Chapter 44 The library
Roy’s voice was low, like he didn’t want anyone else to hear. “Damian comes from one of those rich families, the kind that can buy silence if they want to. He doesn’t flaunt it, but everyone knows. And Vanessa.” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, “she’s from the same circle. Her dad’s on the board of trustees. When they broke up last year, she didn’t take it well.”
Lila raised a brow, folding her arms. “You mean she’s still not over him?”
Roy gave a humorless laugh. “Not even close. Since then, she’s been a problem. If any girl so much as talks to Damian, Vanessa finds out. She threatened a lot of girls, spread rumors. It’s pathetic, but dangerous too.”
Lila let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head. “That’s ridiculous. I didn’t come here to play teenage drama games.”
Roy smiled faintly. “Yeah, I figured you were smarter than that.”
“I am,” she said, still half-laughing. “I’ve got enough going on. Boys are not part of my syllabus.”
That made him grin. “Good. Keep it that way. Damian’s a nice guy, but where he goes, chaos follows.”
She gave him a small, knowing smile. “Duly noted.”
For a few seconds, they stood quietly in the corridor, the sound of passing students fading. Sunlight streamed through the tall glass windows, cutting across the tiled floor like stripes of gold. Roy studied her face, she had tired eyes, but still a trace of strength there.
“Have you eaten yet?” he asked.
Lila shook her head. “Not hungry.”
“Come on, Lila. You’ve got to eat. Lunch, my treat.”
She hesitated, then remembered. “Oh, I promised Asher I’d meet him. We’ve got to finish a project for Professor Beckett.”
Roy nodded, though a flicker of disappointment crossed his face. “Ah. The loyal partner.”
“Something like that,” she said with a soft grin.
He smirked. “Well, tell him I tried to steal you first.”
Lila smiled back. “I’ll tell him you failed.”
As she turned to leave, Roy called after her, “And Lila, stay away from Damian and Vanessa. That kind of trouble doesn’t go away easily.”
She glanced back. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Outside, the air smelled faintly of wet grass, the kind of scent that followed a light drizzle. The campus buzzed with afternoon life, chatter, footsteps, the clang of bike chains. The world seemed almost normal again.
Then she spotted Asher leaning against one of the benches near the library. His hair was damp, a few drops clinging to his temples, and his usual half-grin appeared when he saw her.
“Well, someone looks happy,” he said, straightening. “Did you meet the famous Damian Reyes, or am I imagining that blush?”
Lila rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “I’m not blushing.”
“Right,” he teased. “You just look like someone who made direct eye contact with a campus legend.”
“He’s just a person, Asher.”
“Yeah,” Asher said lightly, “a person who could probably star in a toothpaste commercial.”
Lila laughed. “You’re impossible.”
“Maybe,” he said, handing her a book, “but I’m also the one keeping your grades alive.”
They both laughed as they entered the library. The moment they stepped in, the noise of campus life disappeared. Inside, everything was hushed like soft whispers with the faint turning of pages, the hum of the air conditioner. The air smelled faintly of old paper and dust.
They found a quiet corner near the back, tucked between tall shelves where sunlight filtered weakly through the blinds. It was their usual spot.
Lila dropped her bag and opened her notebook. “We need to finish Beckett’s essay draft. He’s already accused me of being too emotional.”
Asher smirked. “You? Emotional? Never.”
“Shut up and start typing,” she said, pushing her laptop toward him.
He grinned, pretending to salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
They worked in silence for a while, the soft tapping of keys filling the space between them. Lila wrote longhand, her handwriting small and slanted while Asher typed notes into a shared document. Occasionally, he’d mumble something sarcastic, and she’d nudge him with her elbow to make him stop laughing.
It felt good and peaceful. The first moment in weeks where Lila wasn’t trapped inside her thoughts.
But peace had a way of slipping.
After a while, her head started to feel heavy. The words on her page blurred. She blinked, trying to focus, but her body was tired in a way that went deeper than lack of sleep. Her breathing slowed, her chin dipped, and her eyes closed before she even realized she’d drifted.
When she opened her eyes, the light in the library had changed. It was dimmer now, softer, tinted orange from the late afternoon sun leaking through the blinds.
Her neck ached.
Asher was still there beside her, slumped in his chair, asleep. His laptop screen had gone dark, and his glasses were half-slid down his nose. A few papers had fallen to the floor.
For a long moment, she just watched him, the quiet rise and fall of his shoulders, the steady rhythm of his breathing. It was oddly comforting. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed feeling safe around someone.
She rubbed her eyes, yawned softly, and reached for her pen but stopped.
There was something new on the table.