“Why not?” Secretly relieved, she gave him a genuine smile. “How are you feeling today?”
He shrugged, dragging his fingers through his curly hair. “Embarrassed. I came here thinking it would be different than college. But it’s not. It all sucks. Just once, I’d...” Stopping, he shook his head, his brown eyes earnest. “Never mind. I should be thanking you for helping me instead of complaining.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. “If you’re ready to go, I can drive you back to campus. We can talk along the way.”
Since he was already dressed, he hopped down off the bed. “Sounds good. Let’s do it.”
She walked him out, half expecting the woman at the desk to stop them. Instead, she waved them past, still not looking up from whatever had her engrossed.
“It’s a romance novel,” Theodore confided, once they’d exited the room. “She reads them 24/7.” He shrugged. “Whatever makes her happy.”
This made her laugh. “You’re a good guy, Theodore Royce the third.”
Hearing her say his full name made him wince. “Just call me Theo. You’re Fiona, right?”
“Right. Are you okay to walk to the back parking lot, or would you prefer I swing by here and pick you up?”
“I can walk,” he hurriedly told her. “That guy didn’t do anything to my legs. I have a couple of bruised ribs, though. You know, I still have no idea why he was even messing with me.”
“Money,” she replied. “He thinks you’re rich, so he figured you could pay him.”
“Rich doesn’t mean stupid.” He actually sounded indignant.
She took that as encouragement. Hopefully, he’d see through the sales pitch she was about to try to use on him.
They got into her vehicle, a government-issued sedan that, despite being painted maroon, still managed to look like an undercover police car. She waited until they’d pulled out of the long driveway before making her first attempt.
“I heard you might be interested in attending our self-enlightenment program,” she began.
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “I was, I mean. But now after what happened, I’m thinking there’s nothing that can help me.”
“Help you with what?” she asked, genuinely curious.
When he glanced at her, for a moment he let her see his misery. “I’m not doing well in school. I don’t mean academically, because I’m good there. I just can’t seem to make friends or get dates.” He swallowed hard. “I’m lonely.”
Damned if she could actually try to indoctrinate this poor kid.
Theo didn’t seem to notice her indecision. “Anyway, Leigh told me about the classes. They sound intriguing. And the price isn’t too bad, either.” He glanced at her, almost shyly. “I really want to learn how to become the best person I can be.”
It’s all a load of BS, she really wanted to tell him. Of course, she couldn’t, so she simply pressed her lips together and tried to think of some kind of noncommittal response to give.
Luckily, it didn’t appear one would be needed. Theo continued to talk, evidently relieved to unburden himself. “I like the idea of knowing how to choose friends,” he mused. “So far, all I’ve met are people who just want to use me. And the idea of learning how to choose the right significant other—that blows my mind.”
She nodded, keeping her gaze on the road, not trusting herself to speak.
They reached the campus, and Theo directed her to his dorm. When she pulled up in front and put the car in Park, she turned to look at him. “Maybe you should just focus on your studies,” she suggested quietly. “You’re a freshman. Give it time, and you might be surprised at how seamlessly you’ll eventually fit in.”
“But what if I don’t?” His slender form radiated tension. “That’s easy for someone like you to say. I bet when you were my age, you didn’t have these kinds of problems.”
His comment made her laugh. “You’d be surprised,” she told him. “I was scared and shy and homesick. I mostly hid in my dorm room the first semester.” Of course, that had been when she hadn’t found her true calling: law enforcement. She’d started out taking business classes, until a chance lecture had piqued her interest. From there, she’d gotten her degree in criminal justice. Applying to Quantico had been a no-brainer next step.
Squeezing his shoulder, she hoped he took her words to heart. “I promise you, it gets easier. Just give it time.”
“I’ll try.” Opening the door, he got out of the car. “And I’ll think about trying one of the seminars.”
“You do that.” As she watched him walk away, relief flooded her. Along with anger at Micheline and her machinations. Freshman college students, new to living on campus and away from home, were particularly vulnerable. The idea that Micheline wanted to milk them for money infuriated Fiona. At least Theo had given her something to say when Leigh asked her how it had gone. He’d said he’d think about it. And using a version of the truth was always the best option when undercover.
When she arrived back at the compound, she sat in her parked car for a few minutes, watching the yard staff do their thing. Finally, she got out of her car and strolled inside.