Lacey lay quietly, resting her head on Ruby's chest. She could hear her heartbeat as it slowed back to its normal pace after their recent activities. She reached out, taking the other woman's hand. Her eyes focused on their fingers as they intertwined together. She brought her hand to her lips and kissed each finger.

Ruby smiled down at her. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

Lacey kept her focus on their hands. "You," she responded, looking up at her for a moment. She offered a small smile before returning her attention to their hands. She sighed. "I don't want to leave here."

Ruby frowned. Since their first night together, the room above the library had been their sanctuary. They had days and nights where they would just talk and laugh. Others where Ruby would lay quietly next to her, cuddling close, while Lacey read to her. Then there were the nights like this. Where they would make love for hours then lay quietly together until their time expired. Ruby glanced at the clock. The time was ticking. Soon she would have to go.

"I wish we could just stay here forever." Lacey added, breaking into her thoughts. Her fingers continued to wrap around Ruby's.

Ruby placed her finger under Lacey's chin. She raised her attention to her. She wanted to say the right thing, to make Lacey understand how much she wanted this to never end. Her stomach fluttered she looked into her beautiful eyes. "I love you, Lacey..." she admitted before she could stop it.

Lacey looked stunned. She propped herself up so she was face-to-face with Ruby. "You love me?"

Ruby hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was too soon. She ignored her thoughts and went with her heart. There can't be a time frame on love. It just happens. "I do." She reached out, moving a strand of hair from Lacey's face. "I've known it from the first day I knocked you over." She smiled as Lacey chuckled lightly, tears building behind her eyes. "I know this is hard for us right now, but … I have faith that one day ... we will be together." She placed her hand on the side of her face, caressing her cheek with her thumb. "When you truly love someone, nothing can keep you apart."

Lacey leaned up, kissing Ruby for as long as she could. She pulled back slowly, her hand resting on her cheek. "I love you, Ruby." She swallowed hard, trying to stop herself from crying. "I hate that I'm afraid to leave him because I don't know what he'll do to you."

Ruby inched closer. "He could try and do his worst. If it meant you and I didn't have to hide anymore, I would take the risk."

Lacey shook her head. "I would die if anything happened to you."

She reached around, resting her hand on the back of Ruby's neck. She pulled her close, kissing her slowly at first. Ruby pulled her closer as their kiss deepened. The world around them faded. All that could be heard was the sound of their breathing as it elevated, their hearts as they pounded harder from the intensity of their kiss.

"Lacey?" a familiar voice called out from downstairs.

She pulled back quickly from Ruby, her eyes widened in shock. "Shit … it's him," she muttered as she jumped from the bed.

Ruby watched in horror as Lacey rushed to put her clothes back on. "Wh – what is he doing here?"

"I don't know."

"Lacey? Where are you?"

She rushed to the bedroom door. "I'm upstairs!" she called down.

Ruby held her hands out. "Why would you tell him that?!" she questioned in a harsh whisper.

Lacey made a face, holding her hand up to Ruby. "I'll be down in a second!"

"Please hurry! I have to get back to the shop!"

Ruby pressed her hands to her temples and ducked her head. This was it. This was how she would die. If she did, at least she spent her last moment with Lacey. She felt the bed shift, causing her to raise her head. Lacey had crawled back onto the bed. She stared at her.

"Stay here," she ordered as Ruby flashed her a look as if she was crazy.

"Where do you expect me to go?" she asked sarcastically. "It's not like I'm going to jump out the window!"

Lacey shot her a look. "Now's not the time to panic."

The same look remained on Ruby's face. "I would say now would be the perfect time to panic."

"What happened to taking any risk?!"

"What happened to dying if anything happened to me?!"

"Lacey! Seriously, dear, should I just come up?"

"NO!" Lacey shouted, with more panic then she expected. She cleared her throat. "I'm coming down!" She returned her attention to Ruby. "I'm sorry. I'll be right back." She kissed her quickly, jumped from the bed, and rushed down the stairs.

Gold checked the time on his watch as he bounced back and forth on his heels. He heard the sound of feet rapidly coming down the stairs. He turned to see Lacey coming toward him. She was running her hand through her hair, then down her clothes, straightening her appearance.

He furrowed his brow. "What were you doing up there?" he inquired as he took a few steps toward her.

Lacey swallowed nervously. "I was taking a rest," she responded. "I haven't slept much these last few weeks with all the work around here. I thought it would be best to lay down for a bit."

He stared at her suspiciously for a moment. Lacey had been going into work early and coming home late for weeks. He couldn't fathom that it would take so long to catalog such a small library. He wanted to believe her, but he couldn't help but think there was something going on. He took another step toward her and looked her in the eyes. Lacey seemed to be fighting to keep eye contact.

He narrowed his eyes before plastering a smile on his face. "You need to sleep, dear," he said, rubbing her arm in a comforting manner. "Tell you what. Tonight, I'll close up the shop earlier than I had planned. I'll cook you dinner, run you a nice bath, and you can rest."

Lacey forced a smile. "Oh, but I still have so much to d – "

"I won't take that as an answer, Lacey," he interjected, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You need a break." He smiled. "Let tonight be that. Let me take care of you."

She couldn't think of any excuse that wouldn't sound like a lie. She sighed and smiled. "Okay, sure." She touched his face quickly. "I could use a break, I guess."

"Perfect." He squeezed her shoulder gently. "I'll see you in a few hours then." He pulled her in for a hug, inhaling deeply. His brow furrowed. There was a scent on her that was unfamiliar to him. He knew every perfume that Lacey owned and, the one that he was smelling did not belong to her.

She patted his back and pulled away. She touched his chin. "I'll see you tonight."

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded. He hesitated briefly before finally turning and exited the library. Lacey waited for a moment, peeking out the small window as she watched him get into his car and drive off. She turned quickly and ran back up the stairs.

She entered the room to see Ruby exiting the bathroom. She glanced at Lacey as she made her way back to the bed. She sat down on the edge and stared down at her hands. Lacey sighed, walking over and sitting down next to her. She reached over and took her hand.

"That was close," she noted, gripping her hand tightly.

Ruby huffed. "No shit…" she muttered.

Lacey bit her lip as her eyes went from their hands to the side of Ruby's face. "Am I still worth the risk?"

A small crooked grin crossed Ruby's lips. She looked at Lacey. "Absolutely…" she replied as leaned in and kissed her.