Fucking pathetic rude bitch! You think you can talk to me anyhow. Talk to me again and I'll beat the life out of you. Now that I have a second chance at life, I'm not living as I used to. Hiding away in a shell you and Zach pushed me into. Rhea's mind reeled as she marched towards the library.
Rhea pushed open the library door and stepped inside. Only to suddenly turn, startled by a prickling heat crawling on her skin from a shadow looming over her entire frame.
As she turned, her eyes were blocked by a broad chest. He wore a white hoodie with shoulder bag straps over it. She trailed her eyes up until they locked onto a deep blue, ocean-like eye with long lashes and a wide smile. Looking down at her, his left arm rested on the glass door above her head. He leaned forward, inches from Rhea, breathing heavily.
"Oh, Luke! You scared me!" She said with a smile, taking two steps backwards from him.
"Sorry, I was trying to get to you," Luke said hurriedly.
"You know, you could have called. You didn't have to run," Rhea said, tilting her head to the side.
"Yeah, I did actually, but you couldn't hear me," he added as he pulled his body from the door, stepping forward.
I must have really been in my head.
After stepping further inside, Rhea scanned the entire library. It was big, with three floors. The top floor was illuminated by a bright, rainbow-colored light that streamed through its stained-glass windows. The books kept on this floor were old records or probably an archive.
The middle floor shared the light from the first and last floors while also using electricity. It contained present and past information on all topics.
The last floor was the brightest, with direct sunlight and tiny lights that smelled faintly of frankincense. The books were neatly arranged, in the same colours and size on all shelves. You could smell old books, a faint coffee scent, and mint.
Students and random readers sat in different areas of the library.
"What are you even doing here anyway?" Luke asked, trailing his tongue on his lower lip as he flanked Rhea, making their way to the second floor.
Rhea gave him an awkward smirk, glancing back at him. "What do people do in the library?" She replied with a question, standing at the edge of the stairs leading to the second floor.
"Okay! What are you working on?" Luke asked, as they sat at the far end of the floor closest to the arched window, behind two shelves.
Rhea opened her laptop before responding. "An essay."
"That explains why you're here," he added as he laid out his textbook.
"What are you trying to say by that? Hmmm? That I don't come to the library?" She said with a cheeky smirk, wiggling her head forward playfully.
Luke leaned in, resting on his fist, a smile on his lips, gazing at her softly. "You do. But only during exams or when you're looking for new books."
"Umm," Rhea chuckled. "I guess you know me well now."
"If I don't, who will?" Luke muttered slowly, in a soft voice.
"Tia," She replied with a blush.
Am I flirting with Luke right now? I must be crazy nowadays.
"I guess you are right. But aside from Tia, there's no other person than me." He looked up from his laptop.
Rhea stretched upward as a bright smile graced her face, not uttering a word. When her mind suddenly drifted to Zeenare, her smile faded a little.
I don't think that's true. It turns out I have a psycho who's been stalking me for a whole two centuries. Rhea laughed at her own thoughts for even remembering a thing like that.
Rhea glanced at him lazily, offering him a weak smile, as she tucked her hair behind her ears, before returning to her work.
Luke wanted to say more, but said nothing, tilting his head down. His eyes were fixed on his laptop screen.
His ears heating up, "She always looks beautiful when she smiles." He said beneath his breath.
"Did you say something?" Rhea questioned.
"No."
Time moved slowly as they studied. Luke stole glances at Rhea with every slightest movement she made.
"Have you thought of changing the colour of your hair?" Luke asked, out of nowhere.
Rhea looked at him, frowning softly, her brows furrowed.
"Maybe too blonde," Luke shrugged.
"Okay, Luke, where's that coming from?" She asked, throwing her right hand to the side, slumping deep into her seat. "And why would I dye my hair blonde of all things?" Rhea glared at him. "Why would you even think of my hair at a time like this?" Rhea asked, visibly confused.
"I think it will suit you, a lot." He raised an eyebrow with a smirk.
"Suit me? Look, Luke, could we please focus on why we're here before we get chased out for talking too much?" Rhea inquired, circling her fingers over the books and laptop before her, indicating what she meant.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course." Luke exhaled, peeking at her before turning to his work.
The quiet drone of the library settled back around them, interrupted only by the soft turning of pages and the distant tap of keyboards. Rhea gnawed on the end of her pen, rereading a confusing paragraph for the third time. She sighed, frustrated.
"Hmm, Luke?" Rhea called out after a while. "Are you... done with your essay?" She asked with a sceptical look on her face.
"Having trouble?" Luke's voice was soft, close beside her.
She nodded, pushing her laptop slightly.
"Which one?" he answered immediately.
"From Mr. Zeenare's research question, this part: 'The legal precedent for intentional infliction of emotional distress' seems... circular," she replied with a blank look.
Luke scanned her face before looking at her laptop, as if he could see through it.
"Could you come look at this? I'm having issues with this part," Rhea informed.
Luke walked towards her, standing right behind her, hovering over her.
"Where is it?" He asked, as he bent to her level, his left hand resting near her
"Here," Rhea pointed. As she turned to explain to him, her eyes caught a glimpse of his abs as they shifted beneath his hoodie. Rhea immediately looked back at her laptop screen as her cheeks turned crimson.
Did he always smell this nice? It doesn't smell like perfume. But why is he so close? She thought, her eyes glued to the letters on the screen.
As Luke explained, he tilted his head toward Rhea, their faces inches apart from each other. Rhea's eyes trailed along his jawline as he spoke, then to his ears, and his hair which waved softly in the gentle breeze. Before resting on the little exposed skin on his neck.
Rhea inhaled sharply, snapping back to her senses. She moved her gaze from Luke, trying to move back a little but couldn't due to his arm on the other side of the table.
Like a feather, Luke rested his hand softly on Rhea's finger on the mouse as he moved it, controlling the arrow on the screen.
Rhea's breath hitched when she felt his warm, smooth palm on hers.
Her mind shifted from her problem to the heat radiating from his hand onto her skin, as the hair at the back of her neck rose from the soft breath warming her nape.
This caused her heart to flutter slightly.
She could hear her name being called from a distance, as if she were immersed underwater. But it was from Luke's lips.
"Rhea, can you hear me?" Luke asked, a curious look on his face.
"Y... yeah, I can hear you," Rhea stuttered, coughing to clear her throat.
Okay, that's weird, why am I suddenly conscious around Luke?
"Thanks for your help. It's much clearer now," Rhea lied, scrolling through the text.
Truthfully, Rhea didn't hear anything Luke said after she became so acutely aware of him. Her mind immediately scattered. When she tried to lean closer to him, she held herself back.
She wondered what that was about, but brushed it off — as tiredness.
"What's that? You don't need to thank me," Luke replied. "This is the least I can do."
"Okay, thanks then," Rhea added.
"Hey, Rhea!" Luke called out.
"Yeah! What's up?" Rhea continued typing.
"If you're done, would you like to grab a bite with me?" Luke asked.
Rhea glanced up at him. "I would love to, but I can't." She double-tapped her phone screen; it lit up, reading 12:45 pm. "I promised Tia I'd be home by 12 pm. And I think she's definitely getting closer to the library with each passing second."
"Oh," Luke simply said. His expression was blank, but his brow slightly frowned.
"See you in school tomorrow then," Rhea informed, as she packed her things.
"Yeah. See you," Luke said in a bright tone, which fell almost at the end, making it carry a hint of sadness. Then, with a bright smile, he added, "Next time you're stuck with your essay... come hungry. I'll bring food."
Rhea's lips parted, but nothing came out but a soft chuckle. For some reason, that simple sentence made her heart stutter.