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“So can I walk you back?” He interrupts my mind and attempts to force me to remember.
I stare at him for a moment. Can I trust him? He seems harmless, but most people do before they reveal their monstrous side hidden inside them. But he does have a point. A girl has gone missing in the area and while I am tough, I need to take care of myself.
“On one condition,” I say, hoping I’m not making a huge mistake. “You jog back with me. Not walk.”
He grins. “It’s a deal.”
* * *
I tie my jacket around my waist and stuff my beanie into one of the pockets before we take off. Wylder keeps his promise and jogs with me. We talk the entire way, which is normally not something I do during my cool down, but it works.
The sky has grown dark by the time we reach the main road that runs through town, but the glow of the local shops and stores create an adequate amount of light. A band is playing in one of the coffee shops too, and the alternative edgy lyrics and rhythm drift out into the cool night air.
“I love this town,” Wylder remarks as we pause at a stop light.
I push the crosswalk button and wait for the sign to give the go ahead to cross. “It’s okay.”
He leans against the pole. “Just okay?”
“Yeah, it works for now. But when I graduate, I’m leaving.” I step off the curb as the crosswalk sign changes. “I’m not sure where to yet.”
He follows me, dodging around a pothole in the road. “I’ll eventually have to leave this place too. Well, that is, if I get drafted.”
“If?” I make a show of rolling my eyes and then laugh. “Word on the street is you definitely will.”
He observes me from the corner of his eye. “Have you watched me play?”
I half shrug as I swing around someone walking on the sidewalk. “I’ve watched a few games,” I tell him as I return to his side.
His gaze continues to dissect me. “Why do I get the feeling you’re messing with me about something?”
I spin around and jog backwards in front of him. “Why would I ever do that?”
He laughs, his eyes crinkling around the corners. “I feel like you do that more than you don’t.”
“You’ve only known me for like an hour.”
“So? You’ve messed with a large percentage of that hour.”
“True.” I spin back around as we near the campus.
While it’s dark, plenty of people are still wandering around on the sidewalks and some are sitting on the benches that line the quad. The domed brick entryway to the school is lit up with lights and a huge banner is strung up above it, announcing some sort of concert is taking place tonight.
“Which one’s your dorm building?” he asks. “Wait, all freshmen are in the same one, right?”
I nod and we veer right, heading toward my building. We arrive about a minute later, and I dig my keycard out of the pocket of my hoodie. One of my air pods falls out as I do and he picks it up for me as I swipe the card.
“Thanks for jogging back with me,” I tell him as I pull open the door.
A smile twitches at his lips as he hands me the air pod. “Did you just give me a genuine thank you?”
“Maybe.” I take the air pod from him and stuff it back into my pocket. “Don’t get too excited, though. I’m probably just tired from my run. I’ll be more on my game tomorrow.”
His smile broadens. “Because you’ll be at my get together?”
“That’s not what I meant.” I step inside the building.
He places his hand on the door, stopping it from shutting. “But you implied that you’d see me tomorrow and since that’s the only place you’ll see me, it means you have to come.”
