The bell rang in the corridor and a sigh of relief echoed throughout the room. The day is finally over. I pack up my things and exit the classroom quickly. In the corridor, I walk at a steady pace and breathe to calm the still too rapid beating of my heart. I'd spent the whole day with William, and the only image that kept popping into my head was of him hugging me in the bathroom. I couldn't look at him without thinking about that...
-Lou!
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to the familiar voice that had called me. William is there, hands in his coat pockets and a smile pinned on his angelic face. I look at him, waiting for him to say something. But instead of speaking, he joins me and we walk in silence side by side to the boarding school courtyard. He starts to climb the stairs but I stop. He turns and frowns. He moves towards me and puts his hand on my shoulder.
-Louis? Is everything all right?
I nod weakly before smiling faintly. But I don't look up. Yet I see him nod and he sighs before climbing the stairs. I follow in silence. I'm not sure why. I don't know what he intends to do or say. I don't know why he wants me to come with him. But when the fresh air fills my lungs as I arrive upstairs, I understand. He's standing in front of the door that leads to the library.
I smile a little and walk towards him. He smiles back, faintly, before opening the door and letting me in. The unmistakable scent of ancient books reaches me completely as soon as I step into the room. Numerous wooden shelves are arranged in a column. The library is breathtaking. Small windows look out onto the courtyard and the golden-leaved trees. I'm stunned by so much beauty in one place.
-Welcome to paradise! Whispers William
He passes by me with a big smile before turning on his heel and continuing on his way through the thousands of books. I walk quietly between the shelves, caressing the leather edges of the old books. William is right. This place is heaven. I've never seen so many books in so few spaces. I've seen a lot of libraries, but this one is different. I can't explain why, but it just feels right. I feel I belong here. I could stay here for days and not notice the minutes go by. What could be better than reading all day long?
I walk over to a small window and sigh. I understand better why William wanted to show me this library. It's the quietest place in the school. The wooden floor creaks behind me but I don't move. I can see William's angelic face reflected in the glass. He doesn't know I'm looking at him. He must think I'm watching the horizon. But in reality, my eyes are fixed on his face. My heart races when I feel his hand on my back. It moves gently up to my neck. I close my eyes a little and sigh. I feel his warm breath on the back of my neck and my heartbeat accelerates. His slender fingers play with my blond locks on my neck. I gasp. I can smell his singular perfume, I can feel his heart beating against my arm, I can feel his hair on my neck.
-Lou... He whispers
His voice is hoarse, deeper than usual. But suddenly, a hubbub fills the room and William clears his throat away from me. He quickly picks up a book and opens it to a random page. I stand and watch the courtyard.
A group of students walk past us, not necessarily paying attention. Then their voices drift further and further away to the back of the room. I glance at William. His eyes meet mine almost directly and he runs a hand through his hair. He gets up and crosses the aisle to a small table where he sits down and puts the book down.
I frown and take a deep breath before joining him. I sit down on the little wooden bench beside him. I hear him swallow and turn my head towards him. His beautiful eyes are fixed on the ancient book. I stare at it for a few moments before picking it up and opening it to the first few pages.
