The library had become a sanctuary for Camille, a place where she could lose herself in the worlds of Austen, Hemingway, and Woolf. It was also, conveniently, as far from the science buildings as one could get on campus. As she settled into her favorite corner, surrounded by the comforting smell of old books, Camille felt the now-familiar pang of guilt. She knew she was letting Michelle down by skipping the biology study groups, but she just couldn't bring herself to face Steve again.

Her phone buzzed with a text from Michelle: "Missed you at the study group again. Everything okay?"

Camille sighed, typing out a response: "Yeah, just swamped with this lit paper. Raincheck on dinner?"

She hated lying to her friend, but what choice did she have? How could she explain that being in the same room as Steve was like trying to breathe underwater?

As she turned back to her books, Camille didn't notice the tall, handsome figure watching her from across the library.

Steve Carlson ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his eyes fixed on the empty chair where Camille usually sat during study sessions. He'd hoped that after their last encounter, things might start to normalize. But Camille's continued absence was like a physical ache.

As the students filed out, chattering about the upcoming midterm, Steve made a decision. He couldn't let this go on any longer.

"Michelle," he called out. "Could I have a word?"

Michelle hesitated, glancing at her watch. "Uh, sure, Professor Carlson. But I've got another class in fifteen minutes."

Steve nodded, waiting until the room had cleared before speaking. "I wanted to talk to you about Camille. I've noticed she hasn't been attending the study sessions lately."

Michelle's expression hardened. "With all due respect, Professor, Camille isn't even a biology major. She doesn't need to be here."

"I understand that," Steve said, trying to keep his voice neutral. "But these sessions can be beneficial for all students, regardless of their major. And Camille was showing real promise..."

"Cut the crap," Michelle interrupted, her voice low and angry. "We both know why you really want her here."

Steve felt the blood drain from his face. "I don't know what you're implying, but—"

"Save it," Michelle snapped. "Camille told me everything. The kiss, the coffee shop, your offer to leave my mom. How could you, Steve? I trusted you!"

Steve slumped into a chair, the fight draining out of him. "Michelle, I... I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I care about your mother, I do, but Camille..."

"Don't," Michelle held up a hand. "I don't want to hear it. You need to leave Camille alone. If I even suspect you're trying to contact her again, I'll tell my mom everything."

Steve's head snapped up. "You wouldn't."

Michelle's eyes were cold. "Try me."

With that, she stormed out of the room, leaving Steve alone with his regrets.

Back at the dorm, Michelle paced the small room, her conversation with Steve playing on repeat in her mind. She'd meant what she said – she would tell her mom if Steve didn't back off. But the thought of blowing up her family filled her with dread.

A knock at the door startled her from her thoughts. She opened it to find a familiar face grinning at her.

"Surprise!"

Michelle's jaw dropped. "Billy? What are you doing here?"

Her twin brother swept her into a bear hug, lifting her off her feet. "Can't a guy visit his favorite sister without an interrogation?"

Michelle laughed, the tension of the day melting away. "I'm your only sister, doofus."

As Billy set her down, his eyes scanned the room, landing on Camille's side. "So, where's this roommate I've heard so much about?"

Michelle rolled her eyes. "Down, boy. She's off limits."

Billy held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm just being friendly. Besides, you can't blame a guy for being curious. The way you talk about her, she sounds pretty special."

Before Michelle could respond, the door opened and Camille walked in, her arms laden with books. She stopped short at the sight of Billy.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company," she said, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.

Michelle smiled, grateful for the distraction from her earlier confrontation with Steve. "Camille, this is my twin brother, Billy. Billy, this is Camille."

Billy stepped forward, his most charming smile in place. "It's great to finally meet you, Camille. Michelle's told me a lot about you."

Camille shot Michelle a questioning look. "All good things, I hope?"

"The best," Billy assured her, his eyes never leaving her face.

Michelle watched the exchange with a mixture of amusement and concern. She could practically see the sparks flying between her brother and her roommate. Under normal circumstances, she might have been thrilled at the prospect of her best friend and her brother hitting it off. But given everything that had happened with Steve...

"So, Billy," Michelle said, perhaps a bit too loudly. "How long are you in town for?"

Billy tore his gaze away from Camille. "Just a few days. Thought I'd check out the big city, maybe catch a show."

"That sounds wonderful," Camille said, setting her books down. "I'd love to hear more about it, but I should probably get started on this paper..."

"Actually," Billy said, his voice taking on a hopeful tone. "I was wondering if you might want to grab coffee sometime? I'd love to hear more about your studies, and maybe you could recommend some must-see spots in the city?"

Michelle opened her mouth to intervene, but Camille beat her to it.

"You know what? That sounds great," she said, a genuine smile lighting up her face. "I could use a break from all this studying."

Michelle watched, dumbfounded, as Camille and Billy exchanged numbers and made plans for the following afternoon. As the door closed behind Billy, Camille turned to Michelle, her eyes sparkling with an excitement that had been missing for weeks.

"Your brother seems really nice," she said. "Why didn't you tell me you had a twin?"

Michelle shrugged, trying to sort through her conflicting emotions. "It never came up, I guess. Listen, Camille, about Billy..."

Camille's face fell slightly. "Oh, is there a reason I shouldn't go out with him? Does he have a girlfriend or something?"

"No, nothing like that," Michelle assured her quickly. "It's just... are you sure you're ready for this? After everything with Steve..."

Camille's expression softened. "Michelle, I appreciate your concern. But maybe this is exactly what I need. A chance to move on, to remember what it's like to just... have fun."

Michelle nodded slowly. She couldn't argue with that logic. And if anyone deserved a bit of happiness, it was Camille. "Okay," she said finally. "Just... be careful, alright? Billy's a great guy, but he can be a bit of a heartbreaker."

Camille laughed, the sound light and carefree. "I think I can handle myself. But thanks for looking out for me."

As they settled in for the night, Michelle couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.

The next afternoon, Camille found herself sitting across from Billy at a cozy café near campus. She'd spent more time than she cared to admit choosing her outfit – a soft sweater and jeans that Michelle had once described as her "secret weapon."

"So," Billy said, his blue eyes twinkling. "Tell me everything. How did you end up at NYU? What's your family like? What's your favorite book?"

Camille laughed, feeling more relaxed than she had in weeks. "That's a lot of questions. How about we start with one at a time?"

As they talked, Camille found herself drawn in by Billy's easy charm and genuine interest. He listened intently as she spoke about her love of literature, her dreams of becoming a writer, her complicated relationship with her parents back in Ohio.

"Wow," Billy said when she'd finished. "You're... not what I expected."

Camille raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what did you expect?"

Billy grinned, a bit sheepishly. "Honestly? The way Michelle talked about you, I half expected some kind of superhuman. Brilliant, beautiful, perfect in every way."

Camille felt her cheeks grow warm. "Well, I hate to disappoint..."

"Oh, you haven't," Billy assured her quickly. "If anything, you're even more impressive in person."

As the afternoon wore on, Camille found herself laughing more than she had in months. Billy regaled her with stories of his and Michelle's childhood pranks, his adventures backpacking through Europe, his dreams of starting his own tech company.

"You know," Billy said as they left the café, "there's this great little bookstore just a few blocks from here. Want to check it out?"

Camille nodded eagerly. "Lead the way!"

As they walked, Billy's hand brushed against hers. Camille felt a small thrill at the contact, so different from the aching, forbidden desire she'd felt with Steve. This was simpler, lighter. It felt... possible.

The bookstore was everything Camille could have hoped for – cozy nooks, floor-to-ceiling shelves, and that intoxicating old book smell. As they wandered the aisles, Billy pulled out volume after volume, asking for her recommendations and sharing his own favorites.

"Oh my god," Camille exclaimed, pulling a book from the shelf. "I can't believe they have this! It's a first edition of my favorite childhood novel."

Billy watched her, a soft smile playing on his lips. "You should get it."

Camille shook her head regretfully. "I wish. But on a student budget? No way."

As they left the store, Camille felt a pang of disappointment. Not just at leaving the book behind, but at the thought of the date ending. To her surprise, Billy seemed to share her reluctance.

"So," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture eerily similar to Michelle's nervous habit. "I know this is kind of forward, but... would you want to grab dinner? I know this great little Italian place nearby."

Camille hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "I'd love to."

Back at the dorm, Michelle paced anxiously. She'd texted Camille hours ago, asking how the coffee date was going, but had received no response. Part of her was thrilled that her friend and her brother seemed to be hitting it off. But another part, the part that knew about Steve and the complicated mess of emotions Camille was dealing with, couldn't help but worry.

Her phone buzzed, and she snatched it up eagerly. But instead of Camille's name, she saw Steve's flashing on the screen.

"What do you want?" she answered coldly.

"Michelle, please," Steve's voice was strained. "I need to talk to Camille. It's important."

Michelle felt her anger flare. "I thought I made myself clear earlier. Leave her alone, Steve. I mean it."

"You don't understand," Steve pressed on. "Lily... she's starting to suspect something. She keeps asking questions about why Camille isn't coming to the house anymore. I need to warn her."

Michelle's blood ran cold. "No. You've done enough damage. I'll handle it."

She hung up before Steve could respond, her mind racing. How had things gotten so complicated? And where the hell was Camille?

As if on cue, the door burst open and Camille swept in, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling.

"There you are!" Michelle exclaimed. "I've been worried sick! How was coffee with Billy?"

Camille's smile was radiant. "It was... amazing. We went for coffee, and then to this adorable bookstore, and then dinner... Michelle, your brother is incredible."

Michelle felt a wave of relief wash over her, followed quickly by a pang of guilt. How could she ruin Camille's obvious happiness with news about Steve and her mom?

"That's great, Cam. I'm really happy for you," she said, forcing a smile. "Listen, there's something I need to tell you..."

But before she could continue, Camille's phone chimed. She glanced at it, her smile growing even wider. "It's Billy," she said. "He wants to know if I'm free tomorrow night. There's a poetry reading at this little café he thinks I'd love."

Michelle watched as Camille typed out an enthusiastic response. She thought about Steve, about her mom, about the tangled web of secrets and lies that threatened to unravel at any moment. But looking at Camille's joyful face, she couldn't bring herself to shatter her friend's newfound happiness.

"That sounds great," Michelle said instead. "You'll have to tell me all about it."

As Camille launched into a detailed recounting of her day with Billy, Michelle made a silent vow. She would protect her friend, no matter what. If that meant keeping Steve's warnings to herself for now, so be it. Camille deserved this chance at happiness, free from the drama and heartache of the past few months.

But as she listened to Camille gush about Billy, a nagging doubt crept into Michelle's mind. Was she doing the right thing by keeping quiet? Or was she setting her friend up for even more pain down the line?

Only time would tell. For now, Michelle pushed her worries aside and focused on Camille's infectious excitement. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges. Tonight, at least, she could let her friend bask in the glow of new possibilities.

As they settled in for the night, Camille's phone buzzed one last time. Michelle watched as her friend read the message, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Sweet dreams, beautiful," Camille read aloud, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Your brother's quite the charmer, Michelle."

Michelle forced a laugh. "Yeah, he's always been good with words. Just... be careful, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt."

Camille reached out, squeezing Michelle's hand. "I appreciate you looking out for me. But I think... I think this might be exactly what I need. A fresh start, you know?"

Michelle nodded, pushing down her lingering doubts. "Yeah, I know. Goodnight, Cam."

As the lights went out, Michelle stared at the ceiling, her mind racing. Billy and Camille. Steve and her mom. Secrets and lies and the fragile hope of new beginnings. How long could she keep juggling it all before something came crashing down?

With a sigh, Michelle rolled over, forcing herself to close her eyes. Tomorrow was another day. Another chance to figure out this mess. For now, she'd let Camille have her moment of happiness. She just hoped it wouldn't come at too high a price.