27
“You should just move in here,” I said, lying in bed in my apartment with Kyle, feeling like I was finally where I was supposed to be. I was somewhat kicking myself for not linking up with him right away once I got to Rockwood like he had seemed so fully ready to, but part of me knew that I hadn’t been all there. The trust we had built over the past few months, the getting-to-know-each-other aspect of it all, the slow burn of seeing each other practically every day and almost never touching each other, plus my ill-fated relationship with Heath … maybe that’s the way it all needed to happen. I would never know for sure, but in this moment, sprawled out in a sea of sheets and blankets and pillows on a December morning, all was right in the world.
“Us shacking up. Now, that would be something for The Underground Stallion ,” he said, running his hands through my hair, getting caught in the inevitable knots from a mane that needed a thorough scrubbing. Our bath together the day before had been less of a cleaning experience and more of one of laughing, splashing, and, for lack of a better term, foreplay. I definitely needed a good long shower.
“Does the paper even exist anymore? Can I stop worrying that someone is lurking behind a tree, ready to take my picture? I can’t believe Ryland and Marnie were the brains behind it, and I use the word brains loosely,” I said. “What will happen to them? I don’t envy Andrea’s job at all.”
“He’s certainly not teaching this week,” said Kyle. “The buzz among the faculty on the group chat is that he told his classes to read a book of their choosing this week and send him a paragraph review of it. That’s it. And then we’ll hit the holiday break, so who knows when the investigation will conclude. Then, the disciplinary hearing will take place at some point. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I love that you have a group chat. Karma can be a real bitch,” I said, lying with my head on his chest like I had so many years ago. “Andrea let me decide whether or not Marnie could work this week. I said she could stay for now, but we would see what the investigation yields. In my mind, what Ryland did was far worse since it involved the manipulation of students. Plus, I’d need to either hire a replacement or see if one of the workers on my team is ready for this kind of role. There’s a lot to think about. But like Andrea said, trusting her is an issue. I need to talk to her.”
“For whatever reason, Ryland is able to work these women. I saw it with Cora. I don’t get it, but I’m just a straight guy. What do you think? Is he all that appealing? Is he some kind of sexy beast?”
“He’s gross,” I retorted. “I don’t understand the magnetic pull they feel to him at all, even though it doesn’t seem overtly sexual. More like mind games and manipulation.”
“Anyway, enough about him. We don’t need to waste our time talking about that asswipe. Back to the issue at hand—do you really think I should move into your apartment?” he asked, pulling me on top of him and grabbing the backs of my thighs in a way that was just so sexy.
I melted over his body and sighed. “Maybe eventually,” I said. “We probably have to give everyone a chance to get used to us as a full-fledged couple. This is what we are now, right?” I hoped so. For once, I was sure.
“That’s what I want if that’s what you want,” he said, gently lifting my face up so I was looking at him. “I love you, Devon. I realize I haven’t said that yet. I should’ve said it yesterday. I was just so excited that all of this was finally happening that I forgot to say it. But I have felt it the whole time. I love you and have loved you since the day you got here, and I brought you those Coors Light cans.”
I felt a rush of emotion and bliss. “I want all of it. I love you, Kyle. I think I always have. I never forgot you, but I pushed you to the very back of my brain for all those years because it hurt so much. I never want to let you go again.” We kissed, and I felt tears drop from my face onto his, which I wiped away. “Promise me you’ll never go to London again, okay?”
“If I go, you’re coming with me,” he said, hugging me closer to him.
“I think I need to go to work,” I grumbled, looking at the clock on the wall. “I’m sorry. Don’t you have to teach a class today or something?”
“Maybe. But I’m also really hungry,” he said. “Maybe there will be bacon for breakfast?” he asked hopefully, and my mind drifted back to us posing the same question before we were separated from each other so many years earlier.
“Luckily, I know who’s in charge of the kitchen,” I said, rolling over to grab my phone. “Oh my God. Charlie sent me a message on Instagram.”
“Who’s Charlie? Is this another emergency responder you’ve connected with?” Kyle asked, kissing my shoulder.
“He’s a bartender in Los Angeles who is old enough to be my father and prefers spending his time in the company of men, so you have nothing to be concerned about.” I showed him the screen so we could read the message together.
Dearest Devon – I hope you don’t mind that I reached out to you here since you have a private Instagram account. I wanted to thank you for the Celtics ticket and the chance to witness one of the most memorable games I’ve ever seen, particularly since I knew David had been struggling to achieve this level of success. Well, he did it, and I know you must be so proud.
As for the other topic you and I spoke about late into the evening, I hope you are seeing the clarity you were seeking. You, Devon, will be a gift to whoever is lucky enough to land you. I wish you well and hope you will connect when you return to LA.
With all the best everything, Charlie
I cleared my throat as I felt so much gratitude wash over me. “Do you believe in guardian angels?” I asked Kyle, putting my phone down. “Like people who appear in your life just when you need them?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “This guy’s smart, by the way. You are a gift.” We were now lying on our sides again, facing each other, and despite the fact that I really needed to go to the dining hall and he needed to teach, I wanted to stay in bed with him all day.
“Have you ever encountered one? A guardian angel?” I asked, surprised by his answer. Kyle was a scholar and an intellectual and crossed the line into cynicism at times. A guardian angel seemed like a stretch for him.
“I have,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose. “You.”
“What?”
“You showed up right when I needed you. I was trying to come back from everything awful that had happened to me. I was on the slow road to better days, but from the moment I saw you that day when you visited campus, everything felt better.”
“Even when it didn’t? It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing.”
“I think I always knew,” he said, kissing my lips this time. “I knew that somehow, we would end up like this again. And I would finally get to say all the things I needed to say to you. Just in a more comfortable bed this time.”
“That dorm bed sucked,” I said with a laugh. “And I think we’re better at all of this now anyway.”
“You’ve always been amazing,” he said, kissing the top of my hand. “What else did you and Charlie talk about? He said you were seeking clarity. Was it about Heath?”
“It was more about you,” I explained. “I asked him if fifteen years was too late to rekindle a one-night stand. Although we’re closer to sixteen years now, I guess. But you get the idea.”
“What did he say?”
“He answered me with a question of his own. He asked me if the two people involved were better suited for each other now than they were then.”
“I think we’ve answered that question over the last almost twenty-four hours,” he said, pulling me to him again. “I never want this to end, Dev.”
“Me neither. I’m all yours now.” I kissed him again and groaned as I rolled out of bed. “You ready to shock the hell out of the campus community and walk down the steps of Wentworth together and across campus to the dining hall?”
“But will they be all that shocked?” he asked. “I think most of them will be relieved. A lot of them have been very concerned about my well-being since the karaoke incident. There have been many inquiries and concerns.”
“It shows how beloved you are here,” I said, pulling on my jeans. “I doubt anyone is missing Ryland Dennis right now. Let’s go get some bacon.”
...
The sun came out that afternoon and warmed things up a bit, and I took an hour-long break before getting ready for the dinner service. Sitting on my favorite bench, still exhausted from a general lack of sleep over the previous few nights, I was giddy at everything that had transpired since returning to Rockwood. Kyle found me there after he taught his last class of the day, and we got a kick out of talking to people who passed by us, many of whom seemed surprised by how casually we were hanging out together after being somewhat guarded and covert about even being friendly with each other for so many months. It felt good not to care what anyone thought anymore. One female student even point-blank asked us, “So, are you two like, you know, a couple now?”
“Something like that,” Kyle said, putting his arm around me. “How could I not like the cookie lady?”
“She probably has access to basketball tickets,” said one male student, as if I wasn’t sitting right there.
“That’s true, I do,” I said. “That’s definitely why he’s hanging out with me.”
There was a commotion building around a black Sprinter van in the adjacent parking lot. “What’s going over there?” I asked Kyle, and the students we had been talking to walked over to see what was going on. The small crowd parted, and we watched Ashlyn Lark emerge from nearby Browning Hall, wearing sunglasses and her Canada Goose down jacket, carrying her cell phone and a large purse. Two men pushed luggage carts filled with suitcases and other belongings to the Sprinter.
“She’s actually leaving? Andrea finally kicked her out?” Kyle asked, his eyes huge with shock.
“That’s a new cell phone she’s holding,” I mused.
“How do you know?” he asked.
“It’s a good story,” I said. “Let’s save it for later. I want to savor every moment of watching her leave.” And we did.
Soon after the Sprinter pulled away and Kyle and I gave each other a fist-bump, a shiny white Land Rover pulled up at the same parking lot, and I watched as Bentley and Julianna Preston got out of the still-running car, along with a driver who I didn’t recognize. The driver hustled over to Adrienne’s dorm, and I felt panic creep into my body.
“No, no, not Adrienne. She didn’t do anything. I’m positive she was not involved in Midsy. Oh shit, Kyle. She can’t get kicked out of another school.” I looked over at Julianna and Bentley, who had noticed me sitting there watching the scene unfold. Julianna started walking in my direction. “Ugh. I think she wants to talk to me.”
“Want me to stay with you?” he asked. “She probably won’t say much with a witness.”
“You don’t know this woman,” I said. “She’s malnourished and quite hangry. I’ll deal with her. You shouldn’t be subjected to this.” I stood up and walked in her direction.
“Julianna,” I said.
“Devon, hello,” she replied.
“Is everything all right? Is Adrienne—” I didn’t know how to even ask the question.
“We came up to take Adrienne out to dinner,” she said, and I instantly felt relieved. “As you likely know, our relationship with her is often strained, and we need to have some interactions with her that are lower stakes. In other words, not just special occasions.” She sighed. “This is all at the suggestion of a therapist. I’m sure you know I wouldn’t be able to come up with these ideas on my own. I’m a lot of things, but an empathetic human isn’t often one of them.”
I didn’t know what to say and needed to be careful not to insult her, so I decided to stick to Adrienne. “I’ve gotten to know her a bit this fall. She’s a lovely person. You have much to be proud of.”
She nodded. “I’m not sure how much credit I can take for any of who or how she is, but I thank you for that. I wasn’t thrilled when she said she was cooking with you, but I recognize that until now, she didn’t have any significant interests or anything she was even slightly considering doing after high school. We had our sights set on the Ivy League for her, but if culinary school is where she ends up, so be it.” Her face looked pained saying these words, but knowing her as I did, I recognized that getting to this point of acceptance was huge progress.
“Well, that’s great,” I said. “I hope you have a good dinner.”
“Thanks, Devon. You know about Ward, right?”
“That he’s…” I didn’t want to say it. I hoped she would finish the sentence for me.
“Yes, who he is to Adrienne and to me,” she said mercifully. Whew. “Well, he’s not much to me anymore, but I’m glad Adrienne is here. In weird ways, she occasionally spends time with him, at least from what they tell me.”
“I saw her helping him with lights on the scaffold the other day,” I volunteered and then instantly regretted it. Julianna probably hated the idea of Adrienne doing grunt work like that.
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. It’s something. I am moving on from him, I guess, with my own husband. Imagine that,” she said with a short laugh, gesturing toward him. Bentley was still standing against the Land Rover, probably perplexed as to what on earth Julianna and I could be talking about. “He’s okay,” she said. “You know that already.”
“Um, yes,” I replied awkwardly. “Well, good luck with all of it.”
Adrienne and the driver walked toward us, relieving me of this incredibly bizarre conversation. “Hi, Devon,” she said. “Okay, Mom, I’m starving. Let’s go eat.” She was wearing a long corduroy skirt and Doc Martens, and I knew Julianna was doing everything in her power not to make the “ are you really going to wear that? ” comment. I silently applauded her for not saying a word. More progress.
I said goodbye and caught Bentley’s eye, giving him a wave. He waved back, and I settled back next to Kyle on the bench. “This has been a very long day,” I said. “A good day, but a lot has taken place.”
He kissed my cheek. I could get used to this. “Don’t forget the Celtics are on tonight. We need to see if David can do it again. There’s another watch party in the student lounge again if you’re interested. Or we can go to The Horse. They’ll have it on there. Or, of course, there’s always The Barnacle. Marnie can mix you a drink. Hang out with Ward Connelly. That sort of thing,” he said with a laugh.
I yawned. “Or we can light a fire and watch it from the best apartment on campus.”
“The whiskey sours are really good there. That’s definitely where I want to be.”