“Lines That Can’t Be Crossed”

*Harper*

The library had always been my quiet escape.

Even before all of this, before the red velvet dress, before the club hidden beneath the city, before Rowan, the scent of old paper and worn bindings calmed me.

History had a rhythm. Rise, fall, conquer, collapse. It made sense. It gave me something to hold onto when the present felt too fluid, too dangerous. People made no sense sometimes, but history as a whole did.

I sat at a table near the far end, under the warm glow of an overhead lamp, scribbling notes from a textbook that weighed more than my bag. The university’s library never closed. That was the deal, twenty-four hours of sanctuary for those of us who needed it most, and tonight, I needed it.

My foster home was… heavy lately. Helen's constant reminders of how lovely Lance was, Cole’s comments about “finding someone,” and Sophia’s sudden, smug silence.

So I stayed here.

Until I wasn’t alone anymore.

Footsteps broke the silence, not the hurried steps of a student running late, or the soft shuffle of a librarian. These were slow. Intentional.

Then I heard his voice. “Wow. Look at you, all studious.” Lance’s voice cracked through the air like static.

I didn’t look up. “This is a quiet zone,” I whispered.

“Relax,” he chuckled, stepping into my line of sight. “Didn’t expect to see you here. Total coincidence.”

I raised my eyes with a soft, and fake, smile. “Is it?”

He smiled too casually, then he dragged out the chair across from me and sat down uninvited.

“Swear to God. Sophia mentioned you were swamped with midterms. Thought I’d check the library, maybe bump into you.”

“Coincidentally,” I repeated sarcastically.

“Exactly,” he said, folding his hands on the table like we were catching up over coffee.

I closed my book slowly. “This is not the place.”

“Oh come on, Harper. I’m trying to make things right.”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

He leaned in, and even the smell of his cologne was suffocating me. “Don’t be like this. Remember I was a student here too, now I come as an advisor for the student council… I’m just being civil with you.”

“And advisors of the student council come to the library to stalk students?” I leaned back, resisting the urge to recoil. “You need to leave.”

He laughed softly, like I was being unreasonable. “Don’t make a scene.”

“I’m not the one talking out loud in a library.”

He leaned closer, he looked at me, hard, like he was trying to decide if I was bluffing or not. Eventually, he stood up with a shrug. “See you soon, Harper.”

I didn’t answer, but inside my head I was really hoping I would never have to see him again.

He walked away slowly, pausing to glance over his shoulder one last time. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of reacting.

When he was gone, I exhaled and went back to my notes. But the words blurred together. My skin still prickled with the sensation of him being near.

-

*Rowan*

“She’s at the library,” said the guard on the other end of the call. “Now alone, but he showed up.”

My hand froze on the glass of bourbon. “Lance?”

“Yep. Acted like it was coincidence. Tried to sit with her. She handled it. Told him to leave.”

“And?”

“He did… but I didn't like the look on his face when he left. You want me to stay close?”

“Yes,” I said, standing up. “I don’t like where this is going.”

The silence from the other end told me everything I needed to know. He was expecting what came next.

I turned to Rafe, who had entered the room seconds earlier and caught the tail end of the conversation.

“Send a message,” I said.

Rafe nodded. “How far?”

“You know what needs to be done.”

He gave a curt nod and walked out without a word.

-

*Harper*

It was close to midnight when I realized how late it was, so I packed up my things. I was still thinking about his words, about the tension in the air that hadn’t settled even after he left.

I pulled my coat tighter and headed down the stone steps of the library, cutting across the path that led to the main road. I didn’t see the car until it pulled around the corner, crawling into view like a shadow.

And then I saw him.

Lance.

I slowed, but didn’t stop. He was already out of the car, walking toward me with a smirk that curled like smoke.

“Alone again,” he said, like it was something to celebrate. “Did Rowan discard you already?”

That made me stop walking. His name again.

He took a step closer. “I could take better care of you. I’m not like him. I’m real.”

I clenched my jaw. “Aren’t you supposed to be putting this much effort to be with my sister?”

“I’ve been with Sophia,” he said casually. “Already fucked her, and to be honest, she was too easy.”

My stomach twisted.

“But you,” he continued, stepping closer, “you’re different. I like a woman who gives a fight,” he cornered me before I could do anything else, and pressed me against the wall of the building.

I pushed him hard. “Get away from me.”

He caught his balance and laughed. “Don’t act like you’re not curious.”

And that’s when the flashlight beam cut through the darkness.

“What’s going on here?” The voice was sharp.

It was the campus security guard, and I breathed out a sigh of relief.

Lance sneered. “Back off, mall cop. This is none of your…”

The man grabbed Lance by the wrist and spun him fast, twisting his arm behind his back with the kind of practiced ease that said this wasn’t his first time. I was surprised by the gesture, usually campus guards only asked questions, never acted this way, especially this fast.

“Don’t move,” he said, slapping cuffs on while Lance cursed and fought against it.

That’s when Rafe stepped into view, and I swallowed hard. He looked at me, not Lance.

“Enough cat and mouse,” he said. “Let’s go.”

Was he here because of Rowan? Was he taking me to him?

I should have said no, should have run the other way, but instead, I moved.

Because I wanted to see him again, and part of me… a part I didn’t want to name… was glad that someone had crossed a line.