The library is quiet in a way that makes everything louder.
Every shuffle of paper. Every cough. Every breath Rina takes feels amplified as she slips into the chair across from Jace. The kind of quiet that presses in, demanding honesty, stripping away pretense whether you want it to or not.
Late afternoon light slants through the tall windows, cutting the space into gold and shadow. Dust floats lazily in the air. It feels intimate. Too intimate. Dangerous in a way she can’t quite name.
Jace already has his laptop open, textbooks stacked neatly beside him. He looks… different here. No crowd. No adrenaline. No eyes are waiting for him to perform.
Just him.
“You’re early,” she says, setting her tote down, breaking the tension before it settles too deeply.
He shrugs, leaning back in his
