Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ALEX PULLS ONTO CAMPUS, STEALING a glance at me as he picks up our joined hands and presses a kiss to the back of mine.
The two of us haven’t stopped grinning since we left his apartment.
I’m bursting with so much ridiculous happiness I feel like a rainbow is about to shoot out of my chest like a goddamn Care Bear.
He eases into a parking spot two spaces away from my car, still sitting right where I left it Monday night.
After he turns off the engine, I reach for the passenger door, but before I can get it open, he grabs my hand, pulling me in for a long, decadent kiss.
Time stands still when Alex kisses me. There’s nothing but his soft lips, the slow slide of his tongue. Everything else fades away.
He finally tilts back, leaving me a little dazed. “I have a surprise for you.”
I blink in disbelief. After everything we’ve been through, there’s more?
“Thought you had to get to class,” I say slyly, sliding my fingers along his inner thigh.
He laughs, grasping my wrist before my hand can get too far up his leg. “I do. This is a real surprise.” I eye him skeptically, then he nods toward the quad. “Come on.”
After we exit the vehicle, he takes my hand and tugs me down the path to the health science courtyard. It seems like the sun is shining extra brightly today. Everything is more vivid. The grass is greener, the sky more lustrous. Maybe it’s me. Alex flipped my switch from Technicolor to high-def.
He stops in front of a concrete kiosk, waving his hand over a flyer. A Sextival flyer. “What do you think?”
I gasp as I scan the colorful art, bright images of balloons and circus tents covering the entire page. “O-M-G, when did you do this?”
“Monday, before our class. That’s why I was a few minutes late.” He grins sheepishly. “I offered extra credit to my students if they helped me put them up. I was going to show you, but it took longer than I thought.”
I can’t believe Sextival is only two weeks away. This whole semester has been a blur.
I look closer at the flyer, taking in the intricate details. Some of the booths even have the games we came up with. “Seriously, this is amazing.”
“I asked the graphic designer at the health department if she could put something together.”
A professional artist made this flyer? No wonder it looks so good. “And she did it for free?”
He laughs. “Not at all.”
“You paid her? With your own money?” I scan his eyes, completely dumbfounded.
“Of course.” He circles his arms around my waist. “This is important. I emailed her as soon as you told me Sextival was canceled. I figured if we’re going to pull it off, we need to go all in.”
I throw my arms around his neck, and he sweeps me into a hug. I’m about to press my lips to his when a throat clears behind us.
Instantly, he releases me, taking a big step back. This can’t be good.
I turn, coming face-to-face with our department chair.
Shit.
I haven’t seen Dr. Padilla since she explicitly told me to cancel Sextival. When she threatened to call President Markum after I refused.
“Alex, June.” Dr. Padilla looks between us. “You seem to be enjoying yourselves.”
Well, if deliberately disobeying a direct order wasn’t enough to annihilate my tenure, I’m sure fraternizing with my mentee is.
She plucks the Sextival flyer from the kiosk, an unamused smile curling her lips. “What do we have here?”
“That …” I gesture to the print, but no more words come.
“That’s the flyer for Sextival.” Alex crosses his arms. “What do you think?”
She lets out a mirthless laugh. “I think I told you the event was canceled.”
Alex winces. “You know, we tried that, but the students were really upset.”
Her eyes narrow.
“Then they asked why it was canceled, and we were afraid things might get out of hand. They were so excited, they even came up with the flyer design.”
She tightens her lips, studying the graphics. “The students designed this?”
“The concept, yes.”
“It’s a really important event,” I add. “Think about how much awareness we’ll bring to the campus. How many students we’ll reach. We also secured some big sponsorships.”
She tilts her head. “Such as?”
“The health department and Come As You Are.”
She gawks. “The sex shop?”
“They’re going to donate five thousand condoms.”
A genuine smile takes over her face. “Five thousand? That is impressive.” She leans closer, lowering her voice. “Between you and me, I’m glad you’re doing this. The students need an event like this.”
I flash Alex a triumphant smile.
She must see it because her face becomes stoic again. “I can’t promise it will go over well with President Markum. Especially if the conservative donors get wind that we’re moving forward. Something tells me they won’t have the same excitement over the five thousand condoms.”
“Well, they’re not the ones who will be using them,” Alex says smugly. He glances at his watch. “I’d love to continue this discussion, but I need to get to class.”
A student rolls by on a skateboard, nearly knocking Dr. Padilla over. He skids to a stop and rushes over to her. “Sorry, ma’am.” Then his eyes light up as he sees the flyer in her hand. “Oh shit, is that about Sextival?”
“You’ve heard of it?” I ask.
“Oh yeah, everyone’s talking about it. It’s gonna be sick.” He pulls out his phone and scrolls through several posts with the hashtag.
Alex and I exchange victorious glances.
“Can’t wait,” the student says as he adjusts his board and skates away.
Alex grins. “I guess you were right,” he says to Dr. Padilla.
“About?” She lifts an eyebrow.
“The mentorship. June and I really do make a dream team.” Alex winks at me, and I can’t help the grin that splits my face. He holds my gaze one last beat, then struts out of the quad and into the neighboring brick building.
Dr. Padilla huffs a laugh, but then sighs, handing the flyer back to me. “This event is a risky gamble, June. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
As I step into the industrial elevator at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Padilla’s words continue to play on an endless loop. No matter how much I want to throw caution to the wind like Alex, now I’m not so sure. Things could completely backfire and blow up in my face.
But I can’t think about that right now.
I’m here to see Gram.
The chime pings as I reach the fifth floor, and the doors open to the nurses’ station. I gag on the astringent antiseptic fumes hanging in the hallway like someone just threw a smoke bomb. Hopefully Gram’s room is less potent.
As I approach room 534, chatter amplifies, growing louder the closer I get. A familiar male voice stops me in my tracks—one I haven’t heard for ages. I step through the doorway, and my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.
Sitting in the guest chair beside Gram’s bed is a man in his midthirties, wearing a flannel shirt and dark jeans.
Not just any man. My brother.
“Charlie?”
His thin cheeks lift in a welcoming smile. “Hey, Juno. Long time no see.” He stands up, corralling me into a brotherly hug.
I can’t believe he’s really here. Part of me thought I might never see him again.
“What are you doing here?” I ask in astonishment.
His brow furrows. “I think it’s a little obvious.” He gestures at our grandmother.
Right. Beyond obvious. I resist the urge to face-palm.
“Isn’t it a nice surprise?” My mother beams in the chair across from Gram.
“How long are you staying?” I ask him.
“A week.” Charlie slides his hands into his pockets. “Then I need to get back to the firm.”
“Your brother is a hot-shot lawyer now,” my mother says proudly, as if I don’t already know. “He just made partner.” Okay, that part is news.
“Wow, Charlie. That’s really cool.”
He shrugs. “Dad doesn’t think so.”
My stomach plummets, and I fight the sweeping urge to wrap him in a hug. This whole time I didn’t think he cared what our parents thought.
“Charlie …” Mom’s face falls. “That’s not—”
Before she can make an excuse for Dad, Gram pipes up. “Well, I do.”
A genuine smile lifts Charlie’s cheeks. “Thanks, Grandma.”
“How is that pretty girlfriend of yours?” Gram asks with a gleam in her eye. “Are you going to make an honest woman out of her before I go?”
A deep blush colors Charlie’s neck. “We’re just playing things by ear for now.”
Gram harrumphs. “Between the two of you”—she gestures accusingly at me and Charlie—“I’m never going to get to hold a new grandbaby.”
Not you too, Gram.
“Don’t count June out,” my mother says slyly, and it makes my skin prickle. “She’s getting awfully cozy with her new beau.”
Three pairs of eyes snap toward me, and my entire body liquefies. After this morning, there’s no way I can pretend Alex and I are just colleagues anymore.
“Where is he, by the way?” Mom glances behind me as if Alex has been lurking in the hall. “I wanted to ask him about your grandmother’s meal plan.”
Oh, shit. That.
“He’s not touching my food.” Gram stares daggers at me, crossing her arms.
“I promise he won’t, Gram.” Trust me, he wouldn’t know how. I walk over to where she’s sitting up in the hospital bed, trying to reassure her, but she pouts harder.
“I don’t know why you didn’t want to meet the nice boy I told you about.” She flings her hand in annoyance. Oh my god, she’s holding a grudge against Alex because she thinks he’s going to restrict her diet. Then she eyes me smugly. “Last I heard, you weren’t interested in a husband.”
Wow. Touché, Gram.
I lean in closer, lowering my voice. “And last I heard, you told me I should wet my whistle.”
But then her eyes light up. “And did you?”
Despite the blush overtaking my face, I whisper triumphantly, “Drenched it.”
In the most literal sense.
Gram claps her hands, and my mother looks between us. “What was that?”
“She said he makes her so happy, she’s whistling,” Gram replies, winking at me.
I can’t help but grin. It’s actually not too far from the truth. “I really like him, Gram.”
She perks up, her eyes sparkling. “Well, if he makes you happy, then I’m happy.”
A petite nurse comes in with a tablet. “Hi, Mrs. Montgomery. It’s time for physical therapy.”