Page 113 of A Stealthy Situation

This is the hard part. “Doc thinks that with learning assistance, I’ll be able to pass stats. It’ll be hard but doable.”

“That’s awesome.”

“But I’d have to tell people. Then they’ll ask questions, and there’s a good chance they’ll find the right answers.”

“They can’t prove anything.”

“I think my diagnosis does it for them, honestly.”

He falls silent, and I know he’s trying to think up a solution like I have been for months.

“I’m going to speak to West and Jas this summer,” I say.

“Oh, fuck.”

“Sorry, but I think it’s the only way. They’re going to be so fucking mad, but I need Jas to help me.”

“Wait …” Em walks over to sit next to me. “If you can’t do it here, you’ll?—”

“Move home.”

“Shit.”

It hurts to even think about it. I might have told Harrison that one semester is no big deal, but it’s going to kill me being away from him. There’s no way in hell I could let him say no to this job, though, when it’s exactly the kind of thing he’ll love to do while he finishes his degree.

“Harrison already knows it’s an option, and we’ll work through it.”

“There is no fucking way you’ll survive being away from him,” Em says. “You’re sulky on the nights you don’t get to see him. Constantly message him while he’s at work. I never would have picked you as needy as fuck in a relationship, but apparently, he turns you into an idiot.”

I hate that I can’t even argue with him.

“It’s my only option.”

“Okay. We’ll tell them together.”

I’m not expecting that. “You sure?”

“Obviously, I’m sure. We do everything together. Including being murdered by our big brothers.”

“I don’t think Asher will be that pissed.”

“No, but if murder’s involved, you know he’ll be on West’s side.”

I chuckle because he’s right. I also know that as bad as it might be, as furious and disappointed in us as they’re going to be, they’re my brothers. They love me. They’ll support me through it all and try to understand.

Even my by-the-book brother-in-law is a true Dalton. He might be head of the math department, but Jas will go to bat for me. For all of us. He’ll probably even blame himself for not picking up on it, but I’d gotten good at hiding.

I lean forward and breathe into my hands, sure I’ve made a decision. Now I need to hope that Harrison and I can survive a semester apart.

“What about you?” I ask Em.

“Me?”

“Will you come with me?”

His face falls a little. “Back to Vermont?”

“I mean, it’s still forever away, and you’ve got time to think about it, but … what else would you do out here?” The familiar panic of being apart tries to creep in. “Not going to lie here, I don’t think I could handle missing both you and Harrison at the same time.”

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