I slipped my hands into my pockets and walked around. I drew in the humid summer air and picked up snippets of conversations around me. Girls talking about their semester schedules. Boys talking about the next party. Upperclassmen talking about their graduation dates. A few professors, talking about their class schedules and trying to work out lunch times.
Then I came to a grand set of cement stairs.
My eyes wafted up the stairs before the sign on the front of the building came into view. Library. I was standing in front of the college campus library. Could I go in? Was it open to the public?
No harm in trying.
I rolled my shoulders back and walked up the steps. I got behind a group of disheveled students who already had stacks of books in their hands. I walked behind them into the library, then scanned the room. Aisles and aisles of books came into view, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. I walked over toward the library desk and looked up, craning my neck to get a view of the place. The middle of the building was open all the way to the top with rotunda levels that had thick, wooden banisters with chairs and desks bucked up to them.
“Can I help you with something?”
I whipped around at the sound of the elderly woman’s voice.
“Uh, yes. Do you have computers here for students to use?” I asked.
She smiled. “Depends. Are you a student?”
“Are you going to kick me out if I’m not yet?”
“Ah, a prospective student. You’re more than welcome to use our facilities to get a feel for them. You can’t use any of the computers on the upper levels. Those are reserved for students who are already enrolled. But over there in the corner is a small computer lab with some you can use without a student I.D. card.”
I nodded. “I appreciate it. Thank you.”
“And if there’s anything I can help you with, please let me know. My name’s Rhonda.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Rhonda. I’ll keep that in mind.”
I made my way into the computer lab and picked one of the monitors in the corner so I wouldn't be disturbed. I knew Rae enjoyed English. But I also know she adored graphic design. But, to make matters worse, she had no idea what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.
So how could I help her make the most of the next year while she figured things out?
“Graphic design CSU.”
I murmured the words to myself as I typed them into the search engine.
“English major graphic design minor CSU.”
I kept talking softly to myself as my fingers typed at lightning speed.
“Graphic design major CSU.”
I frowned at the lack of a major in that department before opening a couple of tabs.
And as I continued my internet search for some answers to take back to the hotel, the voice at the back of my head haunted me.
She’s just going to break up with you.
No use in all this.
You’re an idiot, Clint. Cut your losses.
She’s going to hurt you.
But she couldn't hurt me any more than I had hurt her that day. The day she came to my house and I ended things with her just to protect her. It couldn't possibly be any worse than that. And after fighting to get me back, she deserved nothing less than the same treatment.
So I’d fight to win her back.
No matter what it cost me in the process.