Page 19 of Where We Met

"Who is that guy?" I demand.

She looks up at me. "Oh, uh, he's my ex. We dated for a couple months last semester."

"Has he ever hurt you, Savannah?" I struggle to get the words out, fearing the answer.

Her eyes open wide in surprise. "No, no, of course not. Actually, this is a side of him I've never seen before."

"I don't like the idea of you walking alone on campus at night," I tell her honestly, omitting the fact that it literally makes my stomach churn thinking about anything happening to her.

"It's okay. I don't think he would actually do anything. Plus, I don't really have much of a choice. I've gotta go to class," she says with a smile.

"Here." I reach my hand out before I can stop myself. "Give me your phone."

She looks puzzled as she grabs her phone out of her coat pocket and extends it toward me.

"Can you get into your contacts first?" I add before taking the phone from her.

"What're you doing?"

"I'm giving you my phone number. I don't live far from campus. If anything happens that scares you or makes you feel uncomfortable, I want you to run into the nearest building and call me. I'll walk with you to your car." I start to type my information into her phone.

"You don't have to do that," she begins to argue, but I put my hand up.

"Please, Savannah. We're talking about your safety here. It's not a big deal to reach out to someone for help once in a while. Promise me you will use it if you need to."

She sighs. "I promise. Thank you for being so nice. Between this and the gift card, I don't know how to repay you."

"Your safety is payment enough for me."

She rolls her eyes. "You're not making it easy to find you any less attractive."

I laugh. "I'll text you a list of all my unappealing qualities."

"That would be much appreciated."

We both stand in comfortable silence while we smile at each other. I know the next person to speak is going to have to put an end to this, which is why I let the moment continue.

Savannah shrugs her shoulders. "Well, I should get going. Thanks again for everything. I'll see you on Monday."

"Goodnight, Savannah. Be safe."

She nods her head and then gets in her car. I stand stuck in my spot as I watch her pull out and drive away, the cold weather momentarily forgotten. As soon as I come to, I make the short trek back to my car and hop in. Somehow, my coffee is still warm. All of that happened in the span of minutes, but any time I spend with Savannah feels like the world comes to a stop.

On the drive home, my thoughts drift to images of her. She has occupied much of my thoughts since the moment I met her, and the distance I've tried to put between the two of us doesn't seem to have diminished anything I’m feeling.

A twelve-year age difference isn't that much, right? I mean, Alexis and Gabe are fourteen years apart, and neither I nor anyone in our family ever blinked an eye at their relationship.

If I just manage to keep my distance until the semester is over, maybe I can consider asking her out. She'll be graduated, and I'll likely be done with my time as an adjunct at the school. I just need to keep our relationship strictly professional until then.

I can do that… can't I?

Chapter Seven

Savannah

"Comeon,Bailey,"Iwhisper in the cold, dark night. "Hurry up and go potty."

Bailey sniffs around the small grass patch on the sidewalk, seeming unhappy with her only choice of grass to pee on. I'm right outside my sketchy apartment building but refuse to walk any further away at this time of night.

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