Page 23 of The Library

Except me.

The minutes drag on, but finally, I hear the sound of a car pulling into the lot. I glance out the window, watching as Derek parks and heads to her side of the car. She’s slumped over in the seat, barely conscious, and a fresh wave of rage surges through me. He opens the door, and she practically falls into his arms as he helps her out. She’s completely out of it, her head resting against his shoulder, and the sight of it makes my stomach turn.

He thinks this is going to be easy. He thinks she’s his now, that he’s going to have his way with her without any consequences.

But he’s about to find out just how wrong he is.

I move silently through the apartment, positioning myself near the door as Derek fumbles with the keys. My pulse pounds in my ears, the anticipation building, my hands itching to wrap around his throat.

The door swings open, and he steps inside, practically dragging Lilith with him. He’s muttering something under hisbreath, but I don’t care what he’s saying. My focus is on her—on the way she’s barely standing, her head hanging limply as he leads her toward her bedroom.

This is it.

He doesn’t get to touch her. He doesn’t get to take what’s mine.

Not while I’m still breathing.

I’m going to kill him. And then I’m going to make sure Lilith never has to worry about a man like Derek again. She’ll be safe. She’ll be mine.

And Derek? Derek’s already dead.

He just doesn’t know it yet.

Lilith

The moment I step inside my apartment, Derek’s arm is tight around my waist, guiding me like I’m a doll, barely able to keep my feet under me. My vision is swimming, and my legs feel like jelly. I can barely keep track of where we are, the dim lighting in the hallway making everything blur together. I don’t even remember how we got up the stairs.

“Thanks, Derek,” I mumble, my voice slurred. “You can go now.”

But he doesn’t leave. Instead, he leads me inside, closing the door behind us with a soft click. The sound feels too final, like a door shutting on more than just the night. A strange feeling of unease flutters in my stomach, but I brush it off. He’s my friend. He’s been there for me for years.

“Let’s get you to bed,” Derek says, his voice overly calm, as though he’s trying too hard to sound sweet. His hand lingers on my arm a little too long, his touch starting to feel less friendly and more possessive.

“Yeah, bed,” I mutter, stumbling toward the couch, but Derek steers me toward the bedroom instead. “No, just… couch is fine.”

But Derek doesn’t seem to hear me. Or he doesn’t care. He’s guiding me farther into my apartment, his hand firm on my lower back now. My head feels heavy, like it’s filled with fog, and the room spins with every step I take.

“You need to lie down,” Derek insists, his tone shifting slightly, becoming more assertive. “I’ll take care of you.”

I try to focus, to make sense of the warning bells going off in my mind, but everything is so muddled. My instincts are screaming that something isn’t right, but my body isn’t responding the way it should. My legs feel weak, my muscles sluggish, and my thoughts are hazy. What’s wrong with me?

When we reach the bedroom, Derek pushes me gently toward the bed, and I collapse onto it, my head spinning. He’s standing over me now, looking down with something dark in his eyes, something that makes my pulse race with unease.

“Derek, I’m fine. You should go,” I say, trying to sit up, but my body refuses to cooperate.

Instead of leaving, he sits on the edge of the bed, his hand trailing up my arm. His touch is soft at first, but there’s an edge to it that wasn’t there before. A hunger. I try to pull away, but it’s as if my limbs aren’t my own anymore. Everything feels heavy, uncooperative.

“Derek, stop,” I whisper, my voice weak. “We’re just friends.”

He lets out a bitter laugh, shaking his head as if I’ve said something ridiculous. “Friends? Lily, come on. You’ve got to know by now that I’ve always wanted more. I’ve been waiting for you… for years.”

My heart sinks as his words hit me. This isn’t the Derek I know. The sweet, harmless guy I’ve been friends with for so long. There’s something else lurking behind his eyes now, something dark and desperate.

“No,” I say firmly, trying to push myself off the bed, but my arms are too weak. “We’re friends, Derek. Nothing more.”

His expression hardens, his hand sliding up my thigh now, his grip firm. “No one’s ever going to love you the way I do. No one else will ever care for you like I do. You don’t even realize how lucky you are.”

Panic starts to claw at my chest, adrenaline surging through me, momentarily clearing some of the fog from my mind. I need to get out of here. I need to stall, to think, to do anything to buy myself time.

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