“I came to see you.”
I blink up at him. “Right now? I’m on security.”
“I know. Here.” He holds out a cup.
“What is that?”
“Hot chocolate.” I stare at him and then at the cup. “It’s for you,” he says, pushing it towards me again, and I take it from him.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I stare at him, trying to figure out what’s going on. “Is this because I got you back on the team? Because you already said thank you.”
Chapter 22
Tessa
He stares down at me and doesn’t say anything for a moment. “Slater?” I prompt.
“I don’t like the idea of you wandering around campus by yourself at night.”
“But I’m equipped. I’ve got my professional walkie talkie, pepper spray, aaaand this.” I pull out my flashlight and twirl it.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“Yes. I’m here to keep you safe. It’s literally my job.”
“Then how about, I’m here to keep you company as you make your rounds.”
“You really should be sleeping,” I argue.
“I won’t be able to sleep knowing you’re wandering campus by yourself at night.”
“So, we’re at an impasse?”
He smirks down at me. “Sure. Come on.” He cocks his head. “I’ll just keep you company for a little while.”
“Just a little while,” I finally cave. “You need to get sleep.” I check my watch. “We need to walk quickly to get to my next check-in on time.” I speed up, but he keeps up with me easily. We’re both quiet as I get to the next check-in area and scan my phone. “So,” I start. When he doesn’t say anything, I glance up at him. His eyes are alert and focused on everything around us. “You can relax. Nothing ever really happens. Once in a while, there’s an intoxicated student or a lost fan; other than that, it’s pretty non-eventful.”
He glances down at me. “You have to deal with drunk students?”
I shrug. “Every once in a while. Honestly, the night shift is pretty boring. After I do my check-ins, I actually sit behind a desk for a few hours. It’s nice because I use that time to get some schoolwork done.”
“When do you catch up on sleep?”
“On the nights I work, I try to get back to my dorm right after lunch. On a good day, I can be in my bed by one and sleep until seven or so.”
“That’s only six hours of sleep.”
“Good job,” I tease him. “It is.”
“Not a lot of sleep.”
“So says the guy who’s doing security with me who didn’t sleep at all today,” I tell him.
“I’m fine. I don’t need a lot of sleep.”
