Rhett, drawing on his jacket, sneered in an approximation of a smile. He spoke to Orion, but his black-eyed gaze was on me. “Been rowing stroke my whole life, but…sure. Anything for the team.”
Orion scoffed. “Don’t mind the Count; he woke up on the wrongside of the coffin this morning.” He slung his other arm around Dean. “And you, my favorite coxy. A genius, Yearwood. You’re both coming to my party, yeah?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Dean said.
Orion wagged his eyebrows at me. “How about it, Ford? Going to bring Miss Emery, I presume?”
I felt my cheeks redden. “It would appear that way.”
Orion cackled. “It would indeed. She’s not subtle, that girl. See you tonight!”
He joined the other guys, still rowdy with adrenaline and victory.
“Never in the history of the Math & Physics Club has a member climbed the social ladder so high, so fast.” Dean pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Says the most popular guy in school.”
“Not remotely true, but I’ll take it.” He grinned. “See you tonight, my friend.”
I couldn’t stop smiling either. “I’ll see you tonight.”
In the parking lot, the last spectators were driving off and the buses from other schools lumbering out. Emery was waiting for me at my Buick. She threw her arms around me again and gave me a long kiss, her mouth warm and sweet on mine.
“Congratulations, again,” she said. “That was amazing. And watching you row…” She bit her lower lip. “Forgive me for objectifying you, but those unisuits don’t make it easy on a gal.”
I chuckled and pulled her close. “It’s been a long week. I’ve missed you.”
“Me too.”
“We have time before Orion’s party,” I began. “If you’re free…?”
“I can’t. And I can’t go to the party either.” Emery glanced away. “I have some news. I’ve been sitting on it for days, but I wanted to tell you in person.”
A sense of foreboding tickled the back of my neck. “What is it?”
She heaved a breath and put on a smile. “I got into UCLA.”
“Oh,” I said as something inside me deflated. “That’s…that’s great, Em. Congratulations.”
“Xander…”
“It’s fine,” I said, cutting her off. “It’s what’s supposed to happen. You have to get away from your terrible fucking father, and I have to help you. Which means we should get…”
Married.
The word hung in the air between us like a coin that’s flipped but hasn’t landed. A superposition of two states: love and happiness…or separation and goodbye.
“We don’t have to do anything right now,” Emery said quickly. “It’s just a backup plan, remember?”
I nodded. But our “backup plan” had been formulated before we were together. Before there were feelings admitted and words said that could not be unsaid. Now…
Emery read my expression and said with forced brightness, “It was a wild idea, and I’m probably too chickenshit to pull the trigger anyway.”
“But, Em, you have to get to UCLA, far from your father’s reach, and live your own life,” I said, hating each word but knowing they were true.Becausethey were true.
“I know but also…Brown rejected me.”
I took a step back. “Oh shit. Really?”
