Page 7 of The Game
The threat finally has Darryl turning around to check out his adversary. When he catches sight of the tall guy with a bulky build, he finally comes to his senses.
I gasp as pain shoots through my muscles with his last squeeze before he lets go, taking a step back and holding his hands up.
“Fine. But this isn’t over, Jazmin.” My fingers are shaky, rubbing up and down my arms to ease the throb while I pull in a shuddering breath. His eyes are bright and intense with promise.
As he steps away, the streetlamp illuminates my rescuer clearly enough to see him for the first time. The shadows cut his face in sharp lines, but the menace in his dark eyes has softened to kindness and concern. A flare of recognition flashes in my brain. It’s him. The guy who told off my asshole customer last week. Well, that’s two rescues. He really is my knight in shining armor. Or orange iridescent vest, I guess.
His partner steps up beside him, holding her hands up, palms open as she moves closer to me. She smiles. “Hi, I’m Jenna. This is Cole. We’re with the Campus Walk Safe program.” She holds up the badge hanging on a yellow lanyard around her neck, so I can see the ID and matching picture. She nods at the guy who holds up his badge for my inspection. “We’d be happy to walk you wherever you’re headed. Did you need anything else?”
I shake my head, studying his name above the picture on his tag. Cole Schaeffer. Why does that sound familiar? “No. I’m good.” At least I will be when I reach the safety of my house. “I’m headed for the bus stop.”
Cole’s scratching away in a small notebook with a pen while we chat, waiting for the number five bus to arrive. He looks up when he’s finished. “Was that guy really your boyfriend?”
“Yes. No. He used to be. We broke up at the end of last school year.”
“Did you want me to write a report about this?” His tone is gruff, and his pen stills, hovering over the pad.
“No. It’s fine. He didn’t really do anything.”
But that’s the problem, isn’t it? He never really did anything. He made me feel small. He hurt my feelings. He separated me from my friends. But it’s not like he ever hit me or anything. Just that one time, he shoved me. The reason I finally came to my senses and broke up with him last year. I rub at my arms where I’m sure he left bruises. Plus that. How did I let it get to that point?
And now what am I going to do? I’m sure he won’t just leave things be, and I won’t always have someone around to protect me.
I’ll just be more careful not to go places alone. Especially at night. And I’m blocking his number immediately. Something I should have done months ago.
I’m idly twirling a lock of hair around my fingers. It’s a little greasy from another day at work. That’s a situation I need to fix as soon as I get home. That’ll be nice. A long, hot shower. The image pops into my head of steamy water streaming over my body, and it soothes my anxious brain until I wonder what he would look like there with me. Um, what? No. Did I not just get an unwelcome visit from the reason dating is a bad life choice for me? Sure, he’s good looking, but my red flag radar is clearly nonexistent. I need to figure that out before I jump into anything new. Maybe I’ll be ready in a decade or two.
Twin bright lights cut through the darkness accompanied by the roaring swoosh of my bus pulling up. Thank goodness.
“Here. Take this.”
Cole holds out a card to me and I reach for it, fingers brushing mine in a brief touch that grounds me, helps calm my nerves.
“It’s the number for the Walk Safe program, plus a QR code to download the app. You can request an escort right from there.”
“Thanks. I will. And thanks… for everything.” My eyes are locked on his dark ones, but I’m not sure if he remembers the help he gave me the other day. They give nothing away.
“You’re welcome. Ride safe,” Jenna pipes in.
The bus doors open with a swish and I hurry to clamber up the steps, scanning my pass before sliding into a cracked plastic seat near the front. Nothing more glamorous than the city bus.
Chapter 4
Smash Or Pass
Cole
“Where were you lastnight, Coco?” Grant whizzes by, spinning around to skate backward.
My knuckles whiten as I squeeze the stick I’m holding high above my head. The stretch pulls at the tight muscles of my upper back and shoulders. If I could get away with killing Grant and burying his body in the ice pile out back, I would. Unfortunately, he’s a solid scorer, so we can’t exactly afford to lose him.
“None of your business.”
“I’d say he was out partying, but that might hurt my feelings if he chose to party without us. Probably at the library reading one of those philosophy books that’s thicker than my dick,” Beau chimes in.
“Maybe thicker than yours, but not mine.” Jenson can’t help but chime in.
“You wish,” Dev says with a snort, dropping to the ice to do some frog stretches.