think of was unnatural . It was like something—or someone, she thought idly—actually blocked the memories, at least for a moment.
But that didn’t make any sense, either.
Did it?
She sighed, walking out of the library and into the brisk afternoon air. At the sound of her name, she turned to see Nick climbing the steps to meet her. “Pulled the short straw again?” she joked as they turned to walk toward the dorms. She only had a few minutes before she had to head to work.
“Nah, I don’t mind,” Nick said, dark eyes crinkling with a smile. “But I needed to talk to you about tonight.”
“What about it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Campus security is pulling everyone to work the concert, and I checked with the local P.D., and they can’t help us out either. There’s no one assigned to you.”
The college was hosting a big charity concert at the football stadium. Ava would have liked to attend but couldn’t get the time off work. It was just as well, since it was a Thursday night, and she had classes the following day—although she was sure attendance would be pretty low across campus, anyway.
She shrugged. “That’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’ll just get someone from the partner program.”
“You promise you will?” Nick had become rather protective of Ava. She supposed being the first one she went to about the attack made him feel a bit responsible for her safety.
Ava rolled her eyes. “I swear,” she said, holding up a hand in a mock Girl Scout salute as they reached her dorm. “I need to change and drop off my books. I’ll be back in a sec.”
Nick nodded, leaning back against the wall next to the door as he swept the surrounding area with his gaze, then checked something on his phone. When Ava returned a few minutes later, he fell into step next to her. They chatted idly, and he followed her into the diner for a piece of pie before leaving her alone.
“Don’t forget to call for an escort,” he reminded her, and Ava held up her phone in reply, dialing the number and leaving a message when nobody answered.
The rest of the afternoon and evening passed relatively quietly—busy, but not so much so that Ava felt overwhelmed. That all changed when the concert ended, however, and crowds of excited fans filled the booths and tables. Jake asked her to stay an extra hour or two, and by the time they finally shut the doors, Ava was dead on her feet.
When she checked her phone for a response from the partner program, however, she found none, and a second call went straight to voice mail. It was after eleven, and other than Jake, everyone had left for the evening. She could ask Jake for a ride, she supposed, but he’d be cleaning up for at least another hour, and she was exhausted and just wanted to get to bed. It would be hard enough to wake up for her morning classes as it was.
“Problem, Ava?” Jake asked as she frowned at her phone. She forced a smile.
“Nah. I’m fine.” She bit her lip, weighing her options. A cab, maybe? She dialed the partner line one last time.
Voice mail.
“You heading home soon?” Jake asked as he wiped his hands on a towel. He glanced toward the door. “Looks like your buddy’s here.”
Surprised, Ava followed his gaze to find Caleb standing outside the front door, hands jammed in his pockets as he shifted on his feet nervously. He lifted a hand in a slight wave, shrugging with a small smile. Ava hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and unlocked the door.
“Uh . . . we’re closed,” she said, unsure of what else to say.
Caleb rolled his eyes. “I know that. The Closed sign was a dead giveaway,” he said, waving toward the dark front windows. “I was passing by and saw you through the window.” He looked down at his feet, his cheeks flushing slightly. “I didn’t see any police around, so thought you might need someone to walk with you. You know, just in case . . . or whatever,” he finished lamely, not meeting her eyes.
Ava
But that didn’t make any sense, either.
Did it?
She sighed, walking out of the library and into the brisk afternoon air. At the sound of her name, she turned to see Nick climbing the steps to meet her. “Pulled the short straw again?” she joked as they turned to walk toward the dorms. She only had a few minutes before she had to head to work.
“Nah, I don’t mind,” Nick said, dark eyes crinkling with a smile. “But I needed to talk to you about tonight.”
“What about it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Campus security is pulling everyone to work the concert, and I checked with the local P.D., and they can’t help us out either. There’s no one assigned to you.”
The college was hosting a big charity concert at the football stadium. Ava would have liked to attend but couldn’t get the time off work. It was just as well, since it was a Thursday night, and she had classes the following day—although she was sure attendance would be pretty low across campus, anyway.
She shrugged. “That’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’ll just get someone from the partner program.”
“You promise you will?” Nick had become rather protective of Ava. She supposed being the first one she went to about the attack made him feel a bit responsible for her safety.
Ava rolled her eyes. “I swear,” she said, holding up a hand in a mock Girl Scout salute as they reached her dorm. “I need to change and drop off my books. I’ll be back in a sec.”
Nick nodded, leaning back against the wall next to the door as he swept the surrounding area with his gaze, then checked something on his phone. When Ava returned a few minutes later, he fell into step next to her. They chatted idly, and he followed her into the diner for a piece of pie before leaving her alone.
“Don’t forget to call for an escort,” he reminded her, and Ava held up her phone in reply, dialing the number and leaving a message when nobody answered.
The rest of the afternoon and evening passed relatively quietly—busy, but not so much so that Ava felt overwhelmed. That all changed when the concert ended, however, and crowds of excited fans filled the booths and tables. Jake asked her to stay an extra hour or two, and by the time they finally shut the doors, Ava was dead on her feet.
When she checked her phone for a response from the partner program, however, she found none, and a second call went straight to voice mail. It was after eleven, and other than Jake, everyone had left for the evening. She could ask Jake for a ride, she supposed, but he’d be cleaning up for at least another hour, and she was exhausted and just wanted to get to bed. It would be hard enough to wake up for her morning classes as it was.
“Problem, Ava?” Jake asked as she frowned at her phone. She forced a smile.
“Nah. I’m fine.” She bit her lip, weighing her options. A cab, maybe? She dialed the partner line one last time.
Voice mail.
“You heading home soon?” Jake asked as he wiped his hands on a towel. He glanced toward the door. “Looks like your buddy’s here.”
Surprised, Ava followed his gaze to find Caleb standing outside the front door, hands jammed in his pockets as he shifted on his feet nervously. He lifted a hand in a slight wave, shrugging with a small smile. Ava hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and unlocked the door.
“Uh . . . we’re closed,” she said, unsure of what else to say.
Caleb rolled his eyes. “I know that. The Closed sign was a dead giveaway,” he said, waving toward the dark front windows. “I was passing by and saw you through the window.” He looked down at his feet, his cheeks flushing slightly. “I didn’t see any police around, so thought you might need someone to walk with you. You know, just in case . . . or whatever,” he finished lamely, not meeting her eyes.
Ava
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