The Rejected True Heiress (Liora) novel Chapter 103

Liora

I alway liked libraries. They were a place my heart always felt quiet, peaceful, and you always left knowing more then you did before.

But today, in this library, I felt anything but calm.

And it was ticking me off.

The usual soft silence felt alive, the whisper of air that smelled of paper and dust and ink mixed with our quiet, creaking footsteps on the wood.

We walked side by side through the rows, each of us pulling books down without saying much.

I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, mostly following his suit, but I did plack one and cradled it in my arms.

Every so often, one of us would speak. A question, a short answer. Nothing more.

And in that quiet, I found myself listening to everything else instead, the rhythm of our footsteps, the way his fingers brushed against the spines as he scanned the titles, the weight of his presence beside me.

It was… annoyingly nice.

This side of Callum, this version stripped of all the weight and performance, without the eyes of the world burning holes in his back, was different. Softer in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

The way his brow furrowed when he read. How he’d pause at the end of every row, waiting for me even when I waved him off like he didn’t need to bother.

At one point, there were steps down to a lower level. He reached out, wordless, and took my hand to guide me. I didn’t need it. He knew I didn’t.

But he still did.

And for some reason… I let him.

Something about it made me feel breakable in a way I’ve never been. Which was new. And, honestly, disgusting.

But… nice.

Infuriatingly nice.

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