The Speed of Light: A Novel(50)

Hayley’s face is ashen. “What . . . what do I say?”

“Just—shooter on campus.” Her eyes widen. “Do it, Hayley.”

She starts tapping at my phone, and I dial 9 on the receiver—then Nikki moans again. “Gmmph.” Her voice is thick, slurred.

“Shh,” I say, dialing 1.

“Go,” Nikki says clearly. “You . . . need . . . to . . . go.” Her face twists in pain with the effort.

“The hell we will.” I meet Hayley’s eyes—daring her or absolving her, I’m not sure—but she says nothing.

“Get . . . help,” Nikki says.

“I won’t leave you.” My voice catches, hand hovering over the 1.

“Please.” A tear escapes her eye. “Tell Claudia I love her.”

I shake my head, spit out my reply through gritted teeth. “You tell her yourself.” I hit the second 1 and cradle the phone to my ear, the shrill ring seeming to stretch on forever.

Then I hear another sound.

A creak just outside the office door, followed by another.

Footsteps.





CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

July 1, five months before

Footsteps pad across the grass, and I look up, smiling through squinting eyes as Nikki plops down next to me on the quad. It’s a gorgeous summer day on campus, the sun beating down on lush green grass and a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the stately elms that surround us. We found some shade, so I don’t even have to worry about the heat sensitivity the stern neuro nurse has warned me about.

Besides, right now I’m holding the best summer cooling measure ever: a chocolate ice cream cone. Compliments of Stan, “For making it through another academic year.” It’s also the end of the fiscal year—July always brings a sigh of relief across campus, when budgets are fresh, contracts renewed. Every department gets a clean slate. If only life worked that way.

Today, our department is enjoying this impromptu ice cream break on the campus green—even if hanging out with your boss can be awkward sometimes.

Stan flashes a cheery smile. “Now that it’s July, we can start making our wish list for the year again.”

“Does that mean we can attend that higher education marketing conference in Orlando I mentioned last month?” Nikki is the picture of sincerity, but I know she’s messing with him.

Stan chuckles nervously. “Uh, budgets are still a little tight for that. I was thinking more along the lines of office supplies—I need a new phone, for instance, since mine seems to be on the fritz. So if you need anything like that, just let me know.”

I nod. “Will do.”

Stan’s smile returns. “Anyone have exciting Fourth of July plans?” He’s dropped a glob of ice cream on his yellow polo without realizing it, so it’s hard to make eye contact without my gaze being drawn to the stain.

Nikki shrugs. “Claudia’s cousin has a place on Lake Poinsett, so we might head up there.”

I take a deep breath. “Connor and I are going to spend the day with his family. They have a cabin on a lake outside of Fargo.”

Stan raises his eyebrows. “First time meeting the family?” I blush and he beams. “So glad you two have hit it off so well.”

“Thanks,” I say as Nikki rolls her eyes out of Stan’s view. For some reason he’s taken credit for us meeting because of the construction tour, which we’ve decided is a whole new level of mansplaining.

But the knot pulsing in my gut has nothing to do with Stan and everything to do with meeting Connor’s family. It’s not just social anxiety—it’s the realization after our Memorial Day trip that his family hasn’t met any other women since Diana.

They might not like me—I could be a big disappointment.

A drip of melting chocolate dribbles down my finger, and I quickly lick it off. At least we’re not staying overnight—Connor needs to work this weekend, and I have to be back at work the day after the holiday, so we’re driving up early the morning of the Fourth and coming back that night. As Nikki said, “If they’re terrible, at least you’ll be with them for less than twenty-four hours.”

“So what are your plans, Stan?” Nikki asks now.

“Oh, Louise and I invited a few people out to the lake—the president, some members of the cabinet.” Stan’s chest puffs out, and he’s using his booming name-dropping voice, but his face reddens when he realizes he’s misread the theoretical room. “I—uh—I was going to invite you both, but I figured you’d have plans.”

I smile. “And we do, so it’s all good. Hope you guys have fun.”

Nikki’s eyes are narrowed, but then she smirks, nodding past Stan. “Did you invite Mr. Personality?”

We both look up to see Chet walking across campus, and even though he’s wearing sunglasses, it’s obvious he sees us, too—it’s in the way his head jerks away and he fumbles with his phone to look busy, the way he’s careful to pass by far enough from where we’re sitting that he can pretend he doesn’t see us.

Stan’s eyes are nervous. “No. We, uh . . . we don’t exactly see eye to eye.” He chuckles and it’s awkward, but then I notice that, shortly behind Chet, Raj and Hayley are walking toward us, waving enthusiastically.