Chapter 34

BENNY

December passes as fast as a snot rocket. Between my assessments and Harrison's job offer and then us fucking off back home and meeting each other's families over the holidays, I barely have time to scratch my ass, but I do squeeze in more bugging Emmett.

He still hasn't made any decisions about what's next and acts totally comfortable chilling out in my room doing nothing. And he flat out refused to tell our brothers over Christmas about him being thrown out.

I was so fucking paranoid I was going to slip out a "pass me the potatoes and also Em's a dropout, thanks," over Christmas lunch, but he just sat there smiling like an angel.

West did love our tattoos though. Saving him the embarrassment of having to ask to check our palms was the best Christmas gift we could have given him.

Harrison's family was more incredible than I would have imagined. He came out to them on the phone when he asked if he could bring his boyfriend home over the holidays. I could tell it threw them and they weren't expecting it, but when I visited, they went out of their way to make me feel welcome.

It's almost been a relief to be back at school, where things are quiet.

It's not until late when Em climbs into our window that night. His cheeks are flushed, and he looks happy, but I have no idea why.

He's been sneaking out, and every time I ask where he's going or what he's doing, it's always "going for a walk" or "found a hookup" or "took up a new career as a stripper, and now my billionaire boyfriend is being chased by the mob, and I have to go into hiding."

It'd be too bad if Em ever did get into actual trouble one day because I wouldn't believe him.

Harrison keeps telling me that Em will fill me in when he's ready, but asking me not to worry about Em is about as useful as telling me not to get hard when I see Harrison naked.

The universe has indisputable laws, and those are two of them.

"Let me guess; a mermaid washed up at Shenanigans, and you had to help her return to her underwater palace."

Em blinks at me. "Well, that's just ridiculous."

"Great to know your stories have some limits."

He tosses his hoodie into the corner of the room. It's a cooler night, but he's dressed like we're still back in Vermont.

Needling him for more information is right on the end of my tongue.

"How's Harrison liking work?" he asks, like he can sense my curiosity. Probably can. Damn him for knowing me better than anyone.

Harrison had a meeting with Mitch at the conservation group before we left and worked his first official shifts last week. It means less time together, but when we do see each other, we make the most of it.

"Loves it."

"I'm glad."

I watch Em kick out of his pants and pull some pajama bottoms on. I haven't told Em about my plans for finishing out my degree yet because I was waiting for the official diagnosis and a moment I could catch him alone. But it's just us now. I'm finished my schoolwork for the night, and I'm dying to talk it all through with him.

"I got my official diagnosis."

"Shit." His head pops up like a deer in the headlights. "How do you feel?"

"Not much different. I was expecting it."

"So, what's next?"

This is the hard part. "Doc thinks that with learning assistance, I'll be able to pass stats. It'll be hard but doable."

"That's awesome."

"But I'd have to tell people. Then they'll ask questions, and there's a good chance they'll find the right answers."

"They can't prove anything."

"I think my diagnosis does it for them, honestly."

He falls silent, and I know he's trying to think up a solution like I have been for months.

"I'm going to speak to West and Jas this summer," I say.

"Oh, fuck."

"Sorry, but I think it's the only way. They're going to be so fucking mad, but I need Jas to help me."

"Wait …" Em walks over to sit next to me. "If you can't do it here, you'll?—"

"Move home."

"Shit."

It hurts to even think about it. I might have told Harrison that one semester is no big deal, but it's going to kill me being away from him. There's no way in hell I could let him say no to this job, though, when it's exactly the kind of thing he'll love to do while he finishes his degree.

"Harrison already knows it's an option, and we'll work through it."

"There is no fucking way you'll survive being away from him," Em says. "You're sulky on the nights you don't get to see him. Constantly message him while he's at work. I never would have picked you as needy as fuck in a relationship, but apparently, he turns you into an idiot."

I hate that I can't even argue with him.

"It's my only option."

"Okay. We'll tell them together."

I'm not expecting that. "You sure?"

"Obviously, I'm sure. We do everything together. Including being murdered by our big brothers."

"I don't think Asher will be that pissed."

"No, but if murder's involved, you know he'll be on West's side."

I chuckle because he's right. I also know that as bad as it might be, as furious and disappointed in us as they're going to be, they're my brothers. They love me. They'll support me through it all and try to understand.

Even my by-the-book brother-in-law is a true Dalton. He might be head of the math department, but Jas will go to bat for me. For all of us. He'll probably even blame himself for not picking up on it, but I'd gotten good at hiding.

I lean forward and breathe into my hands, sure I've made a decision. Now I need to hope that Harrison and I can survive a semester apart.

"What about you?" I ask Em.

"Me?"

"Will you come with me?"

His face falls a little. "Back to Vermont?"

"I mean, it's still forever away, and you've got time to think about it, but … what else would you do out here?" The familiar panic of being apart tries to creep in. "Not going to lie here, I don't think I could handle missing both you and Harrison at the same time."

He smiles and rolls his eyes at me. "Do you even need to ask? Of course I'll move back. And then here again and back again as many times as we need to."

"Really?"

"We've already worked out we can't be apart. I hope Harrison is prepared for that."

"I jokingly told him we'll all have to live together when we're older, and he just nodded and said, ‘Make more money, got it,' and carried on with what he was doing."

"Good man."

"The best."

"Who's the best?" Harrison asks, throwing my door open.

Embarrassingly, I jump from the bed and throw myself at him. "I didn't think I'd see you for two more days."

"Yeah, but then on the way home, I was like fuck that and decided to come over."

Emmett snorts. "A whole semester, my ass."

"I'm going to do it just to prove you wrong," I tell him.

"Uh-huh. I'm going to … do literally anything not in this room."

He leaves, and Harrison lifts his eyebrows. "You know, someone is going to start questioning why you're always out there when I visit."

"Em has been living here for five months, and not a single one of my brothers has noticed. I think we're safe."

That relaxes him, and he ducks his head to kiss me. "A semester is going to suck."

"Agreed."

"We'll talk every day though. And now I have a job with regular hours, I'll be able to save for flights to Vermont."

I quickly shake my head. "You'll be done with your master's and either studying more or starting as an ecologist somewhere. You can't risk that by flying out to see me."

"I might even be working in Vermont with you."

"We can only hope."

"Well, I'm not giving you up. No matter where we are or how long it takes."

How long. Yeah, that's what worries me. My doctor is confident I'll get there, but will a semester be enough time? What if I fail and need to take the class again? A semester is one thing, but two? One of the things about having time blindness is that sometimes a long amount of time will fly, but there's the flip side to that. A semester could feel like years. Not being able to process the time distance to seeing him again is going to be one of the hardest parts.

"Hey." He smooths a thumb over my forehead. "No more worrying. We've got over a year before we even need to think about it."

"Right."

"Which is a lot of time to spend together first."

That makes me smile. "I'll take all of the time. And all of the late-night visits. And just … everything."

"Even my plant facts?"

"Even the boring ones."

He squeezes the life out of me. "I'll make sure to think up some extra-boring ones, then."

"Suddenly, that semester away is looking better and better."

His gorgeous brown eyes turn soft as he looks down on me. "You're such an asshole." It doesn't sound like an insult.

"And you're such a sweetheart." That does.

But it works for us. Total opposites. All cinnamon and snark.

We might have some rocky shit coming our way, but if I always love him like I do now, that won't mean anything.

We'll make it. Easily.

Because I might not have had to fight for much in my life, but he's worth fighting for.