Page 38 of Strength of Desire

“But that’s where it lives,” Ash protested. “You wouldn’t want it to be homeless, would you?”

“You could try putting it back in your skull for once, and actually use it.”

“Blah, blah, blah,” Ash said, rolling his eyes. “Did you know I also saw Kaveh…”

But I’d stopped listening, because we’d made it to the second floor, and we were just passing by the corridor that would take me back to the first library. I still wanted to pick up the book I’d found earlier that afternoon, without my friends peering over my shoulder.

I didn’t realize Ash had stopped talking until Felix said, “You okay, Cory?”

The two of them were looking at me as I stared down the other hallway.

“Yeah,” I said, making myself laugh lightly. “I just realized I forgot my notebook in the library this afternoon.”

“Get it tomorrow,” Ash said.

But that wouldn’t work. I needed some time in the library on my own, without anyone else keeping too close an eye on me.

“No, I want to get some work done tonight,” I said. “And the sooner I get it done, the sooner I can stop worrying about it.”

Ash gave Felix a flat look. “This is your doing, you know.”

“I made Cory forget his notebook?”

“No, you made him care about schoolwork.” Ash wrinkled his nose. “You took a perfectly good person and turned him into a nerd, just by forced proximity.”

“You caught me. I can’t deny it. I’ve committed the inimical sin of hoping that at least one of my friends won’t fail out of here.”

“Unforgivable.”

“I’ll just go grab it now,” I said. “You guys go on. I’ll see you at breakfast in the morning.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Ash said.

I frowned. “Why?” I really wanted to get that book.

“Because you’ll be seeing us now, dummy. Come on.”

Felix’s brow furrowed. “You’re going to accompany him to the library? Voluntarily?”

“Aren’t you?” Ash asked.

“Well, yeah, but—”

“Then obviously I have to come too. Lord knows what you two bookworms would get up to, left to your own devices. You’d probably fall asleep there.”

But this was not part of the plan. If they came to the library with me, they’d realize pretty fast that I hadn’t left anything there at all. And I didn’t want them to see me check out that book. It was too embarrassing.

“You’re such a martyr,” Felix told Ash. “Howeverdo you put up with us?”

Ash sighed dramatically. “I ask myself that all the time.”

“Must be hard to date someone so perfect,” I said to Felix, hoping maybe I could guide them away from accompanying me by convincing them they’d prefer some alone time instead.

“What?” Felix gave me a confused look.

“You know, hard for your self-esteem to be in love with…” I trailed off, realizing they were both staring at me now, looking horrified.

“You think…Felix and I are…dating?” Ash said, investing the last word with heavy scorn.

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