Page 46 of Unmasking My Dark Knight

I didn’t have to look for long; I found the large room at the end of one of the walkways, the arch leading into it open and inviting. The slanted, high ceiling was lined with wooden beams, and the walls were skirted with tall, large bookshelves. There were spiral staircases and ladders, and it looked like I’d stepped into a Gothic fairytale library.

This was definitely going to be my happy place.

I skimmed the titles on the shelves, looking for something to read. Foolishly, I checked to see if they had book five of ‘Unmasking My Bright Knight.’ Rachel wouldn’t let me leave the house with her copy, and I was desperate to finish the last few chapters I had left. Sadly, the series may have been a little too new for the curated collection that lined the walls. I settled with a classic, then found a club chair in the corner of the room, tucked behind a shorter bookshelf.

I was only a few pages in when I heard the click of heels on wood echoing in the room. I leaned forward, and sure enough, there was Ivy Jade. She wore a pleated skirt with tights, heeled Mary Janes, and a tight turtle-neck sweater. I couldn’t help but stare, waiting for her to notice me.

I didn’t know how it was possible for her to get more beautiful each time I saw her.

She turned to face a bookshelf, tilting her head to read the titles. Feeling like a creep for staring so long, I decided to get up and talk to her.

“Ivy Jade,” I said as I approached her from behind—and she let out a shriek I was now very familiar with.

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed as she turned, eyes wide, hand clutched to her chest that heaved up and down rapidly. “Jesus, Ro, I nearly broke a nail! You scared the shit out of me!—I mean, the crap. Shoot.”

I didn’t expect I’d be terrifying her as both High Jynx and Ro, but there were a lot of things happening this week that I hadn’t quite expected.

“Sorry,” I said with a sheepish grin, holding onto her shoulder for a moment in an attempt to soothe her.

Her breathing evened out as she let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking her head at herself.

“It’s fine. Sorry for cursing…” she said, then rolled her eyes playfully. “I mean… I’m sure you don’t care.”

I shrugged a shoulder. “I was actually going to ask you to apologize for that,” I retorted dryly.

She squinted her eyes at me for a moment, then grinned, thankfully understanding my humor.

“You’re down here early,” I said, changing the subject, glancing over at a bookshelf, nervously trying my best not to stare.

“It’s not a good look being late. It's like wearing Crocs out in public… or anywhere, for that matter,” she said with a shake of her head, like stating a fact.

It’s not a good look. Looks matter to her; optics matter to her—obviously.

“Of course,” I agreed.

I pulled out a worn-looking copy of Frankenstein from the shelf, turning the cover over in my hand.

“Ever read this?” I asked as I held it up.

High Jynx knew Ivy Jade didn’t like horror stuff, but Ro didn’t.

Her brows raised as she shook her head with a soft smile. “No. I’m more of a fan of romance and stuff. The classics…” she explained, keeping it vague.

“Like, Little Women? Right?” I asked.

She gave me a double take. The surprise on her face felt as though she wasn’t prepared for that question, and I started to wonder if she’d even actually read ‘Little Women’ before. I wanted to laugh, and she looked at me defensively.

“You saw that, huh?” she said, straightening her posture.

“You were devouring it on the bus to the corn maze. You barely looked up from it.”

“It’s actually a really moving story. Coming of age and stuff.”

“Stuff?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“And it’s a romance?”