He laughs against my lips. “Not that I’m complaining, because I think this is how you should always greet me, but what’s with the attack?”
I wiggle so he’ll set me down, loving the way our bodies slid together. “The students finished their presentations.”
He smiles, and I pop onto my toes to peck his dimple.
“So you’re pretty much done,” he says. “The last class is just a discussion to fill time, right?”
“Yes, but that’s not why I’m freaking out.” I do a weird wiggle dance. “Dr. Guarino came to the presentation. He said, and I quote, ‘I can admit when I’m wrong.’ It’s done. I got them all.”
I start humming thePokémontheme song as I continue mydance. He sputters a bit, then breaks out in the biggest smile, leaning down to pull me into a deep kiss.
“I’m so fucking proud of you,” he whispers against my lips, and tears prick my eyes.
“It’s not all sunshine and rainbows,” I say, pulling back. “Inez heard back. She got the job.”
“Quinn,” he says softly, like I’m breakable and he has to handle me with care.
I wave my hand in front of my eyes in an attempt to dry the tears before they fall. “God, I’m a mess. Why am I crying? Today’s a good day! I got Dr. Guarino on board and my best friend got a job offer.”
“You can be happy for her and sad for yourself, Quinn. It doesn’t make you a bad person. Has she decided?”
I shake my head. “No, she has a few weeks to think about it.”
He kisses my forehead, and I lean into the pressure that grounds me, just like it always has.
“Either way, she’ll be there with you when you present in Boston. And so will all the professors.”
And so will Colton. By my side—cheering me on—just like we’ve always been for each other.
30
COLTON
TEN YEARS AGO
I don’t wantto be in this cold ballroom, even if Quinn’s brilliant smile almost makes the trip worth it. This is the moment Dr. Cassia has been pushing us toward for the past three years. The Harrow Fellowship, the most prestigious award in the world for undergraduates studying ancient history.
It gives you access to the top research facilities, faculty advisors, and funding through the completion of your PhD. They take one student a year in each area of study, which means Quinn and I are competing against each other. I didn’t even plan on coming to New York since Quinn’s going to win. I’ll be happy for her, of course, but I’ll also have to watch my dreams go down the drain. I don’t think I’m strong enough for that.
Quinn begged me to come, batting those giant brown eyes. She swears I have a shot, that my work is as good as hers. I don’t disagree with her, but she’s also a legacy to the program. Her father won it forty years ago, and it’ll take something huge to steal the spot from her. When I said as much, she pouted and said I should come to support her. Four years, and I still haven’t sorted out how to say no to her.
So here I am, getting ready to watch as the girl of my dreams walks away with the program of my dreams to the city of my dreams, leaving me behind with nothing.
We’re at a round table with Quinn’s family and Dr. Cassia. I wish I had my mom’s steady presence, but she couldn’t get off work. I’ve barely eaten the fancy five-course meal they serve us, my leg bouncing incessantly as the announcer moves through the winners—China, Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia—inching our way down the program to Rome.
The emcee stands at the podium as the screen behind him displays the five finalists for Rome. I tug at my oversized suit jacket, like that can somehow make me fit in with the rest of the people on display at the front of the room. My scowling headshot’s situated right next to Quinn’s, which shines like a beacon.
“And here to announce the winner is the student’s faculty advisor, Dr. Gianna Cassia.”
Dr. Cassia wiggles her eyebrows at the two of us as she stands and heads toward the stage. Quinn squeezes my hand and chews on her bottom lip. I want to pull her into my arms and assure her she has nothing to worry about, even while I’m fighting to keep the moisture out of my eyes.
“Thank you for joining us tonight,” Dr. Cassia says. Her confident, slightly accented voice booms through the room. “This is the first time in over a decade that I haven’t been involved in this decision, which means it’s the first time in over a decade that I’ve had the honor of working with a student of this caliber.
“It’s a rare moment in a professor’s life when they interact with a student they know will dominate their field. It’s a shocking experience when the person is only eighteen years old.”
She pauses, and I grin down at Quinn. She came blustering into Chadoin like a hurricane and blew everyone away, even the woman she spent her life idolizing.
Dr. Cassia continues. “Now, that doesn’t mean those early essays were great. They were still the work of an eighteen-year-old with no substantial training. But I saw the potential, even then. The ideas were insightful and unique. Once given the proper guidance, their work became even more impressive. Their research will greatly impact the field, and I’m honored to have had the chance to mentor them.
