17. Jonah

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

jonah

Dean Kirwin stares at me,unblinking, as I enter the room.

“Ma’am.” I curse at my awkwardness because even though I’m not from the South, my ma’am came out as if I’m from the bowels of Texas.

“Brought reinforcements, did you?” She smiles.

“No. They came here on their own, but I figure this will be a lot easier to clear up with both of them here.”

“Take a seat, gentlemen. I have a feeling this story is going to be far more interesting than the telenovelas my daughter makes me watch.”

“There’s really not much story,” Emmett says as he sits next to me while Ben takes his side. “I met Jonah while coaching his nephew in hockey, and we hit it off. I knew he was a professor at the same school as my brother.”

“But neither of us knew Ben was in my class,” I say because he seemed to have left that part off.

“And I had no idea my brother was even coaching hockey,” Ben says. “All three of us didn’t know anything until I was suddenly being yelled at by my old professor.”

Not helping, Ben.

I run my hand through my hair. “That was obviously unprofessional on my part. I thought Emmett had looked familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint where I knew him from. It wasn’t until I saw Ben that I jumped to all the wrong conclusions. Emmett had told me about Ben. I just didn’t realize they were identical twins. It was all one big misunderstanding.”

Dean Kirwin presses her lips together. “On one hand, I’m glad it wasn’t as convoluted as I was expecting, but I don’t need to tell you the kind of rumors that are flying around this place.”

“I know. I’ve heard,” I say.

“You don’t want to get a reputation your first year that will follow you everywhere you go.”

Everywhere I … I … “Am I still being fired?”

Dean Kirwin leans back in her seat. “No. You’re not being fired. If that happened, it would be even worse for your reputation. I’m satisfied this was a misunderstanding and no ethics were smeared. I won’t have to take this any further.”

I let out a loud breath, and Emmett reaches over for my hand and squeezes.

“That will be all,” Dean Kirwin says.

All three of us stand, but before we can make it out the door, she stops us again.

“Oh, one more thing. Mr. Dalton, can you tell me why you dropped Professor Brooks’s class so late in the semester if it wasn’t about relationship drama?”

I frown because that’s something I wanted to know after looking him up. He was doing well in my class up until the last test he took before dropping it.

“Too much on my plate. I know it’s a prerequisite for my degree, and I do intend to make it up.”

“Make sure that you do if you want to graduate next year with the rest of your class.”

“Will do.” Ben is practically already out the door when he replies.

Emmett slips his hand in mine as we leave the dean’s office, and I furrow my brow at him.

“You know, for someone who says he can’t date me and that last night was another onetime thing, this is the second time you’ve grabbed my hand.”

He smiles and looks up at me out of the corner of his eye. “Are you complaining?”

“Hell no, but I am wondering why.”

“Can you two hurry up?” Ben asks. “I hate authority, and being in this building is giving me the heebie-jeebies.”

“Is he always this dramatic?” I ask.

“Yes.”

When Emmett and I reach Ben outside, Ben turns to us. “All right, where are you taking me for lunch?”

Emmett looks at me.

I look at him. “I think he’s talking to you.”

“Nope. Both of you,” Ben says. “You two owe me for that.”

“For doing the right thing?” Emmett asks.

“Exactly. Don’t try to turn me into a good human or whatever.”

Emmett leans in close to me. We’re still holding hands, and while I want to ask him what’s going on, I want to keep this glimmer of hope a little longer.

“He’s lying,” Emmett says low. “He’s actually a decent person when I’m reminding him he shouldn’t be selfish.”

I don’t know Ben well, but that sounds about right. “He has to be reminded not to be selfish?”

Emmett cocks his head. “I think everyone has the ability to be selfish sometimes. Sleeping with you was definitely selfish on my behalf.”

“Because Ben was in my class?”

Emmett’s lips purse.

“I’m hungry,” Ben whines. “If you two are going to date, Professor Brooks should at least be trying to win me over already.”

My head swivels so fast, glancing between the twins. “D-date?”

Emmett squeezes my hand. “I thought Benny would hate the idea and not let me⁠—”

“Let?”

“Hmm, wrong choice of words. Basically, if Benny said no, which I thought he was going to, I wouldn’t betray my brother by doing it. Which is why⁠—”

“Why you said you could only give me last night.”

“But the good news is, apparently, he doesn’t care if we date.” He stares down at his feet. “So if you still want to …”

“I so want to.”

“Good.”

“Ugh.” More complaints from Ben. “Is this what Harrison and I are like? We’re so gross. Stop giving each other undress-me eyes and put food in my belly.”

“We better feed him so he doesn’t change his mind. Now that I’ve been given permission to date you, I’m going to date you so hard.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Let’s start now.” He drags me toward his brother.

“Should I be worried our first date is going to be with you and your brother?”

“Most people would love that,” Ben says. “Actually, a scary amount of people would. It’s honestly disturbing how into twincest people are.” He shudders.

“Are you serious?” I ask. That can’t be true. Or, I don’t want it to be true. That’s … that’s⁠—

“Hey, we aren’t here to kink shame,” Ben says. “So long as everyone understands that while I find Emmett to be the most handsome man in the world, we are not into that.”

“You don’t have to worry about me in that department.” It’s my turn to shudder.

“Good.” Ben grins. “You win some bonus points.”

“Points? Are you keeping score?”

“Duh, and you being a professor means you’re already negative twenty points, so you still have a lot to make up.” Ben starts walking in the direction of the beach, where there are some cafes and small restaurants.

I lean in and whisper to Emmett. “I can’t tell if he’s joking or not, which means I don’t know if I should let myself be scared or swallow that shit down.”

Emmett smiles. “Maybe a bit of both?”

“Great.”

“You can always back out,” he says.

Considering I’ve been obsessing over this man since I first met him, there’s no way in hell I’m doing that. “Not a chance.”

“Right answer.”