Night At The Library (Lost Souls #1)

Chapter 22: Julie

As I slowly emerged from the depths of sleep, Mrs. Finch's urgent voice pierced through the veil of dreams, pulling me back to consciousness with a gentle shake.

"Wake up, Julie!" she urged, her tone filled with a mix of concern and impatience. "The library will be closing shortly. You need to wake up now!"

My mind struggled to shake off the remnants of sleep as I blinked, trying to orient myself in the dimly lit library. The realization slowly dawned on me that the encounter with Will, the shared stories, and the tender embrace—all of it—had felt so vivid, so real. But now, as I scanned the empty room, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

"What?" I murmured, my voice still thick with sleep, as I tried to make sense of Mrs. Finch's words.

Her insistence and the announcement over the speaker confirmed that my time in the library was indeed drawing to a close. But where was Will? Had he vanished into thin air?

"Where is he?" I asked, my heart racing as I searched the room for any sign of his presence.

Mrs. Finch's puzzled expression only added to my confusion. "Who are you talking about, dear? Nobody is here, everybody left already."

The reality of her words hit me like a ton of bricks. Could it be that the magical night I had experienced was nothing more than a dream? The warmth of Will's embrace, the whispered promises, the shared laughter—it all felt so achingly real.

But as I struggled to come to terms with the possibility that it had all been a figment of my imagination, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that lingered within me.

I gathered my things and slowly made my way out of the library, as I heard Mrs. Finch fussing about some chocolate disappearing from her drawer.

As I shuffled out of the library, my mind was still swirling with the remnants of the dreamy night I'd spent with Will. Part of me couldn't help but wonder if he might be lurking around the corner, just waiting for me to catch up.

I mean, it wasn't entirely impossible, right? Maybe he got kicked out of the library too, and now he's out there somewhere, wondering where I've disappeared to. But then again, if that were the case, he would've woken me up too, wouldn't he?

As I muddled through these thoughts, reality began to sink in. The magic of the night was slipping away, leaving behind nothing but a hazy memory of Will's embrace and our whispered promises.

But even as I grappled with the disappointment of realizing it was all just a dream, a part of me couldn't help but hold onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, there was still some truth to it all. It was like trying to grasp at smoke—elusive and intangible, but impossible to ignore.

With a sigh, I trudged on, leaving the library behind me. The warmth of Will's presence lingered in my mind, a ghost of a memory that refused to be forgotten, no matter how hard I tried to push it away. And as I stepped out into the morning light, I couldn't shake the feeling that, in some small way, he was still there with me, even if only in my mind.