Who Falls Hardest (Clearwater University)

And it turns out Professor Sykes downplayed his clout at this place quite a bit. Not only does he get to do whatever he wants because he’s tenured, he’s actually a very respected and prized professor on the school’s staff.

And although I have a feeling he’d deny it up and down if I ever pressed him on it, I think the old man went to bat for us.

The meeting isn’t exactly easy or pleasant, but about halfway through it, I start to realize that the dean is just going through the motions of being a hard-ass—making sure we know that this kind of behavior won’t be tolerated, and that I’m expected to keep my grades up from here on out. That this is my last Hail Mary pass, and if I blow it this time, there won’t be a single thing I can do to reverse their decision.

I sit there and listen quietly and patiently, trying to keep a serious expression on my face and not grin like an idiot.

Because I know their decision has been made.

They’re going to let me back in.

“Of course, you won’t be able to start until next fall,” Dean Philips tells me, tapping his pen against the desk in his office. “Or you could take some summer classes to try to catch up, but that’ll be dependent on how hard you want to work and what classes you’re looking to take. It’s too late in the semester for us to get you into any classes now—you’ll have missed too much work.”

“That’s okay,” I agree quickly. I can feel the three Icons’ gazes on me, and I shoot a glance at them, nodding to let them know I’m totally fine with this. “I actually just started working a job I really like, so this will let me get my feet under me a little more before I start trying to juggle work and school.”

“Alright. As long as you don’t let your job interfere with your classwork.”

“It won’t.”

The dean dips his head in a nod. He looks like he’s ready to get this meeting over with, and I wonder if he fully grasps how one hour out of his busy day has changed the course of my life. For him, it

means he’s late for dinner. For me, it means I get a great education at an affordable cost, which means I can study a subject I care about and leave here prepared to put my best foot forward in the world.

To him, it may be nothing.

But to me, it’s everything.

Dean Philips glances over at the other admins, then back to me. “Well then, welcome back to Clearwater University, Ms. Holloway. We’ll get the paperwork all taken care of so that you’ll be ready to start back by the summer if you so choose.”

I swear I can feel a collective sigh of relief behind me as the three Icons each blow out a breath. My stomach feels like it’s packed full of butterflies, and I want to jump up and scream out my joy, but instead I give a polite nod.

“Thank you, sir.”

The meeting wraps up, and all four of us head downstairs. As we walk down the hallway toward the exit, Trent wraps an arm around my shoulders, pressing a kiss to my temple. His lips linger, his breath warm against my skin, and on my other side, West’s hand rests on my lower back, fingers just grazing the curve of my ass.

Ever since we decided among ourselves that we were going to give this four-person relationship a real shot, none of the guys have held back about touching me or showing affection in public.

I love it.

It’s just one more of the little ways they show me how much they’ve changed and reassure me that they’d do anything for me. They’re not hiding their feelings for me, and they’re all confident enough in my feelings for them that they don’t care what the world thinks.

We step outside into the bright early spring sunlight, and Reese pulls me into his arms, kissing me soundly. His eyes are dancing when he pulls away, and he tucks a strand of blonde hair behind my ear before he waggles his eyebrows.

“So, what do you want to do to celebrate? Because we are celebrating.”

My stomach flutters with nerves, and my fingers unconsciously dig into the firm muscles of his back.

“Actually,” I murmur, “there is one thing I want to do. That I need to do. I don’t know if it’s really going to be a celebration, but it’s time. And I’d like you guys to be there with me when I do it.”

Reese’s brow crinkles, his usually lighthearted expression turning serious as he reads the look on my face. “What is it, Ems? I mean, you know we’ll be there. For anything. But what’s up?”

Trent and West step closer, protective worry filling their features, and I glance at each of them before answering Reese. “I need to tell my dad. About us. About everything.”

Trent stiffens, and I see the muscles of his throat work as he swallows. But he doesn’t hesitate for even a second before saying, “We’ll be there for you.”

I know what he thinks. He thinks this will be the end, the moment when this amazing thing we’ve built blows up in our faces. Our parents don’t know yet that all four of us are in a relationship, and that alone would be a little nerve-wracking to explain.

But there’s a lot more to it than that.