The library was quiet, except for the faint rustle of pages and the soft creak of chairs shifting against the old wooden floor. Cairo sat at a table in the far corner, her cigarette dangling between her fingers. Smoke curled lazily toward the high, arched ceiling, mingling with the scent of dusty books and aged wood.

Winnie was gone for the day, leaving Cairo alone with her other roommate—a situation she usually avoided. But here she was, trying to drown out the silence with the comfort of nicotine and the muted hum of the library.

She thought she was alone until a shadow fell across the table. Looking up, Cairo met the amused gaze of her roommate, who held a book loosely in one hand.

“You know you’re not supposed to smoke in here,” she said, sliding into the chair across from Cairo.

Cairo smirked, taking a slow drag. “And yet, here I am.”

Her roommate leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “Rebel without a cause, huh?”

Cairo exhaled, the smoke curling between them. “Maybe I’m just looking for one.”

Her roommate smiled, the kind that lingered. “Maybe you already found it.”

The silence between them grew warm, electric.