just reading about it.

Of course, I could be wrong. They’re brothers, and I’m sure Charlie has been out hunting and camping with David. And I’m sure David reads. At least the sports section, weather reports, and…other things.

God, that sounds so judgmental.

And I’m projecting. I’m sure of it.

Charlie and I have a lot in common. We’ve gotten to know each other well, not just through his regular patronage of the library but also our love of fanfiction. Especially the one we both write. I’m a lot like Charlie, but sometimes I think I need to be more like David. I love to curl up with a book and forget about the real world. Fictional worlds are safe. I can know the ending of the story before I even start—and can avoid the sad, scary, or painful ones.

I like hiding away. I love when things are predictable. I really love when I feel in control of outcomes.

Of course, that all comes from my childhood. I’ve had enough therapy to know that.

But what am I missing in the real world?

I wonder that a lot.

There’s surely a whole bunch of amazing, wonderful things out there.

People like David sure love it out there.

Of course, when I try to get out there, I end up with flat tires, wild animals, and tornadoes…

But then very handsome men with big trucks and shiny badges come along and save me.

Just like in the stories.

I smile as I think about that.

Yeah, last night actually did nothing to quash my thoughts of ‘maybe you should venture outside your comfort zone a little’.

It had turned out pretty great, actually.

And while I should probably be interested in Charlie Bennett—with his clean-shaven face and his glasses, khaki pants, and extensive TBR—I couldn’t stop staring at David in his uniform, with his hair just a touch too long, scruffy jaw, and his big, calloused hands.

And then I found out that he’d brought me plaster molds of six different animal tracks.

That’s why he’d shown up at the library.