Chapter 42

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Week 6: The embryo is about the size of a pea or a lentil, 5 millimetres. The jaw, chin and cheeks are starting to take shape.

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I walked into the library, and as expected, it was dead silent—just the faint hum of the air conditioning and the soft shuffle of someone turning pages somewhere far away. The hush felt almost luxurious, like a bubble where the outside world couldn’t touch me.

I nodded at the librarian behind the front desk.

"Hi." She smiled politely, the kind of practiced smile that made you feel acknowledged but not lingered upon.

"Hey, Kyla. What can I do for you?" She tilted her head, curious as I pulled out the book I’d just finished.

"I just came to return this and get a new one."

She took it, fingers brushing briefly over the cover, and started typing. "You're a fast reader, I see."

I shrugged, keeping my gaze on the shelves ahead. "I guess."

She handed the book back. "Please put it back and take another."

I nodded, moving toward the familiar shelves. The library always made me feel calm, like every book held a secret world just waiting to spill itself into my hands. I strolled slowly, letting my fingers brush along the spines, until I reached the back of the huge hall. A green couch sat there, oddly out of place, bathed in soft, filtered light from the high windows.

And then—my heart stopped.

It wasn’t a wall I’d walked into. It was Xavier.

"Sorry," I muttered, keeping my voice steady as I moved past him, forcing myself to pretend he wasn’t there.

What is he doing here? This place doesn’t suit him at all.

And honestly… do I even know what he likes?

Nope. Definitely not.

"What is your favorite genre?" His voice cut through my thoughts. Smooth, melodic, and… irritatingly charming.

"That is nothing you should be concerned about," I said, deliberately walking toward another shelf.

I picked out a book, intrigued despite myself. Werewolves. Not my usual, but it caught my eye.

"Not the romance type of girl, I see," he said, glancing at my hands. I resisted rolling my eyes.

Nothing.

"Let me guess—you came here to find a girl for the night?" I muttered, scanning the shelves for something more promising.

"You seem to think you know a lot about me, Kyla Davison," he said, a low chuckle in his voice.

"Just like you think you know me," I shot back.

He laughed, soft but amused. "You know what that means, right?"

I gave him a bored look. "We have something in common. Everybody knows us."

"Xavier, are you that bored that you’d rather make small talk with me? I’m clearly not interested in whatever theories you have."

"Really? That’s new. Last I heard, you were asking about me."

I blinked. "What? Why the hell would I ask about you? You’re everywhere already."

He chuckled, that infuriatingly charming sound again. "You’re feisty."

"Yes, I am. Now can you leave me alone?" I said sharply, moving around him. He looked… surprised.

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