Once I arrive outside the library, a place I usually don’t come to this much, I see her through the window, hunched over, deep in thought.
Why is she so cute?
It’s like she does it on purpose. I love the way she looks when she’s concentrating, her face scrunches, and she’s frowning as though she’s irritated by something.
She just can’t help it.
I plan to go back to my cabin now that I know she’s okay, but for some reason, I find myself opening the door to the library.
Now I’m inside, and she looks up at me from her books.
“Oh my god, I’m so happy you’re here!”
Her face smoothens, and there’s a sparkle in her eye.
Not exactly the reaction I expected, but her face makes me smile. She’s infectious.
“You are?”
“Yes! I just read something about curses that relate to nature, specifically. Apparently, clues can be left in the earth, particularly in areas affected by the curse, such as decay. These clues can actually be more effective than anything else because they relate to how to stop the curse once and for all.
“I’ve just been reading all about what they can look like. Sometimes, they can even be living organisms, like little fairies or bugs, who cantellyou information. Isn’t that amazing?”
She speaks so quickly that I can barely make out what she’s saying.
I don’t want to tell her that we’ve already searched for that, because the look on her face is too damn adorable.
“That is amazing,” I say, as we walk toward each other. “Do you have any idea what the clues could look like in the decay we have?”
I’m excited to see her. I feel it in my body, everything’s tense, and for some reason, undoubtedly, I'm turned on.
I want to fuck her. Bad.
“Um, well, it definitely won’t be in the form of living organisms like fairies or bugs because it’s dead land. Actually,it’ll be harder in this case because of that, but maybe the witches could find some sort of spell to illuminate anything thatisthere. I should probably talk to them, to Danielle, where’s my ph—"
She pauses. “What?”
I chuckle. “What?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
She buries her face in her hands. “Oh my gosh, I sound crazy, don’t I?”
I shake my head, laughing. It’s like I’m about to burst.
“You don’t.”
She groans. “I know I shouldn’t have had that second coffee, I just didn’t want to fall asleep again like last time.”
“You mean the time I had to save you?”
She hits my chest playfully. “Oh shut up, you didnotsave me.”
Then she squints, because obviously, she hurt her hand.
“Damn, Jasper, what are you made of, steel?”