I wasn't at all surprised that Professor McCraven lived in a big white house on a hill. The only question was why Tasha didn't live with her. The house wasn't more than a ten-minute drive from campus, and it was far nicer than the dorms Tasha was living in. I pulled around back and parked next to Tasha's little red car. I'd made a quick stop by the strip center down the road and grabbed a pepperoni pizza and a few chick flicks from the red box outside. I wasn't sure what part I was supposed to play that night, but anything she needed from me, she was getting. The pain in her voice caused my heart to contract painfully in my chest, leaving me with the conclusion that she meant more than I was giving her credit for. It was inevitable that my earlier thoughts about hanging out until she kicked me out where solidified. Somewhere along the last two years, she'd stolen a bit of my heart. Damn her for it, but it was what it was now. I got out and grabbed the pizza and the movies before walking up to the back door of the house.
