Page 11 of Ouch! My Vampire Doms Keep Biting Me
5
Autumn
The sun’s going down. My stomach has given up on sending me “hunger” messages, and now the emptiness is nothing but a dull throb. What time did the librarian say this place closes? Six?
Dammit, I don’t want to leave. I’m most of the way throughClassic Discipline in BDSM, and if I could just have another hour with it, I’d be finished.
But then…what about the thousands of other books in this room? The millions of other books in this library? I didn’t even fully explore the first floor—there’s so much here. My heart sinks. A day isn’t enough.
I returnClassic Discipline in BDSMto its shelf, my footsteps slow. Then I trudge down two sets of stairs. This isn’t right. Leaving doesn’t feel right. I hesitate in the Supernatural Phenomena room, my gaze lingering on the display cases and the large cabinets beneath them. I wonder if further treasures are housed within.
Housed. House. Shit, fuck. Where am I going to sleep tonight? I spent the whole day here, doing absolutely nothing productive, and now I don’t have anywhere to sleep. And no money, either.
I close my eyes, take a deep breath. Crying will do me absolutely no good at all. I have to think.
I’m going to have to sleep outdoors. In a park on a bench somewhere, probably. Possibly a homeless shelter, assuming I can find one and assuming it has a free bed. There are no other options.
Unless I hide somewhere.
Unless I hidehere.
I shouldn’t. And yet, this is the first place in San Esteban that I’ve been able to relax. The first place I’ve felt safe. The Corbin’s metaphorical arms have embraced me. Of course I don’t want to leave its shelter.
So, how do I hide? The curly-haired librarian noted my arrival. She’ll need to see me leave, or she might come looking for me. If she can’t find me, authorities could be called, a search made, and depending on the results, my presence here could be made public. That would be the worst possible outcome.
I’ll need to pretend to leave, and then return without her noticing.
“Heading out?” she asks as I approach the reception desk. “Did you find everything you needed?”
“Yes, and it was amazing,” I say, gushing not to flatter her, but because I really mean it. “It was truly lovely. This is a beautiful library. Thank you so much.”
Smile bright, she says, “Of course. I hope you can come back sometime.”
“Yeah, me too.” My eyes fill with tears again, but I blink them back and hope she doesn’t notice. She’s so polished and put together, and she gets to work in this amazing building with allof these amazing books. The last thing I want is her pity. “Hey, um…was it hard to get a job here?”
Her expression softens. “As the head librarian, yes—I went to school for many years. But we’ve hired beginners, too. We aren’t hiring at the moment, but if you want to fill out an application, I can get one for you.”
“No, no, that’s okay. I might come back later, though. Thanks.”
“Anytime,” she says, then she peers at me closely, her dark blue eyes concerned. “Are you—are you okay?”
“Yep, yeah, I’m fine.”
“I don’t want to make assumptions, but this city isn’t safe at night, especially not in certain districts, like the Bellefleur. If there’s anything I can do to help…”
“I appreciate it, but I’m good.” I give her a little wave and march to the main doors.
Just inside the doors is a cleaning cart, waiting for use once the building closes, I assume, or maybe it has been moving around with the janitor all day and this is where they park it at the end of their shift.
That cleaning cart is my best hope.
I walk outside and keep going until I’m just out of sight. Then I peer through the glass doors to the reception desk beyond. I remove my flip-flops while I watch, because I’m going to need to be quiet.
The librarian is on the phone while she gathers her purse and jacket from the back of her chair. Great, she’s distracted, getting ready to leave. She drops something and bends down below the top of the desk to retrieve it.
Perfect.
I race back through the doors, silent as possible. The marble floor is cold beneath my bare feet. I duck behind the cleaningcart, but right as I lower myself out of sight, I see the librarian see me.
