~Patricia’s POV~
The rain wasn’t just falling; it was punishing the glass. I stood by the tall, arched windows of the Westview High library, watching the streetlights blur into golden smears against the asphalt.
It was past 8:00 PM. Theoretically, the building was empty. Technically, I was supposed to have clocked out an hour ago. But the house I went home to was too quiet, and the book in my hand was too loud.
I’m Patricia. To the students, I’m the woman with the sensible cardigans and the "shushing" reflex. To my boss, I’m the reliable curator of the classics. But inside my bag, tucked behind a copy of Pride and Prejudice, was a paperback with a frayed spine and a cover featuring a man whose shirt had clearly surrendered to his pectorals.
I walked back to my desk, the click of my h
