Dare to Fall

Chapter XV

The substitute teacher dismissed us early, and as I made my way toward the library, I felt a familiar thrill of freedom. My last class was a spare, which meant I had 50 minutes to fill however I wanted—within the confines of the school, of course.

As soon as I entered the library, the familiar scent of aged books and polished wood enveloped me. I headed straight for the fiction section, eager to find something to dive into. Just as I reached for a book on the shelf, a voice whispered in my ear, sending a jolt of surprise through me.

"Hey!" I spun around to find Cayden standing there, a grin spreading across his face.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, half-exasperated, half-amused.

"Can't a guy go to a library?" he replied, his fingers flipping through the pages of a book he had snatched from the nearby shelf.

I rolled my eyes. "For a guy like you? I doubt it."

"Are you stereotyping me?" He raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

"Depends on how you understand things," I said with a playful smirk, finally managing to snatch the book from his hands.

"Are you really going to just read that?" he asked, his tone teasing.

"I might," I replied, already walking toward the next aisle to browse for something more interesting.

I could feel him trailing behind me, the soft sound of his footsteps echoing in the quiet space. "What do you want from me?" I asked, unable to suppress a groan.

"Nothing. Just searching through the library." He picked up a random book and flipped through its pages, only to return it to the shelf moments later. "I just want to spend my spare time with you. Is that so wrong?"

"Spend some spare time with me?" I let out a bitter laugh. "Why? People like you would rather hang out with the more exciting crowd."

"And you're not exciting?" he challenged, halting my progress.

"I didn't say that," I defended, turning to face him. "But you shouldn't be wasting your time with a book nerd like me. I'd rather be here for hours than socializing."

"Plus, I wouldn't want to risk your reputation," I added, half-joking.

Cayden suddenly stepped closer, pressing his palm against the bookshelf beside my head. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I met his gaze. "I don't care about my reputation when I'm with you," he said, his voice low and earnest.

My heart raced, pounding against my ribcage, a frantic rhythm I hoped he wouldn't notice. Just then, a group of students passed by, their whispers drawing my attention. I took a step back, brushing past him, and bumped his shoulder lightly.

"Why does he keep doing this?" I thought, frustrated. "Why does he keep getting under my skin? It's infuriating." I needed to shake off these thoughts before they consumed me. "Ugh," I groaned aloud.

"Shh!" The librarian shot us a disapproving look. I managed an innocent smile in return, knowing all too well that I had disrupted her precious silence.

"Some students are trying to study. Please keep it down, or I'll have to ask you to leave," she warned, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Geez, sorry," I muttered, scratching the back of my neck. I let out a resigned sigh, making my way toward the front desk to check out my book. "I'll return this by next week," I told the librarian as I handed over my library card.

"Leaving so early?" Cayden asked from behind me.

"Uh... I have somewhere to be," I replied, turning back to grab my card and book. "Thanks!" I called to the librarian as I walked toward the exit.