The library was quiet again that evening, but Amara's heart wasn't.
She told herself she was there for research, nothing else. She needed references for her sketches—nothing romantic, nothing foolish. And certainly nothing to do with a man whose smile kept sneaking into her thoughts like an uninvited melody.
She found a corner table tucked between tall shelves, sketchbook open, pencil gliding. For a while, she managed to lose herself in the strokes.
Until she felt it.
That sensation of being watched.
Her fingers stilled. Slowly, she lifted her gaze—and her breath caught.
Adrian.
He was across the room, pretending to read, but his eyes weren't on the pages. They were on her.
She looked away instantly, heat rushing to her cheeks. Her pencil trembled against the page, no longer steady. Ignore him, she told herself. He'll get bored and leave.
But he didn't.
Minutes stretched, heavy with unspoken words. Every time she risked a glance, his eyes were there—calm, unwavering, as though he had all the time in the world just to look at her.
Finally, she snapped, closing her sketchbook with a soft thud. She marched across the room, stopping at his table.
"What is your problem?" she hissed.
He looked up slowly, the corners of his mouth tilting. "Problem?"
"You keep staring at me."
"I wasn't staring," he said smoothly. "I was… observing."
She glared. "That's just a fancier word for staring."
"Maybe." He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "But you didn't look away the first three times, did you?"
Her breath faltered. He noticed. Of course he noticed.
"You're infuriating," she whispered.
"And you're fascinating," he countered, eyes locked on hers.
For a long, dangerous moment, the library seemed to dissolve around them. The faint shuffle of pages, the distant footsteps—all faded. It was just the two of them, trapped in a silence more intimate than words.
She finally tore her gaze away, pulse racing, and stormed back to her seat. But as she sank into her chair, hand pressed to her chest, she realized something terrifying.
That look… that connection… it wasn't one-sided.
She was staring too.
And the unspoken truth between them was growing louder every day.