All Chapters of DEADLINES AND HEARTBEATS : Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

Eli walked into the library, early as always. His bag was neatly arranged, his notebooks stacked by priority. He wasn’t sure why he even bothered to arrive so early. It was the same library, the same quiet hum of students typing and whispering. But he liked control. Liked having a corner where nothing unexpected could happen.Except, of course, for Noah.The table near the back, by the window, was empty. Eli’s stomach did a small, sharp twist. He had assumed Noah would already be here, probably chatting with someone else, relaxed and confident as always.Eli sat anyway. He opened his laptop and typed the headings for their project. He didn’t need Noah to start working, he reminded himself. He could do it alone.Ten minutes passed. Fifteen. Noah didn’t come.A part of Eli wanted to call, to text, to ask why he was late. But he didn’t. That small urge to reach out surprised him, and he buried it instead.Finally, Noah arrived, looking flustered and slightly out of breath. “Sorry, the bu

Eli hated group projects. But he hated the library more.Not because it was crowded, or because of the constant hum of typing and whispering. He hated it because it had become the place where his chest ached and his mind refused to stop spinning.Noah was already there, perched on the edge of the long wooden table, headphones around his neck, laptop open. He looked up briefly as Eli approached, a small smile tugging at his lips.Eli’s stomach twisted. He wanted to return the smile, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. Not today.“Morning,” Noah said softly.“Morning,” Eli replied, stiffly.Noah shifted his chair slightly to make room. Their knees brushed as Eli slid into his spot. Eli froze, heat rising into his face. He wanted to pull away, but it was too late. The contact was brief, a fluke, and yet it sent something sharp, restless, through his chest.He focused on his notebook, jotting down notes and formulas, trying to drown out the thought of Noah beside him. But every glance, every subt

Eli had been walking on autopilot all day, pretending everything was normal. Pretending that the tight knot in his chest didn’t exist. Pretending that the flutter in his stomach when Noah leaned slightly closer, or laughed softly, or brushed against him by accident, wasn’t slowly consuming him.But today, pretending wasn’t enough.It started in the library, as usual. Eli arrived early, choosing the farthest corner from Noah. He stacked his notebooks neatly, opened his laptop, and put on headphones. Safe. Controlled. Distant. Perfect.Noah arrived fifteen minutes later, sliding into the seat across from him. He didn’t smile. He didn’t comment. He just opened his laptop, calm and patient.Eli kept his gaze glued to his notes. He could feel Noah’s presence, calm and steady, but his proximity made Eli’s chest ache with every breath he took. Every subtle movement of Noah’s—the way he stretched his shoulders, the soft hum he sometimes made when concentrating—twisted something inside Eli he