Chapter 5
LIVVI
After a long day at work, I began my walk home. My apartment was a fifteen-minute walk from Harrington we acted like we lived side by side.
“But I’ll get back to why in a minute,” she continued. “You were right—I didn’t guess Talon. Like, what? I legit squealed out loud. I know I shouldn’t think his cocky responses are hot, but I totally did.”
I rolled my eyes, though she couldn’t see it.
“Girl, you are strong to not fall at his feet in a puddle of desire.”
Strong? More like awkward and unsure. I hadn’t known what to do, so I had leaned on my feisty side to get me through.
“I would have totally melted on the spot. Just his posters get me heated. Heck yes, I want a piece of Talon Everhart!”
I chuckled, grateful for the AirPods. No one needed to hear that. Cali was mostly all talk anyway—she was shyer than she let on.
“Do you think he’s going to come to your secret library room again?
Oh, I hope he does. I need more Talon stories in my life.
I’ve been telling you to go to a swim meet for years.
Then you could send me a video from there and zoom in on him with water trickling down his abs.
Ugh, I already know what you’re going to say.
I’ve been reading too many romance novels, but whatever—they’re good, and you know it. ”
I smiled. I’d been thinking the exact same thing. Cali read more than anyone I knew.
“Okay, ready for my night recap? The friend dinner was fine, blah, blah, blah, but then everyone stood up to leave, and Jared lingered back. We just talked about the food, but still!”
She continued, recounting her night in exhausting detail, and I let her chatter fill the walk.
My video message ended just as I passed the large vertical banner of Talon—the one I usually sat near to read or study outside. Mainly for the shade of the nearby tree, not that I minded the scenery.
Seeing his shirtless body sparked an idea. I pressed record.
“Okay, Calico, I have a surprise for you,” I said. “I may not be going to a swim meet, but …” I flipped the camera. “How’s this for zooming in on his abs?” I focused the camera, giving her a close up of Talon’s very sculpted abdominal muscles.
A throat cleared. “If you want the real thing, I can lift up my shirt for you.”
I froze. No, no, no. This could not be happening.
“Uh, gotta go.” I ended the recording. Slowly, I turned, cheeks blazing.
Talon stood a few feet away, freshly out of what I assumed was his evening practice at the Wilson Center.
His brown hair was slightly damp, his maroon sweats and fitted black T-shirt highlighting his toned frame. Yep, gorgeous, as always.
His blue eyes held mine, expectant, waiting for me to explain why I’d been zooming in on him.
Shifting from foot to foot, it was now my turn to clear my throat. “It was just a joke.”
“Wow. That’s a new one.” His smile tugged at one side, that dimple making its appearance. “I haven’t ever had someone make fun of my abs before.”
“No,” I hurried. “I wasn’t making fun. Your abs are no joke.”
He chuckled. “Do I get to be let in on the joke?”
“Oh, um …” I waved him off. “You probably don’t care.”
“I definitely care.” He crossed his arms, showing off the feathered wing tattoo that caught my eyes every time, the amusement clear in his expression.
Of course. Of course he cared.
I wasn’t built for situations like this. Social interactions had never been my strong suit—not since moving to Kemery, and not back home. Cali had been my rock through the lonely childhood and school years, but even with her, I hadn’t built many social skills.
So, like an idiot, I spilled it all.
“My best friend from home, Cali—well, I call her Calico, but that doesn’t matter,” I rambled.
“We video chat, and one day she saw a poster of you. Sometimes we talk about you—not much, because that would be weird—but anyway. She mentioned going to a swim meet so I could zoom in on your abs. I’d never do that, but I saw your poster and thought it would be funny to zoom in on that instead. ”
He smiled wider with every word. “And here I was wondering if you recognized me at the library.”
“Everyone in this town knows who you are,” I pointed out, knowing he knew I’d recognized him. “You’re a local celebrity, and your half-naked body is plastered all over campus.”
“Not my fault my sport has me less dressed than others,” he said smugly. “And I have a hunch you and Calico don’t seem to mind.”
We definitely didn’t, but I wasn’t about to acknowledge that.
He held out his hand. “Let me see your phone.”
“My phone? Why?”
“Just … let me see it.”
I hesitated, then handed it over. He unlocked it with my face recognition, navigated the app, and hit record.
“Hey, Calico,” he said in that deep voice. I couldn’t believe it. He was recording a message to her. “I’m here with your bestie”—he paused, shifting so I was in the video too—“I just realized I don’t know your name.”
“Livvi,” I told him.
“Livvi,” he repeated. “I like that.”
Hearing him say my name sent goosebumps across my skin. How did he do that?
“I came across our girl Livvi zooming in on my picture for you,” he continued. “Found out I’m a topic of conversation, so I figured I’d say hi. I’m trying to convince her to take a video of my actual abs, but she’s not going for it.”
His grin made my stomach flutter. Something about him—his swagger, his playfulness, the way he really looked at me—was impossible to ignore.
He turned to the camera. “I’m assuming she told you about our run-in at the library. She tried to kick me out of a public place, claiming it was her personal study room. But with a beautiful woman like her in there, can you blame me for not wanting to leave?”
I wanted to laugh but kept it contained.
“Maybe you can talk her into sharing that room with me and getting that ab footage you’re looking for.”
He winked, ending the recording, and handed my phone back.
“Think she’ll like it?” he teased.
“She’ll love it. Although I should warn you, she’s head over heels for a guy where she lives.”
“Ah, too bad,” he said, unfazed. “And what about you? Anyone you’re head over heels for?”
I folded my arms, giving him a pointed look. “If you’re thinking I’m going to say you, you’re out of your mind.”
He laughed. “A guy can hope.”
He was totally flirting with me. Right?
I didn’t have much experience with flirting. None, actually. But I didn’t think I was misreading him. At least … I didn’t think so.
The only thing that made me second-guess myself was that I was me—and he was him.
Why would he be interested in someone who had been flat-out rude to him at the library, awkward at the coffee shop, and was now actively shutting down any possible advances?
Maybe this was a game to him. Playing the charming, flirty guy, just to get a reaction out of the quiet, quirky girl.
“Well, I’m going to head home.” I pointed over my shoulder.
“I’m glad I ran into you,” he said, genuine enough that my theory of a game started to feel shaky. “Hopefully I’ll see you again at the library.”
That jolted me out of whatever daze I’d been in. “Don’t you dare.” I did not need him showing up at my secret library spot.
He gave me a mischievous grin. “Oh, I dare.” He winked and walked away, leaving me staring after him, mouth slightly agape.
What alternate universe had I just landed in?
I shook my head as I resumed my walk, trying to will my racing thoughts into submission. My cheeks still burned, and every time I replayed that grin, that wink, it was like I’d been hit by a ton of bricks.
He was attractive, yes. Confident, playful, and far too self-assured for someone like me to handle. But it wasn’t just that. It was the way he looked at me—as if I actually mattered, as if the awkward, fumbling, socially clueless version of me was somehow enough.
Ugh. Stop analyzing.
But I couldn’t stop. My mind ran in loops: the library, the coffee shop, the posters, the video …
even the way he’d said my name. Livvi. It had sent shivers down my spine.
I hadn’t even realized someone could have that kind of effect on me without me ever actually talking to them in a normal conversation.
And yet, the logical side of me—the side my parents had trained to value practicality, work ethic, and control—kept whispering: He’s Talon Everhart. Popular, cocky, out of your league. This will not end well.
Still, even with my rational mind sounding alarms, I couldn’t deny a spark of curiosity. Or maybe something more. Something unsettling.
I shook my head again and pulled my keys out of my bag. Focus. Get home. Take a deep breath. Remind yourself this is just … another weird random encounter.
But even as I unlocked my apartment door, I knew the thought of him would linger long after I stepped inside. And that scared me enough to shake my head in hopes that would erase any thoughts of that tempting smile of his.
I’d barely stepped inside when my phone buzzed in my back pocket. Setting my bag down, I pulled it out, assuming Cali had already watched Talon’s message and was hysterically responding.
But instead, a notification from BookPad lit up the screen: a new message from TheWriteGuy.
We’d been talking throughout the day, and the more we talked, the more I liked him. He was funny and kind, confident but genuine, and—most importantly—he seemed to actually enjoy talking to me.
TheWriteGuy
How weird would it be if I changed Raelle’s eye color to hazel?
ReadToLiv
Pretty weird, since you’ve mentioned her green eyes enough that people would notice if you randomly changed them.
TheWriteGuy
I wouldn’t do it randomly. I’m thinking something will happen where some type of magic has a physical effect on her, like her eye color changing is a lasting effect of what she went through.
Ooh. I liked that. And maybe I was biased—Raelle having hazel eyes felt appealing because … well, my eyes were hazel too.
ReadToLiv
That sounds intriguing. I like it.
TheWriteGuy
Lately when I go to write, every time I picture Raelle, she has hazel eyes now.
Should I tell him that I had hazel eyes too? Or would that break the unspoken rule we’d somehow agreed on, keeping details about ourselves and our lives out of our conversations? My fingers hovered over the screen, unsure what to type.
I shook my head. Best not to mention it.
ReadToLiv
I think you should write your characters however they feel authentic to you. If changing her eye color helps, then go for it.
TheWriteGuy
I know I don’t need your approval when I’m writing, but I like having it nonetheless.
I blushed at his words. I wasn’t sure if he meant much by them, but they meant a lot to me.
I set my phone down for a moment, trying to shake the blush from my cheeks.
TheWriteGuy’s words made my body warm in a way that was different from the flutter Talon caused.
There was something safe about TheWriteGuy—his humor, the way he actually listened in our conversations, the subtle kindness that threaded through everything he said.
And yet … I couldn’t stop replaying the recent encounters with Talon.
His grin, that wink, the way he’d said my name—it all lingered in my mind like a stubborn shadow.
I’d told myself he was just teasing, just playing the flirty, popular guy, but now I wasn’t so sure.
My heart had betrayed me, skipping and fluttering in ways I hadn’t expected.
It was confusing. One guy was the mysterious, charming stranger who made me feel alive in a way I didn’t fully understand. The other gave me the safe, genuine connection I was building online, a world where I could be myself without the pressure of his gaze.
Sighing, I sank onto the edge of my couch and kicked off my shoes. I couldn’t tell which thought was louder—my curiosity about Talon or the comfort I felt with TheWriteGuy. And maybe that was the point: two different men tugging at me, each offering something I hadn’t known I was missing.
I shook my head, reminding myself to focus. Work, classes, homework—there were plenty of things I could control. Heartstrings and attractive swimmers weren’t among them.
Still … I couldn’t help but glance at my phone again, imagining what TheWriteGuy would say next. And somewhere in the back of my mind, a small stubborn part of me couldn’t stop wondering when—or if—Talon would show up at the library again.