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“No, I’m good.” Destiny took in and let out a deep breath. “I need you to watch your back today.”
Surprised at her friend’s serious tone, Haven turned and leaned against the counter, finding Destiny’s face tense. “Now you sound like my dad,” she told her. “Why the warning?”
“Come on.” Destiny turned to pull the sweet Italian cream coffee creamer from the refrigerator. “Hope and I are both worried about what Brayden might do today if he finds you alone.” She sat the creamer on the counter and grabbed Haven’s hands, a scowl marring her expression. “He’s got a bad reputation.”
Haven squeezed her friend’s hands. She loved Destiny and Hope like they were her own sisters—maybe more, if that was possible. This was one of the reasons why. They all looked out for each other. “If he’s stupid enough to try something again, I’ll handle it just like I did Friday night.”
“He was drunk Friday night.”
“So?”
“So, I’m sure he’s sober by now. He’s also big, and mean, and he thinks the world owes him whatever he wants.” Destiny leveled her gaze at her. “You told him no. You also embarrassed him.”
“Well, he shouldn’t have been such an asshole.” Haven laughed, but Destiny didn’t join in. If anything, her expression darkened even more.
“That’s right. He’s an asshole, but an asshole who outweighs you by nearly two hundred pounds—all of it muscle.” Destiny squeezed Haven’s hands again before letting them go. “Just watch out. I don’t want to have to go to jail for murder if he touches you.” One side of her mouth turned up in a grin. “And you know I’d do it.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want that, now would we?” She pulled Destiny in for a hug, smiling into her friend’s straightened black hair. “We all know orange isn’t your best color.”
* * *
“I still can’t believe you found them making out in the stacks,” Haven said, laughing with the other two student workers closing up the library, puffs of white filling the night air between them. The temperature had done a major drop, and after only a few seconds of being outside she had already begun shivering. She shut and locked the main double doors and gave the handles a little jiggle.
“Yeah,” Heather said, shaking her head. “Right there in front of the human physiology section.”
“Would that be considered irony?” Haven and her coworkers started down the steps, each of them still chuckling
Mark stopped Haven with a hand on her arm when they reached the sidewalk. “Are you sure we can’t walk with you?” he said, frowning past her. He was sweet, but it was late and she didn’t want to put him or Heather out by making them spend any more time than necessary out in the bitter cold.
“I’m positive. You guys are just over there.” She nodded toward Hampton and Fields Halls sitting side by side—only a five-minute walk, where hers was a good fifteen using the sidewalks that were better lit instead of the parking lot.
“What if we go get my car and drive you over?” Heather offered, pulling her long coat around her.
“Heather, you’re freezing. Get home.” The lights were bright in front of the library, and she could see their cheeks and noses were already turning red. “I’ll be fine.” She gave them both a playful nudge. “Go, get thee to some heat.”
Heather hesitated—her indecision clear until a gust of wind hit them. “Okay, but be careful,” she said before taking off at a brisk pace.
“If you’re sure.” Mark still seemed hesitant. He glanced over his shoulder at the quickly retreating Heather and then back at Haven saying, “Just be careful,” before turning and following after the other girl. “Hey, wait up.”
“Be careful. Be careful…” she groused, watching them leave. “Why is everyone telling me to be careful lately?” She huddled down into her leather bomber jacket and started in the opposite direction—ready to get in her warm bed.
“I should’ve driven.”
She was tired and it had been a long afternoon and evening. The library closed at eleven, but by the time the three of them had gotten the last of the stragglers—including the lovebirds—out and gathered loose books to put on carts for shelving in the morning, it had been close to midnight before they’d left the building.
She hefted her purse higher on her shoulder and contemplated calling Destiny or Hope to come pick her up but decided against it. Besides, by the time they got up, put on clothes, and drove to the library, she could already be there. She wrapped her arms around herself and started down the sidewalk.
Fifteen minutes in the cold wasn’t going to kill her.
But from now on, she needed to pay more attention to the weather. If she had, she might have at least worn a heavier and longer coat. She’d zipped up the front of her jacket over her bulky sweater, but the biting cold had gone right through what she’d thought that morning had made a cute fashion statement.
Now, not so much.
Well at least her feet weren’t freezing. Destiny could fuss all she wanted, but these Mukluks were worth their weight in gold at the moment. She huddled deeper into her jacket. “I’mdefinitelydriving next week.” This walking across campus by herself in the dark and freezing cold was for the birds.
She took another couple of steps and then stopped and perused the nearly empty parking lot—then faced the nice, well-lit route she normally took on the sidewalk at night and grimaced—then back. She could just make out the outline of Fischer Hall past the few poles pooling small circles of light here and there, beckoning her to just do it. She took a hesitant step toward it but stopped. Her dad would blow a gasket if he knew she was even contemplating walking across anotwell-lit area—even if it would slice a good ten minutes off her time cutting through it, maybe more if she hustled.
A particularly hard, cold wind hit her. Okay, this wasn’t the time to wonder WWDSD—What Would Duncan Sheppard Do. She stepped off the curb and fast-walked across the road to the parking lot. “Okay, Haven, just hoof it.”