She gave a bitter laugh. “Yup, almost word for word. Like I’m some charity case riding his coattails. Like the only reason I’m here is because of him.”
I cursed under my breath, raking a hand through my hair. “Jesus Christ. He doesn’t get to say that. He doesn’t get to fucking say that to you.”
“Dante . . .”
“No.” I grabbed her hands before she could shrink back, holding them tight against my chest. “You belong here more than most of the people walking this campus. You’re smarter than them. Stronger. You’re top of your class while juggling my ass and your father’s bullshit. You don’t just belong — you own this place.”
Her throat worked, her lips trembling even as she tried to hold steady.
I cupped her face, thumbs brushing away the tears she didn’t want me to see. “Look at me. He doesn’t get to decide where you fit. He doesn’t get to tell you who you are. That’s yours. Only yours. You hear me?”
Her laugh was hollow. “That’s not how it feels. Not with him breathing down my neck. Not when I’m hiding everything that matters just to keep the peace.”
“You mean how your art isn’t just a hobby.”
Her gaze snapped up to mine. “How do you—”
“You think I didn’t notice?” I asked quietly. “That look you get when you talk about it? I’m not blind, I’ve seen you in the shed.”
She flinched, like I’d laid her open without permission.
“You belong here, Savannah,” I went on, voice low, steady. “Not because of him. Not because of me. Because youearnedit. Because you make this place better. And if he can’t see that, fuck him.”
Her breath hitched again, softer this time, like I’d knocked something loose.
“I told him that as long as I was still a student here, then Dean Cole could see himself out.”
Jesus Christ, why was her father not holding her up as an example of someone to be proud of?Thisis who he needed to be showing off to his donors and alumni, not that wallflower he insisted she be.
“You’ve got me,” I said, softer now. “You’re not doing this alone. Not school. Not your dad. Not this.” I bent down and pressed my mouth to her forehead, lingering there. “You’ve got me, you’re not alone in this.”
Her eyes searched mine, wide and vulnerable, and it gutted me.
She let out a shaky laugh, muffled against my chest as she folded into me. “This is an awful lot for a new relationship, isn’t it?” she murmured, resting her cheek on my chest.
“Yeah,” I muttered into her hair. “But I don’t think either of us would expect it to be boring.” I kissed the top of her head. “I’m yours. You’re mine. So he can take his lectures, his threats, and shove them.”
We stood like that for a few minutes, and I held her close, offering the comfort she needed.
She pushed back slightly, her eyes uncertain. “I know this is a bit forward, but can I stay the night?” Her teeth worried her bottom lip. “I just, I just don’t want to—”
“I already have you wearing my practice shirt and nothing else, Sav, don’t take the dream away from me.”
She smiled, and it made her look even more beautiful. “You’re...” She reached up on her tiptoes, kissing me lightly. “Thank you.”
She settled against my chest again. “You’ve no idea what I’ve imagined doing to you in my bed wearing that shirt.”
She let out that broken laugh against my chest, but it was shaky, and I felt every tremor run through her. I just tightened my arms around her, keeping her anchored.
She stood back, taking off her jacket and her boots. She sat on the edge of my bed, a little uncertain, but when she saw me looking, she moved back with more confidence.
“I’m just going to text Dust and Noah you’re here. I don’t want them to get a surprise if you get up in the middle of thenight.” I looked back at her as I reached for the door handle. “You want a water or anything?”
“Water, please.”
I texted my friends she was here, and why. Both told me to let her know they were on her side, pissed off on her behalf.
When I came back into my room with her bottle of water, she was where I left her. I slipped into the bathroom and changed into my sleep shorts, and when I came back out, she hadn’t moved. I took a seat beside her on the bed, wordlessly pulling her into my side, loving how easily she soaked up my comfort.
