Hearthway Hollow

Oliver

Female Reader x Male Monster

The rain came out of nowhere. A total deluge like a waterfall that nearly knocked you on your ass as you were walking home from work. You use your backpack as a makeshift umbrella, knowing full well your actual umbrella was sitting warm in cozy by the door in the apartment. You're soaked already and the rain doesn't seem to be letting up, so you duck into the first open building you can.

You let out a frustrated sigh and let you backpack fall to the floor in shambles. You basically squeegee water from our face and stand there dripping in the foyer to...where are you? You look around, seeing your standing in a glass box where the two side walls by the doors are covered by bulletin boards filled with flyers. Tables line the walls that are covered in brochures and free tiny books for various summer projects, camps, and educational programs.

You look through the second set of glass doors to realize you've found yourself in the Second library. It was called the Second library because the first was now a historical site and had become a semi-museum dedicated to Hearthway Hollow's history. Although, it still worked in part as a small library. The Second was made from the old elementary school so it still had that sort of vintage charm to it.

You walk inside to stand on the carpet welcome mat, still dripping. You take your phone out from your pocket, wondering if you could call a cab now or if they were all being used because of the rain. You sigh heavily as you try to decide what to do.

"Oh, goodness."

You jump at the sudden voice, clutching your phone over your chest in shock. You look over to see a man walking out from behind a shelf. He's pushing a cart loaded with books.

"Sorry." His smile is bright and handsome. "Didn't mean to startle you." He slips a book onto the shelf and you notice a big scar across the back of his hand. "Is there anything I can help you with?" His dark eyes flick over you before he looks back at your face. "Or did the storm bring you here?"

"Yeah," you grumble. You pull your hair over your shoulder and fidget with it. "I'm trying not to drip on anything."

The librarian sets the cart of books aside and takes off his jacket. "Come on in. It's cold here by the door. You can sit in the reading parlor, the seats are wood so no worries about dripping on anything." He slips his jacket over you and it's so warm. His shoulders are so broad, too, that the jacket nearly slips off you.

"Thank you," you gasp. You look up at him, stunned that the sexy librarian trope is real here. He's so nice to look at you feel ashamed of yourself. He's got a deep, ruddy complexion with dark hazel eyes and thick lashes. He's so tall and as he walks ahead you see how broad his shoulders are and how his back is like a wall. You also notice his hair is tied back into a bun at the nape of his neck. It's black with stripes of silver mingled in it.

You sit down at one of the many tables in the reading parlor as the librarian goes behind the front desk. "Would you like something warm to drink?"

"You don't have to go to the trouble," you gasp.

"Nonsense," he says. "No trouble whatsoever to help take care of a lovely young lady."

You cheeks burn hot pink and you try to keep yourself from cackling with nerves. "No, really," your voice tremors.

"What would you like? Coffee? Tea? Maybe some hot coco would be better suited?" The smile on his lips seems almost too good to be true. How can someone be that good looking and work in a small town library? You must be seeing things.

"Whatever is easiest." You clear your throat to hide the squeak in your voice.

As the librarian steps back into his office you see the nameplate on his desk reads Oliver Locklear. You snap to attention for a moment. Locklear? There's no way.