Dynasty Boys

Chapter 18

Elle

The hugs, the kisses, the smirks thrown at me, everything was fake. Carter was fake. He was a master at pretending, and I was the fool who fell for it. It was so easy for him, wasn't it? To make me feel like I was special, like I meant something to him. I had started falling for him in such a short amount of time, and I hated myself for letting my guard down.

I should have known.

A guy like him? He would never date someone like me, and he certainly wouldn't reciprocate the feelings I had for him. Deep inside, I knew it wasn't real. I was just sugarcoating the truth to make myself feel better.

I sat there for a few minutes, the weight of realization pressing down on me. It was hard to accept, but there was no denying it. I needed to move on, but it was hard when everything about him had felt so real in the moment.

After what felt like an eternity of mulling over my thoughts, I stood up. I checked the hallway. It was empty. The quiet silence echoed around me, making me feel more isolated than I had in days. But maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. I had time to kill, and it was a chance to get away from all the disturbing thoughts in my head.

The library. I hadn't been there in ages, but as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I felt a strange sense of comfort. I was surprised I hadn't visited sooner. Back in my old school, Carla and I used to make at least two trips a day to the library, escaping the chaos of the hallways and finding solace in the quiet. I missed it.
Libraries had always been a sanctuary for me, my safe place. My second home.

The moment I entered the library, I whispered a shy "hello" to the old librarian who smiled warmly at me. Then, I made my way to the romance section, where the familiar rows of books felt like a small refuge. Romance novels were the only stories that didn't make my mind wander to darker thoughts. I loved the ones where the main girl met a bad boy, a heartbreaker who'd eventually break her, too. But in the end, they'd find their way back to each other, with a house full of kids and pets. It was a fantasy, but it was the kind of story I couldn't help but crave.

As I scanned the shelves, looking for something new to devour, I noticed a girl beside me, bent over a book I recognized. I smiled, a soft laugh escaping my lips.

"I loved this book," I said quietly, my voice holding a hint of excitement. "You should definitely read it, but... get ready to cry."

The girl, a petite brunette with glasses, looked up at me, her expression lighting up with recognition. "Well, I already read it," she said with a grin. "It's one of my favorites. This author's truly the best." She pointed at the author's name on the cover, her eyes twinkling behind her glasses.

"I agree! I adore her books!" I muttered, caught up in the excitement of the shared love for the author. "I'm Elle Taylor," I introduced myself with a smile.

"Nicole Reed, nice to meet you!" She replied, offering, her British accent was charming, and I felt an instant connection.

We stood there for a few more minutes, talking about our favorite books and authors. I learned that Nicole's parents were lawyers, and she had lived in Haverhill since she was five. She was an only child who loved reading and writing, two things we clearly had in common. It felt easy talking to her, like we had known each other for much longer than just a few minutes. She loved all the movies I love, too. It was a relief to meet someone who shared so many of the same interests. It felt like I had found a kindred spirit.

"You're new, right?" she asked, adjusting her glasses as she studied me. "I've never seen you before."

"Yeah..." I hesitated for a moment. I wasn't sure how to bring up everything that had happened. But for some reason, I felt safe with Nicole. So, I told her everything. I explained how I ended up here, how my parents had died, and how I was now living with my grandmother. Talking about the past, about the ghosts of it, actually felt freeing. I realized I couldn't keep everything bottled up forever.