The sky was filled with smog. As always. Gears chugged along all over the city, creating a constant clicking noise that you eventually just tuned out. The city was colorful, with every color building and street material you could think of. But it was kind of hard to see on first look.

This was Creale City. My home. Where I grew up. And where I was currently shopping with the idiot that was walking next to me.

"Oh Clover, look! A watch store! You need like five of those, you're always late."

I sighed, glancing at the watches and seeing the time tick away on their tiny little faces. After telling someone so many times that you are not, in fact, the one that's always late, you give up on saying anything. Deno was my boyfriend, yes, and I questioned yet again why I was still dating him.

My friends thought it was because I thought he wasn't "that bad." They said it with the air quotes too, and that special friend look you get when you make a bad decision.

"I'm going to the bookstore. You coming?" I asked, walking away from all the ticking.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. No need to get so irritable."

I kept my long-winded sigh to myself. It wouldn't do me any good. So I didn't say anything.

Two storefronts down was this new bookstore that had opened a month ago, which I had been dying to go to. It was called The Solar, and even had a coffee bar!

I stopped outside of it to admire the storefront, which was painted the coziest shade of brown I could imagine, and had a lily on the sign next to its name.

"After you," Deno said, opening the door for me.

"Thank you," I replied, stepping through and immediately zoning out because I was so happy.

Books. Books everywhere. I was in paradise.

"Welcome to the Solar! Let me know if you need help finding anything."

I was brought out of my mini trance by that voice, and I turned to see where it had come from. I couldn't be rude and not respond.

My mouth fell open. Just a bit, but enough. The person was wearing a green button-down shirt, covered partially by a rich black vest, and paired with sharp black jeans. They had a mask hanging from their belt loop, and their hands were partially covered in ink.

"Clover, are you staring at him?"

"No," I said, turning to Deno. I felt the heat creep up into my face, and I knew I had turned a very bright shade of red.

"You were. You cunt, you were checking him out. You'd cheat on me with him, huh?"

"What? No!" I said, shaking my head. "I would never..."

"Admit it," Deno hissed, getting very close to me very fast.

I felt my breath coming quicker. Deno had never done anything like this before. And I was becoming more red by the second.

"Deno, you're embarrassing me," I whispered, looking around at the people staring at us.

He smiled. "Good. Maybe you won't do that again."

"Hey, since its your first time here, I thought I'd pick out a book each for you all!"

I turned away from Deno to see the same person, holding out a book to each of us.

"Thank you," I said, taking the book from them and looking at the cover. The book was purple, and covered in vines and leaves, and was titled "Magic & Mystic: The Heir."

Flipping it over to read the summary, I realized it was a romance book. A spicy one too.

"Dating for Dummies?" Deno all but screeched, looking at his book and back at the person.

"I thought it was appropriate, given how you were embarrassing your lovely girlfriend in the store. Maybe you can get something from it," they said, winking at me. "My name is Sable. I'm the owner. The books are on the house."

I smiled at them. "Thank you!"

Staring at my book, I hardly noticed when Deno dragged me out.

"What a jerk!" Deno muttered, throwing his book in a nearby trash can. "Come on, we're going back to my place."

Feeling a sudden surge of courage, and anger, I said, "No."

"What?"

"No," I said again. "Actually, I'm not going to go there ever again. I'm breaking up with you. Goodbye, Deno."

I left him there, gaping, as I turned around and walked right back into the bookstore.