Page 10 of Follows with Intent

“Because he’s a cop.”

Maya didn’t snort, but the cool non-response sounded like one anyway.

“And I don’t date cops. Not anymore.”

“Not after big, bad, and brooding, you mean.”

“Not after Emery. Exactly.”

“That’s not a reason. Why not?”

Nico scowled and yanked the door open for her. They’d been friends since their first year in grad school together, and while Maya had, since then, finished her master’s degree and started a Ph.D. program at Notre Dame, they’d stayed close. It helped that their overlapping research interests brought them together—there weren’t that many people working on Christian existentialism.

The downside was that she’d known Nico long enough to have seen some of his less desirable phases. And, of course, that she could call him on his bullshit.

“Because,” Nico said, lowering his voice as he followed her inside, “I’m busy. Did you think about that?”

“Oh my God.”

They followed the hall, checking room numbers as they went. Like the rest of the campus, the old neogothic building was chilly even with the heat (theoretically) on, and their steps rang out on the ancient flagstone floor. It even smelled cold, if that was a thing—which Nico was pretty sure it was.

“I’m serious. I’ve got to finish this degree; I can’t keep dicking around forever.”

“He said.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing.” She offered a saccharine smile. “Go on.”

“I’ve got to finish my paper for the seminar.”

That stopped her.

“I mean—” Nico tried.

“You haven’t finished your paper?”

“I wrote—”

“For this seminar? The one that we’re at? Right now?”

“See—”

“Where you’re going to have a chance to submit said paper to be included in a collection edited by some of the top scholars in our field?”

“Yes, but—”

“But only, Nicolás, after you present said paper in seminar and have it ruthlessly ripped to shreds. In a loving and constructive way. That paper?”

Nico’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah, that paper.”

“You’re self-sabotaging. That’s always been the problem.” And she whirled away.

“I’m not self-sabotaging,” Nico said as he trailed after her. “I’m almost done. It’s, like, ninety percent done. Ninety-five. And it’s good. I mean, I know it’s still going to get ripped apart, but it’s good, Maya.”

“He’s an adult,” Maya said when Nico caught up to her.

Nico groaned.

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