I held his stare, weighing whether the information was worth the trade. “Finance,” I said eventually, my voice clipped. “Accounting.”
He went quiet. Not the distant quiet from before, but an evaluating one, like he was running the data through a simulator.
I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t act so surprised. I know how to balance a ledger.”
“I’m not surprised,” he said, his voice dropping into that low, observant tone. “It fits. Safe choice. Structured.Predictable.”
“You make it sound like I’m boring.”
“I didn't say boring,” he countered, his mouth curving faintly. “I said safe. You like knowing where the walls are. You like knowing exactly how much things cost before you pay for them.”
“You don’t know anything about why I chose it,” I snapped, my pace quickening. “And you’re still dodging. Was sitting in the dark outside a bowling alley part of your structure? Becausefrom where I was, it looked like you were struggling with the concept of an entrance.”
Dominic didn't flinch. He just gave a small, effortless shrug. “I told you. I like admiring the scenery. It was a very... industrial-chic parking lot. Very avant-garde.”
The sheer ridiculousness of him trying to sell a parking lot as 'avant-garde' caught me in the throat. A dry, startled laugh escaped me before I could choke it back. I shook my head, looking at the pavement. “You’re unbelievable.”
“I’ve been told,” he murmured, and for a second, the edge between us softened.
I felt his focus linger on the side of my face, heavier than it had been a moment ago. I could almost feel him marking the win. That thought alone was enough to shove me back behind my usual defenses. I straightened my neck, facing forward and fixing my stare on the library clock tower in the distance.
“I prefer consistency,” I said, my voice reclaiming its edge. “And I don’t have time for a Valerio’s mood swings. I have school and work.”
Speaking of, I reached into my bag to pull out my notebook, my fingers searching for the spiral edge. They hit nothing but the bottom of the tote. I did a quick, blind sweep, then another.
Shit.
I stopped, my hand still buried in the bag. I didn't need to dump it out to know. I could see the exact spot on the desk where I’d left it.
“Great.” I muttered, more to myself than him. The brief flash of humor from a moment ago was gone, replaced by a sharp spike of genuine annoyance. I didn't wait for his commentary as I spun on my heel, already heading back the way we’d come. “I left my notebook in the lecture hall.”
He didn’t comment. He just pivoted smoothly and fell back into step beside me.
"Are you still here?" I asked, not slowing down as we hit the steps. "Does the loitering have a scheduled end time, or is this a full-day commitment?"
"I already told you I’m a fan of scenery," he said, his voice a dry hum. "A university is very polished. Very... academic."
"Right. You’re a scholar at heart." I reached the heavy doors of the lecture hall and yanked the handle. It didn't budge. I yanked again, harder. "Are you kidding me? It’s two in the afternoon."
"Try the other one, Shortcut."
"It's locked. They must have—"
He reached past me, his arm brushing my shoulder, and pulled the left-side handle. It opened with a smooth, effortless creak.
I stood there, hand still frozen on the locked right door. I could feel the laughter in his eyes without even looking at him. I shot him a silent, scathing glare—the kind that should have burned on impact—and marched past him into the dim room.
"I remember the security being a bit more thorough back in my day," he murmured, his footsteps echoing behind me. "Used to check the handles every hour on the hour."
A snort escaped me as I headed for my row. "Your day? You were here for what, probably a semester? I’m surprised you even stayed long enough to learn where the buildings were."
"I learned enough."
The spiral binding caught my eye from the desk, and I snatched it up, relief hitting hard enough that for a second, he disappeared from my mind entirely. Almost. I turned, notebook in hand, ready to get out. "Okay, let's go before—"
Heavy footsteps thudded in the hallway. A jingle of keys.
"Thought I heard voices in here," a gruff voice called out.
