I snatch the book from the floor the second I hear the lock shift.
My fingers tremble so badly that the edges slip against my grip before I manage to shove it back into the shelf. I don’t even check if it aligns properly. I just push it in between the others and drag my hand away, forcing myself to step back like I hadn’t been touching anything at all.
The door opens.
Xaden walks in.
He stops.
My heart slams violently against my ribs as his gaze moves- from me, to the shelf, and back to me again. The air thickens, pressing down on my lungs until breathing feels like work.
For a terrifying second, I am certain he knows. That he sees it written all over my face, in the way my chest rises too fast, in the way my hands still tremble faintly at my sides.
But he doesn’t say anything abou
