Page 1 of I'll Walk With You
1
Javier
Hitching my book bag higher up my shoulder, I glance around as I cut across the quad. It’s teeming with students. There seems to be an event taking place, as there are a multitude of tables set up along the walkways. Damnit.
Is he here? My heart races faster, thundering against my rib cage. My steps are hurried, breaths rushing in and out.Calm down, Javi, he can’t be here. Not today.
Inhaling a slow, measured breath, I examine the facts. There’s no reason he’d be here, because he doesn’t have classes anywhere near this section of campus. I don’t either, but I’m hoping this circuitous route will keep me safe.
I had to leave the dorm twenty minutes earlier than usual so I’m not late to class, but it’s worth it if I can avoid his normal locales.
That should alleviate the anxiety coursing through my veins, but it doesn’t.
My eyes dart back and forth, scanning for his familiar face. A face I used to be mildly obsessed with. Now it just turns my stomach. His pretty face masks his ugly interior.
A group shifts to the side and my eyes land on a table a few feet away. It’s occupied by beefy jocks behind and around the table. Seeing them causes my heart to skip a beat before pounding erratically.
No, no, no.
My feet falter and I come to a stop, frozen in place. This is the type of crowd I’d expect to find Keith Miller IV holding court. I took the long way across campus to avoid the athletic center for this exact reason.
Squeezing my eyes closed, I hold my breath and count to three before slowly releasing it.Just breathe.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Today is Tuesday. Keith is always on the field or in the gym on Tuesday mornings. He can’t be here. Get it together.
When I open my eyes, the crowd in front of the table shifts again, revealing a sign: SIGMA MU WILL WALK WITH YOU.
What the… My feet move of their own volition, bringing me closer to the table. A laugh catches in my throat as I reread the sign. It states that they’ll walk with anyone who feels threatened, discriminated against, unsafe, lonely, or any other reason.
A guy wearing a hockey hoodie in our school colors catches my eye and smiles. Even sitting down, he’s huge, a bit intimidating, honestly, after Keith, but his eyes and smile are kind.
He stands up slowly, careful almost, then rounds the table. My insides shrink in instinctual fear, and my ribs throb withremembered pain. I’m a petite 5’7”, but he’s taller than Keith, and I feel positively diminutive next to him.
“Hey, I’m Bryce.” His voice is a deep, gentle rumble that manages to melt away some of the tension knotting my shoulders. “Our frat offers a free service to any student in need. Any time day or night, no questions asked, Sigma Mu will walk with you. Send us a DM, and someone from the frat will be there. You should scan our QR code and tell all your friends.”
Words evade me, but I manage a nod. His brown eyes scan me from head to toe, and I feel oddly exposed. I feel naked, like he’s seeing more than I’d like him to. A beat passes, and when I make no move to scan the code, he juts his chin at my hand. “Pass me your phone. I’ll scan it for you.”
My body follows his command without thought. I stand woodenly, watching him scan the code and follow their social media pages for me. “Send us a DM on any of these platforms and we’ll be there, okay?” When his eyes meet mine, I nod. Those brown eyes narrow slightly, concern clearly replacing the easy smile he’s had during our whole interaction.
Get it together, Javi.
“What’s your name?”
“Javi,” I breathe, my voice barely audible.
He nods, then types quickly on my phone and hands the device back to me.
“Look, Javi, I obviously have no clue what you’re going through, but I can see something has you fucked up. I texted myself and saved my number under Bryson Kennedy. Text me or call me if you need me, okay?”
My eyes well with unshed tears at his kindness and his clear ability to read me like a book, even though we just met. He cannot be real.
In my limited experience, I've learned guys like him are not this nice unless there’re strings attached.
