Who Falls Hardest (Clearwater University)

After handing our new final project over to Professor Sykes, I couldn’t get over the gnawing guilt I felt every time I considered the fact that a college professor I barely know has more insight into my life than my dad does. That’s not right. It’s not how things should be. My dad loves me—for so long, it was just the two of us after my mom died. And he deserves to be a bigger part of my life than I’ve allowed him to be.

I know this is the right thing. But it’s scary.

How will he react?

I’ve already decided I won’t let it change things for me. In the past six months, I’ve become a stronger person, more confident in who I am and what I want. No matter what my dad says, I won’t let it affect how I feel about the three men I’ve started dating.

“Well, no time like the present, I guess,” Reese murmurs, glancing over my shoulder as his gaze catches on something behind me.

Even without turning around, I know what he’s looking at.

My dad.

I asked him to meet me here after my meeting with the dean, and he’s right on time. He must’ve come here straight from the office.

“Ems!” My father calls out as we all turn to face him. “What’s all this about? You’re back in school? How—”

“It’s a long story,” I say with a weary smile. I give Reese’s hand a quick squeeze before stepping away from him to approach my dad. “Can we go for a little walk? I have to explain a couple things to you.”

He looks a little flummoxed, but he nods anyway. “Of course. Sure.”

With a glance at the guys, I step up beside him and we make our way down one of the paved paths that cuts across campus. The three Icons all trail behind us, at a far enough distance to allow us privacy, but close enough that I can feel their silent support.

“So?” My dad looks at me, hope and curiosity burning in his eyes. “What’s going on here? I mean, I’m thrilled you’re back at Clearwater, but how did you manage it? They were very clear on the terms of your admission.”

“Yeah, they were,” I agree. “It took a lot of work, but I was lucky to have a lot of help. Reese, Trent, and West all went above and beyond for me to make this happen.”

“That’s good.” He smiles, glancing back at them. “I’m glad you’ve got them on your side, honey. What did you all do to change the administrators’ minds?”

“Well…”

My mouth dries out, and I clear my throat. It would be so easy to keep lying. To make up some rosy story about why it all worked out and bury the past. But I’m done doing that. Miscommunications and lies are what got us all into this mess in the first place, and I don’t want any of that to taint my future with the guys.

So I don’t lie. I start at the beginning, all the way back at Amundsen High, and I tell Dad everything.

I clean up some details and brush over a few particulars—no father in the world wants to hear about his daughter’s sex life—but I tell him enough to give him a full view of what’s been going on in my life and how things got to this point.

His footsteps slow as I speak, his face becoming an unreadable mask as he listens to me divulge truths I should’ve spoken a long time ago.

I thought it would get easier once I started talking, but instead, every word out of my mouth seems to take more effort until I finally reach the point in the story where Trent destroyed our group project, bombing all of our grades and getting me kicked out of Clearwater University.

Dad stops walking entirely, his face turning an ashen shade of gray. A muscle in his jaw ticks, and suddenly, he whips around and storms toward the three men who are lingering behind us.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” he growls, grabbing Trent by the front of his shirt as soon as he reaches him.

My heart just about bursts out of my throat as my stomach drops into my shoes.

Oh, shit.

I’ve barely ever heard my dad swear in my life. He doesn’t mind when I do, but he’s just not the type of person who expresses himself like that.

Except when he’s really pissed.

Trent’s body tenses, and his nostrils flare. I know how much effort it’s taking him to hold back, to not meet anger with anger. His hands clench into fists, and for a wild, panicked second I think he might hit my dad.

Then his eyes shift to me. The bright blue of his irises gleams like ice as his gaze seems to pierce all the way down to my soul. His fingers uncurl, and his broad shoulders relax slightly.

“I wasn’t thinking,” he says carefully, turning back to my dad. “I was acting like a reckless asshole, and I almost destroyed the thing I care about most in the world. But you have my word, I will never do anything to hurt Emma again.”