6. Just A Walk
Just A Walk
Vandal
It’s just a walk.
That’s it.
Just one little walk.
It’s not like you’re asking her out.
You can’t ask her out.
Whatever happens today, that isn’t an option. That’s never an option.
Well, not until you accomplish your mission. Failure isn’t an option. There are too many kids’ lives resting on us finding this guy.
Then why am I here, sneaking up into a girls’ dormitory, waiting for a girl I barely know to come out and head to class like a fool?
Because you’re a fool.
And it isn’t safe for her to walk around the campus, having no idea where she’s going. Like walking her to class is going to do anything to stop that.
Leave.
Just turn around and leave before you get in any deeper. I stop in front of her door.
Fly will kill me if he finds out.
Go. Turn around and walk away before she comes out. She’ll never know.
But my body refuses to turn. Instead, I find myself leaning against the wall, staring at her door, waiting for her to open it.
Waiting to see her smiling face.
Waiting for those trusting eyes.
Pathetic. This is absolutely pathetic.
While I’m waiting, a girl walks up, stops, and stares at me. “What are you doing?”
“Taking Lola to class.”
“You? You’re taking Lola to class? She normally walks with me.”
Oh. How do I deal with that?
The girl looks me up and down one more time. “Tell her, Kerri will meet her in class.”
“I’ll do that.” If Lola doesn’t freak out that I’m here. She should. If she knew who I was pretending to be, she’d run the other way.
Why am I not strong enough to walk away from this woman? I don’t know anything about her other than she has the kindest heart I’ve ever seen.
Her door cracks open. “Kerri should be in the hallway by now. She’s never late—” Lola’s eyes land on my chest and raise until they meet mine.
It’s the longest second of my life.
“What’s wrong?” A cute blonde walks up behind Lola, almost barreling over her when she catches sight of me. “This is him.”
Him? Did Lola tell her roommate about me? I grin.
“Yeah. It’s him,” Lola whispers.
I should fight the smirk working its way up, but it’s a battle I just don’t want to win.
“Shouldn’t you say something to him?”
Yeah, that smirk is getting bigger. “Hi. I’m Van. You must be the roommate Lola wanted me to meet yesterday.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m LynnLeigh.”
“What are you doing here, Van?” Lola finally finds the ability to speak to me.
“Walking you to class.” Tell me to go away.
“I walk with Kerri.”
Tell me that only a creep would show up like this and send me on my way. “Yeah. She was here a few minutes ago. She asked me to tell you she’ll see you in class.”
“Oh, she did?” Lola takes a step forward.
Why does this woman do the wrong thing every time? “Yeah.”
“Well then, you’re just going to have to walk me.”
“I could do that.” Like it isn’t exactly what I planned to do the entire time.
“Let me grab my stuff, and we can go.” Lola turns to LynnLeigh. “Don’t grill him too much.”
Do the opposite. Convince your friend to tell me to go away.
“You know, if you hurt her, her family will kill you. In the most painful way known to mankind.”
“They sound like fun.” Maybe one of them can talk some sense into her. “Make sure to tell them about me.”
LynnLeigh smiles. “You’re just as crazy as she says.”
No one would disagree with that. I shrug. “She shouldn’t be going with me.”
LynnLeigh tips her head to the side. “Probably not. But she’s going to. You should have time to stop at her favorite coffee shop on the way. If she doesn’t eat before class, she gets hangry.”
“Noted.” How cute would Lola be hangry? As tempting as it is to see her turn into a honey badger, I’ll make sure she eats.
LynnLeigh tips her head to the side. “Do you have any cute brothers?”
Dozens of them. You’re probably not the type to go for a biker with a questionable view of the law.
“A girl’s gotta try. Have fun. And remember my warning. They don’t give any warnings or second chances.” LynnLeigh heads back into her room with a yawn.
Fun. How soon can she introduce them to me and get this over and done with?
Lola steps out, closing the door behind her.
The backpack on her shoulder looks heavier than she is. I slide it off her shoulder and onto mine. “There’s no way this thing is good for your spine.”
“Do you worry about everything?”
“No. I’m usually fairly laid-back.”
“So it’s just me. Good to know.”
Her grin melts my brain, and when she takes my hand in hers…
***
“Oh, this is my favorite coffee shop on campus. It’s even better than the one in the library.”
I open the door and wait for her to step inside, like taking her here wasn’t already the plan. “So, what class do you have this morning?”
“Anatomy and Physiology.”
What? “You’re premed?” No way is this girl supposed to be a doctor. A romance author, maybe. Or a model. A lit major.
“Yeah. I’m going to be a pediatrician.”
Working with kids…“I can see that.”
“Oh, can you?” She nudges me with her shoulder.
“Yeah.” I can see you surrounded by half a dozen little girls in cute puffy dresses with your sparkling eyes…And now I’ve completely lost my mind.
“What are you studying?”
“Your eyes.”
“No, seriously, what are you studying?”
Your eyes are the only thing I can think of. The cover story completely evaporated from my mind. “Why don’t you guess? I’ll tell you if you’re right.” Hopefully, I’ll remember by then. Or you’ll be in class and distracted.
She lifts my hand, which is wrapped around hers. “These aren’t the hands of a surgeon.”
“There’s no way I’m cutting people open.” Unless they’re selling drugs to kids…I can make an exception for that.
“Your eyes are always moving around…you see everything.”
“Situational awareness is a good thing.” Someone should teach you some.
“Yeah, but the way you do it is different. Methodical.”
That’s because Fly beat it into our brains before he’d let us out here on our own. “That doesn’t sound like a guess.”
“Don’t rush me. I’m figuring you out.”
“That’s going to take more than a walk to class to do.” Why did I say that?
Because you want more time with her.
“We have time…you’re going to take me to lunch after class, aren’t you?”
I hadn’t thought that far ahead. The answer should be no. “Yeah.”
“Good.”
“But first, you need to tell the lady your order.”
“A pistachio latte with extra foam, please.”
That’s it? “And what do you want to eat?”
Lola raises an eyebrow at me.
“You’ve got to eat to learn.”
“Are you the same guy who warned me off yesterday?” She blinks twice and turns to the counter. “I’ll take a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant.”
Dreaming about your smile didn’t help me make better choices. I lean down and whisper in her ear, “You should have listened.”
“I only listen when I want to. Sorry, not sorry.”
That right there is why I’ve gone completely crazy for you.