Page 26 of Our Covenant

“Very. And I have pepper spray if you need further convincing.” I take a small step back, but he follows, invading my space and making my head swim.

“Point made.” His voice lowers. “I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with seeing you in my dreams.”

Air catches in my throat, but in the time it takes for my brain and mouth to reconnect, he’s gone. He rejoins Thorne and the two of them wander off to finish their workouts. I disappear into the locker room, forgo a shower, and dress as quickly as I can before rushing to the front door.

I wasn’t expecting to have to add Fox to my plans just yet, not before making a lasting impression on Asher. I could wait for class, but then Fox and Thorne could find him before I do. I can’t let that happen. Without looking back, I dash out the door and cross campus.

13

THORNE

Igive Elsbeth a few seconds head start before I jog after her. I don’t stop at my locker, knowing my anxiety won’t settle until I talk to her, alone.

When I step outside, puffs of steam billow from my mouth as I scan the quad. She has class this morning; she won’t head back to her apartment. But where did she go?

I need to get back before Fox finishes his warmup on the treadmill. After I block the morning sun with my hand, finally, I spot her crossing the lawn toward the law library in Langdell.

By the time I catch up to her, she’s already hiking up the stairs.

Of all the libraries on campus, this one is the busiest, nestled between lecture halls and dormitories. There are plenty of witnesses roaming around. The renovation done back in the early 2000s took out most of the old, dark wood that spreads through the rest of the buildings. Tall windows bring in the mellow autumn light from outside but are no match for the bright, fluorescent, recessed lighting scattered on each level.

I wait for Elsbeth’s perfect ass to disappear before I tread up the stairs after her. It takes me a moment to find her but she’s propped up a small round mirror on a shelf half-way down an empty row of books. She dabs her finger on the top of her lipstick before tapping her bottom lip then rolling it over the top to spread the pigment. The residue on her finger doesn’t go to waste as she rubs it across the apples of her cheeks before snapping the compact shut.

It’s like watching the drama department from behind the scenes. One moment, she’s affixing her costume and getting into character, and the next she’s frantically searching her bag with panicked concern on her face.

She takes out her phone but doesn’t seem to touch the screen before she says, “Crap!”

Her voice carries a little too loud and the heads of half a dozen students turn toward her, including . . . Asher.

“No, it’s fine. I just lost my paper and need to find it before class.”

She drops her bookbag, water bottle, and laptop on the table before rushing to the nearest row of books. Grabbing three random volumes, she jogs back to her table, and I watch as Asher glances her way over the top of his laptop screen.

I think she’s missed her calling, because even I want to jump to her side to ease her chaos. She doesn’t need books. She doesn’t need to be on her phone either. But it’s the scene she’s set, and the trap works just as she hoped.

“I’m just so behind,” Elsbeth complains to—I’m assuming—an imaginary phone friend. “The midterm paper is going to kill my grade if I don’t get my shit together.”

Her footing faulters as she sits, and one of the books tips out of her free arm and onto the cluttered surface of the oversized table. Another slips off as if on cue and falls to the floor next to Asher’s foot, and like the curious asshole he is, he picks it up to assist the distressed damsel.

“Shit, I have to go.” Elsbeth’s voice echoes as she slaps her phone face down next to the pile of books. “Thank you. I’m a total disaster today.”

Asher isn’t soft spoken normally, but his deeper baritone doesn’t reach me as easily as her voice does across the room. Doing my best to look as inconspicuous as I can in a ripped gym tank top, I move closer; keeping to the rows of books until I’m only a few feet away between the stacks.

“Sure, no problem,” he says, but it sounds like a question.

“Elsbeth, are you alright?” one of their classmates sitting with Asher’s study group pipes up. “Sorry to pry, but did you say you were behind on your midterm paper?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be except my damn computer ate the progress I made. Now my whole thesis is gone.” Elsbeth wraps her arms around herself and pouts, making a show of what has to be false despair.

We’ve been talking for weeks about her studies, and that paper was almost finished and safely backed up on two jump drives because as she stated, “I’m paranoid.”

“I could take a look,” Asher offers like he’s unsure he should be. “My roommate is a computer wizard and I’ve picked up a few tricks.”

He’s talking about Fox, and my choice to come alone is confirmed because there’s no way Fox would be able to stand back and watch this unfold without bursting into laughter.

“Really?” Her eyes widen for him. “That’s so sweet of you, if you have the time.”

I pan his study group, who all exchange looks. They’re all thinking that Elsbeth is having some sort of mental break. Even Asher has been stressed over this assignment. He’s spent every weekend this semester working on it. Every last one of them would rather jump off the admin building than flunk a class this close to graduation.