His Obsession, Her Perfect Calculated Escape

ed herself up fr

ns. She looked down at her knees. Th

wind bit at her wet cheeks.

n site. She walked back to where she

lled the bike upright. The chain

ed the rubber handles and started walkin

k into town. She headed stra

e old coffee and floor wax. Al

didn't look up f

exander," Alma said.

He took in her muddy clothes and m

rgeant said. "Assaulting an officer. Destr

ned around the edge o

yor Lester Finch walked out. He wore a tailored suit

ped. He put on a sad

the counter. "I am so sorry about your father. He got too worked up. You n

his polished

n't argue. She knew the ru

," Alma whispered. Sh

ors closed behind her, she curled her hands into fists. She drove

bike the rest o

ont door, the house was silent

Her face was buried in her hands.

in front of her la

was a severance and compensation check. The amount printed

k. The paper felt crisp

ned the top drawer, and shoved the che

She walked back to the living room

it with tre

ched her mother cry. She

wl of time faded into the crisp

League university. She wore a pair of faded, washed-out jeans and

campus, the sleek glass skyscraper of the energy comp

tering monument to the men w

through the heavy double do

ates were rushing to lectures, holding

oulders slump. She made herself small,

The metal was slightly scratched. She spun the comb

h the heel of her hand twi

past. They were talking loudly

orn-out advanced economics textbook onto t

mes rang throug

rted walking toward

the main lecture hall, she walk

ipped from her hands. Loose papers and a heavy

stammered, her voi

eyes entirely as she began to gather her scattered papers with careful, hesitant movement

sneakers stepped int

wn. He picked up he

nt and the star of the university rowing team. He ha

her face. She wore no makeup, but her features

ed slightly. He hadn

voice was smooth, confident.

gers brushed against his. She pulled her ha

elashes, hiding he

she wh

She stood up quickly, keeping her head d

watched her thin back di

s throwing themselves at him. Her fear and retreat trigg

ining hall was

She found an empty, small table in th

pulled out a cold turkey sandwich wrapped in

approached

holding a plastic tray

He pulled out the plastic chai

looked up, her eyes wide

is chair. "You eat fast. I wanted to

read. She looked nervous

Several girls from the popular crowd were staring at their tabl

ma said quietly. She looked

ed forward, resting his forearms on the t

ed uncomfortable. She let him guide the con

g, Alma packed her bag

tal door and reac

ainst the locker door

shoulders pulli

He leaned his weight against the lockers, trapping h

said. He looked down at her lips. "

solutely nothing for the boy standing in front o

ce showed

against the lockers. "I have to study. I just want to focu

f-deprecating wo

iately rationalized it. She wasn't rejecting him; she was

ade him wan

friends," Caden said so

weight. The moment his arm moved

arm and stepped out

go," she sa

alked fast towar

ms over his chest. He was smiling. He had

glass doors and stepped out

ked expression vanished from her face. Her featur

t the distan

ty. It was going to bring the wolves r