“Just the weekend,” I said. “Before was the retrospective.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “About that, I want to apologize. I don’t want to get in between you and Serenity.”
I snorted. “I think that’s the only thing there’s mutual agreement on.”
He cleared his throat. “So am I forgiven?”
I shook my head. “You’ve done nothing wrong to me. All that is between you and Serenity.”
“Then we’re good.” His smile returned. “Then, are you free this Saturday? There’s a concert being held at one of the parks nearby.”
“The one by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra?”
“Yeah, I thought it might be something we both enjoy. I’ll even bring dinner.”
I glanced away from his eyes before I became too lost in their depths. Serenity’s words echoed in my mind. As much as I wanted to, this was going nowhere. At the end of the year, I would return home with my aunt, and he would head back to California. By the end of the summer, he wouldn’t even remember the college girl he’d wooed, no matter how special he swore I was. I glanced at my car. Besides, I had bigger problems to concentrate on.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said softly.
H tilted his head. “Is this because of Serenity?”
“No,” I said. “Maybe. A little.”
He followed my gaze across the parking lot and back to me. “Is something wrong? You seem nervous.”
“Nothing.” I snapped my gaze back at him. “It’s just things aren’t going to work out between us.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “You decided this after one semi-date?”
“And a few other things.”
“You just said you weren’t angry.” He crossed his arms.
“I’m not, but this isn’t going anywhere. I don’t want to be another girl you leave behind.”
He stepped closer, his green eyes trapping me. “Have I ever hinted you would be?”
“I see how fast you go through women by the news alone.” I gave a small high pitched laugh. “Your reputation speaks for you.”
He stuck his hands in his pockets, and his jaw tightened. “Serenity.”
“She said something, but it’s nothing I couldn’t figure out. It’s better if we just keep this professional.” I turned away.
He grabbed my arm at the elbow. “Cassi …”
His next words were broken by a scream that cut across the quad.
Chapter 12
I ran down the sidewalk toward Turner Hall with Mercer not far behind me. A crowd had formed outside, and everyone was looking up. I stopped and rested my hands on my knees as I panted. Running in the morning heat had sucked away my stamina. Frightened an excited murmurs passed through the crowd. James stood on the ledge of the roof with his face raised to the sky.
“How did that idiot get up there?” I pushed through the crowd toward the side.
“Cassi, wait.” Mercer’s fingertips brushed my wrist, but I pulled away.
I yanked open the door and took the stairs up to the highest floor. The squeak of metal echoed below. I wasn’t the only one driven to action. The door to the roof access was close to the side stairs. The handle wiggled under my grasp, but it wouldn’t budge. I had to find someone with keys.
I turned, my body moving before I had a clear thought on where to go, and my foot twisted out from under me. I tumbled and lay sprawled in the corridor. That’s how Mercer found me when he cleared the top of the stairs.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “Say something.”
“I’m fine.”
I sat up and scanned the hall for my assailant, which turned out to be a mop fallen from the wheeled bucket. Mercer held out his hand, and I grabbed it, pulling myself up.
“Doors locked.” I nodded to the roof access. “We need to find the lazy janitor who left this here.”
He stared at the bucket to the door with narrowed eyes. “He’s probably long gone by now. Let me try the door.”
“What you think you can talk it into opening?”
“See if there’s any professors here who may have a set of keys.”
I turned to go down the hall. Come to think of it, why had no teachers or students come pouring out from the classrooms? They had to have heard all the commotion. Sure it was early, but morning classes were about to begin. I flung open the door of the nearest room and gasped. Students were slumped over their desks. Some had fallen out of their chairs and onto the floor. Snores echoed through the room. The teacher was laid out next to the podium with his lecture papers strewn about him. I took a step back and gritted my teeth.
“Cassi, I got it,” Mercer called.