Page 69 of Collateral Love
I was in the library on the third floor, studying for an exam. It was quiet, just the soft rustle of papers and the hum of fluorescent lights.
I told myself to give Dre grace.
People were late all the time.
But I didn’t build my life on “all the time.” I built it on margins and patterns and on the understanding that when variables shifted, it meant something.
At 11:32 am, my phone buzzed.
But it wasn’t Dre.
It was one of my other runners, Talia.
TalentedTee:
yo u see what happened?
HotGirlYaYa:
what.
She sent a link. Campus police blotter. I scrolled.
There it was.
Student detained for questioning near the west lot. No charges filed. Substance suspected. Released pending investigation.
No name listed, but I knew.
I always knew.
My stomach tightened.
Dre.
I called him.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
On the fourth ring, I hung up and texted Zayden.
Kenya:
The oven is hot. Meet me at the west lot. 10 mins.
Zay:
Say less.
I packed my maps, slid them into my bag, and walked fast.
The west lot was deliberately too bright. Security liked the visibility of where students parked their shiny, financed cars and their parents’ SUVs. Cameras sat at every corner, perched like silent birds.
Dre was leaning against a brick wall, hoodie up, jaw tight.
