Zoya didn’t know how she ended up spending her free hour in the Xavier College Library.

Maybe it was the silence.

Maybe it was the smell of old books.

Or maybe… it was the fact that he had been there the day before.

She walked between the tall shelves — fingers tracing over dusty spines. Fiction, poetry, history… She stopped at the romance section.

Pulled out a novel.

The Fault in Our Stars.

She smiled.

And suddenly — a voice behind her.

> “Planning to cry today?”

She turned.

Akif.

Gray hoodie. Sleeves rolled. That unreadable face again.

> “How are you always here?” she asked.

> “I could ask you the same.”

> “Maybe I like silence.”

> “Maybe I like your silence.”

Zoya blinked. Too direct. Too fast. Too him.

She tried to focus. “I’m just here to read.”

He nodded.

> “Then read with me.”

---

They sat at the far corner table — where barely anyone came.

Zoya opened her novel.

Akif opened a book too — she couldn’t see what. But every time she peeked up from her page,

he wasn’t reading.

He was looking at her.

---

> “You’re not turning any pages,” she whispered.

> “Neither are you,” he replied.

Zoya’s heart did something strange. Like skipping a beat, then tripping into another.

She tried to focus on the page, but the words blurred.

> “You ever read poetry?” she asked, needing a distraction.

Akif nodded.

> “Rumi. Faiz. And some random stuff on Pinterest.”

She laughed softly. “Pinterest? That’s where I found my first heartbreak quote.”

He leaned closer. “You’ve been heartbroken?”

She looked down. “Not by a boy.”

Silence.

Then he whispered,

> “Same.”

---

They didn’t speak after that.

Not for minutes.

Not until her hand reached out to grab her pen —

and touched his.

Fingers against fingers.

Neither of them moved.

Not at first.

Zoya’s breath hitched.

Akif finally pulled his hand back. Barely. Like he had to force himself.

---

> “This place has cameras,” he murmured.

> “So?” she replied.

> “So stop looking at me like that.”

She froze.

> “Like what?”

He stared at her — long and deep.

> “Like you’re waiting for me to say something I shouldn’t.”

Her heart thundered.

She opened her mouth to speak —

but just then, the librarian coughed loudly behind them.

> “Keep the talking down.”

They both flinched.

Zoya bit her lip, hiding her smile.

Akif smirked.

---

As they walked out together, he asked,

> “Did you read even one page?”

> “No,” she admitted.

> “Then what were you doing in the library?”

She looked up at him.

Eyes shining.

> “Falling in trouble.”

> “Same,” he whispered.

---

That night, she didn’t open her book.

She didn’t write in her journal.

She just sat by the window, holding the pen

that still had the warmth of his touch.

> He didn’t kiss me.

He didn’t even touch me on purpose.

But somehow… it still felt like the most romantic thing I’ve ever lived.

---

To be continued...