Love of a Giant

Chapter Eight

Theresa felt much more comfortable now. After Brandon had given her Oliver Grant's newest book, they had started talking about the author. Such a simple and mundane conversation, but it had calmed her nerves. Brandon also wasn't as awkward as before, and their conversations flowed more naturally. Eventually, because they had kept talking about books, he offered to escort her to the estate's library.

She felt a little bad though. He had to walk at her pace because his steps were obviously much larger than hers were. She tried to walk as fast as she could, but even that wasn't enough for him. It didn't help that she was short even for the average human. Her own brother would have to slow his pace thanks to her shorter legs.

"The library here probably isn't as nice as the one with the palace," Brandon said as they walked down the hallway. "But there are plenty of books here, I assure you."

She smiled. "I'm sure it's just fine."

He nodded. He finally stopped in front of a set of double doors and gently pushed them open. When she walked inside, she was at first taken aback by the size of it. The shelves towered over her, endless books sitting up high and waiting to be read. Everything seemed so spacious, and she thought for a moment she would get lost in this place.

Then she watched as Brandon easily crossed the room in a few strides. So the room was much more modest than first impressions. Yet, she found it charming. Soft-colored and flowery wallpaper and gentle curtains gave it a warm, cozy atmosphere. She was almost tempted to grab a book now and plop herself onto one of the plush chairs by the windows.

"I think it's a wonderful library," she said, stepping further in and looking around. "It's very homey."

"My mother spent a lot of time here." He gestured to the decor. "She wanted a place where she could relax... and should you ever need that too, come here anytime you want. I'll ensure the doors are always unlocked for you."

Theresa's smile grew as she nodded. "Thank you."

It took everything in him not to blush at her charming smile. "You're welcome." Then he coughed as he quickly regained his composure. "Would you like to see the collection I was talking about before?"

Theresa had forgotten that was the entire reason why they had even come to the library. While they had been talking, Brandon had mentioned a collection of prized books Penelope had stored here. All of them were signed by the authors and kept in pristine conditions - copies that were not meant to be read, but treasured like rare gems. She only had a couple back home; she couldn't deny she was excited to see such rare books.

"Oh, yes, please."

Brandon nodded while he silently prayed he wouldn't mess this up. Earlier, he had been stumped as to how to make her feel comfortable here. His mother's collection was the only option that came to mind when he had run out of things to talk about. If he screwed up, he didn't know how he was going to be able to convince Theresa that she could trust him to protect her.

Luckily for her, Theresa was too enraptured by the books surrounding her. She had read many books in her life, but most of them were by human authors. Audrora had very little literature written by giants, even fewer from those who were from Etimid. She could clearly see dozens upon dozens of titles she had never read, and she was eager to get her hands on one and start reading. These books were much bigger than the ones back home, but as long as she could find a comfortable spot to read, she didn't care.

Enraptured with the unfamiliar books, she didn't realize that Brandon had moved to one of the shelves. She suddenly walked right into his leg, causing her to grunt as she stepped back in shock.