Page 31 of Wish You Were Mine (Kings of Eden Falls #3)

OWEN

I leaned against the edge of the podium and let my gaze scan the room while the students worked on the short quiz I’d handed out. Most heads were bent over their papers. A few were staring at the front of the class like they were already done and ready to turn theirs in.

And then my eyes found Lucy.

Sitting in her usual spot in the back row.

Which was probably a good thing.

I’d teased her last week about moving up to the front so she could see better—just because I’d wanted a better view of her myself. But today, I was grateful for the distance. The last thing I needed was her sitting close while every part of me was still on edge from this morning and last night.

Because I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it.

About her.

About what she said about someone following her.

I rubbed the back of my neck and glanced down at the watch on my wrist. Three minutes left.

I should’ve been prepping for tomorrow’s lab. But instead, my mind wandered back to that moment she’d shown up at my apartment. Breathless. Scared to death.

Had someone actually been stalking her?

Or had it just been bad timing? A stranger walking in the same direction? An unfortunate coincidence?

I wanted to believe it was the latter. That the guy she’d seen hadn’t meant to cause any harm. That he’d just left a building and headed the same way she was going.

That he might even live in my same building.

But the truth was…creeps existed. The university had emergency call posts for a reason.

And Lucy… She was tiny.

She’d told me she was five one, right? Maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet. And sure, I knew she was strong—she was an elite-level gymnast, after all.

But to someone looking for a target? She’d look like easy prey.

My jaw clenched as I imagined what could’ve happened if she hadn’t known where I lived. If she hadn’t recognized my building from the week before. If I hadn’t been home.

If she’d been hurt.

My stomach twisted.

No. I couldn’t let my mind go there.

Couldn’t picture her as some unsolved case on a crime show, the kind that started with “She was a promising college gymnast” and ended with too much blood and too little justice.

Even if that guy on the sidewalk had been harmless, it still wasn’t safe for her to be walking alone like that. Not that late.

Did she usually study that late? Walk home from the library in the dark?

Heck, even six o’clock was dark in winter. The cold and ice making everything feel worse—lonelier, more vulnerable.

I checked the time again .

“Two minutes left,” I called out. “If you’re already finished, you can go ahead and turn in your quiz. Otherwise, wrap it up and I’ll see you next time.”

A few students started writing faster.

Lucy’s head was still bent, her teeth lightly tugging on her bottom lip as she finished the last of her answers.

I shouldn’t have said anything. I really shouldn’t have. But the words left my mouth before I could stop them.

“And Miss Archibald—” My voice was smooth, professional, though my pulse kicked up half a beat. “Could you see me after class? I have something to discuss with you.”

Her head snapped up, eyes wide, a flicker of nerves dancing across her face.

I offered the smallest smile, hoping to wordlessly say, You’re not in trouble.

And she seemed to relax.

Barely.

When she finally stood and handed in her paper, I packed up my notes and laptop, keeping an eye on the door.

Students from the next class were already trickling in.

And since I didn’t want to call extra attention to our conversation, I caught her eye and gave a small nod toward the door. “Actually…can we chat in the hall?”

“Sure,” she said quietly, falling into step beside me.

We walked a short distance down the hall until we reached a quiet stretch near a row of closed office doors. No one lingered nearby. Just the low hum of conversation from students back in the classroom and the occasional squeak of sneakers against linoleum.

“Is something wrong?” She looked up at me, concern flickering in her eyes.

“No.” I shook my head quickly. “Nothing like that.”

I met her gaze then—those clear, steady, impossible-to-look-away-from eyes—and added, “I know you were in a rush this morning, but…I just wanted to make sure you’re doing okay. After everything.”

She hesitated, like she was weighing her answer.

Then she nodded slowly. “I was a little shaken up last night. And this morning I kind of panicked when I realized I’d fallen asleep at your place. But…I’m okay now.”

“That’s good.” Relief tugged through my chest. “Did you, uh…tell anyone about it? Your dad, maybe?”

“Oh, no. I didn’t tell him,” she said quickly, almost too quickly. “Just Nora.”

And that was when I realized what she thought I meant. That I was worried about me . My job. My reputation. That I was afraid she’d reported spending the night at my place to the university president.

Crap.

“I mean…” I shifted my stance, my voice softening. “I’d understand if you did. Of course, I’d like to be left out of it, for obvious reasons, but if telling him about the guy who was following you would help keep you safe, then I’m all for that. Honestly.”

“Oh. Okay, yeah,” she said, her shoulders relaxing a little. “I guess I just feel kind of silly making a big deal out of it when…nothing actually happened. It makes it hard to know if I was ever actually in danger.”

“I get that,” I said, though the truth was, I wasn’t totally sure I did .

Not in the way she meant. I’d never had to think twice about walking alone at night.

Not really. The only time I’d been even remotely nervous like that was when I’d gotten lost in a sketchy part of Manhattan while visiting my brother and his wife .

But Lucy?

She was small. And no matter how strong she was—which I was sure she was , based on what I’d seen of her training and the ridiculous control she had over her body in motion—she probably still looked like an easy target to someone with wrong intentions.

I cleared my throat, pulling myself back to the reason I’d asked her out here in the first place. I had another class starting soon, and I was sure she had somewhere to be, too.

“Do you usually walk home alone in the dark?”

“Sometimes.” She glanced down, like she didn’t love the question.

“Really?” I frowned. “Like regularly?”

She nodded. “I have a study group I meet with a couple nights a week. With other students in my major.”

“Do any of them live near you?” Would any of them be up to being her walking buddy on those nights?

“I don’t think so.” She scrunched her nose, thinking. “No one’s ever walked the same direction as me after study group. Not that I remember, anyway.”

Well…that wasn’t good.

It was great she had classmates to study with. But walking home in the dark? Alone? Especially now?

I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth, debating.

“What days do you usually meet?”

“Monday and Wednesday,” she said. “We usually wrap up around six thirty.”

Of course—after the sun had already set this time of year.

I nodded slowly, doing the mental math. That would usually line up with the time I was still in my office, finishing up grading or prepping for the next day.

I took a breath. “Would it help if I walked you home? I mean…I’m usually working in my office until around then, anyway. It’s no trouble to meet you.”

She blinked. “You’d walk me home?”

“Only if you want,” I said. “I just—after last night—it doesn’t feel right knowing you might be out there alone.”

She hesitated, eyebrows knitting. “Wouldn’t that look…sketchy? Us walking together a couple nights a week?”

Probably.

But I shrugged. “We’d just be walking.” Then lowering my voice, I added. “It’s not like I’d be holding your hand or kissing you or anything.”

The words were out before I could stop them.

Her eyes went wide. And then pink bloomed high on her cheeks.

Which…yeah. I felt that heat slide up my neck, too.

Because I remembered last night. The way she’d looked in my kitchen in that oversized sweatshirt. Her hair in her signature messy bun, her mouth slightly parted.

The way I’d almost leaned in before coming to my senses.

She bit her lip, which made me wonder if she was picturing that moment, too. Then she said, “I guess that could be okay. I mean…you’re friends with Theo. If someone said something, you could just say you were looking out for your friend’s little sister.”

“Right,” I said, grasping onto that reason. “So, if you just text me when you’re leaving and where you’ll be, I can meet you.”

She looked like she was trying to decide if this was overkill.

“I don’t want to pressure you,” I added. “If you think I’m being overprotective, I get it. I just?—”

“No, it’s fine,” she said, cutting me off. “I was really scared last night. Honestly, I get scared a lot when I’m walking alone. So this…might be nice. ”

“Okay. Good.” I let out a slow breath.

“So, if you’re really up to it…” she said, biting her lip, “I’m meeting with my study group in the student center lounge tonight. The one across from the dining hall. So, I can let you know when I’m done.”

“Perfect,” I said. “Just text me when you’re heading out and I’ll be there.”