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CHAPTER SIX

ELLIOT

M y phone chimes just as I’m leaving my apartment later that night to go down to Jo and Jordan’s. When I pull it out, there’s a text from an unknown number.

Unknown

I forgot to ask you not to tell your brother who I really am.

My smile spreads because holy hell—Amelia.

She texted, and it feels like the opening salvo of something .

I add her to my contacts immediately. When I said I would never mess her up, I meant it.

I meant it enough that I opened up the faculty handbook earlier this afternoon and discovered that there is, in fact, a very strict non-fraternization rule for faculty and students, even grad students.

Not that I think she would agree to date me if there wasn’t, but I just like to know what I’m working with.

Being around her this morning just solidified for me that what I felt on the plane was not a fluke and was, in fact, very, very real.

But if it has to wait until I’m no longer her professor and advisor, then I’ll wait.

I’m a guy who brings almost dead plants back to life for fun.

I can be patient when the payoff is worth it.

And my gut tells me that Amelia Sullivan is worth everything.

I sit right down on the landing and respond.

Me

Who is this?

Amelia

How many people today told you they were keeping their real identity a sort of secret?

Me

More than you might think.

Amelia

That makes me wonder what kind of people you’re hanging around with.

Me

Mystery Girl, if you’re wondering about me, that means you’re thinking about me, and that makes me a happy guy.

Amelia

You can’t call me that.

Me

You said I can’t call you that when I’m advising you. Or teaching you. Right now, I’m just sitting here on the steps outside my apartment texting you, neither teaching nor advising, so I’m pretty sure the nickname is fair game.

Amelia

Why are you sitting on the steps instead of inside your apartment?

Me

I was heading to my brother’s, but then you texted.

Amelia

You couldn’t text and walk?

Me

I wanted to give you my undivided attention. My brother only lives one floor down from me. That’s not long enough to have a text conversation worthy of how awesome you are.

Amelia

You live in the same building as your brother?

Me

I live in the same building as all three of my brothers, plus Jordan’s girlfriend.

Amelia

That’s oddly cute. So, you’re close to them?

Me

They’re my best friends.

Amelia

Sorry to ask you to keep a secret from them, but would you mind not telling Jordan I’m Gabe’s sister? Gabe doesn’t…exactly know I’m in school right now.

Me

What does he think you’re doing?

Amelia

It’s a long story.

Me

I’ve got nothing but time for you, Mystery Girl.

Amelia

Maybe another time. Suffice to say, I’m not ready for him to know I’m doing this. If you tell Jordan who I am, he might tell Gabe, and then Gabe will figure it all out.

Sorry this sounds very middle school, don’t tell the guy I like that I like him, or whatever. I just want to keep this to myself for a while.

Me

Am I the guy you like in that little metaphorical scenario?

Amelia

No comment.

Me

No comment always means yes. Everyone knows that.

Amelia

Student. Professor.

Me

Fair enough. And it won’t be like that forever. So, how did you get my number?

Amelia

Uh, you literally gave it to everyone in class. Bold move, putting your personal cell number on the syllabus.

Me

I like my students to be able to get in touch with me if they need to. And this semester it had an unanticipated side benefit.

Amelia

What’s that?

Me

Now I have your number, and I didn’t even have to ask you for it.

Amelia

I’m in your class. You probably have pretty easy access to my number if you wanted it.

Me

Probably, but that would be cheating. I wanted you to give me your number because you wanted to. I didn’t want to get it by default. And hey, look, you gave me your number.

Amelia

So, I could ask you not to tell your brothers that I’m Gabe Sullivan’s sister.

Me

Does the reason really matter? I’ve got your number either way.

Amelia

Are you going to keep my last name to yourself?

Me

Of course. Your secret’s safe with me.

Amelia

Thank you.

Me

Anything for you, Mystery Girl.

Amelia

Professor. Student.

Me

I swear I know. I said I would never mess you up and I meant it. You’re driving this ship.

Amelia

I do like being in charge.

Me

[bites fist]. You said that to fuck with me, didn’t you?

Amelia

Sure did.

Me

Savage, Mystery Girl. I love it.

Amelia

I’ll let you get back to your brothers, but thanks for all the things.

Me

What things?

Amelia

You know, Diet Pepsi in a mug, cinnamon rolls, five different breakfasts, keeping my identity a secret.

Me

It was the best breakfast of my entire life. And as for the other thing, well, I kind of like having a secret with you.

Amelia

Goodnight, Elliot.

Me

Night, Mystery Girl.

With a grin permanently fixed to my face, I stand and stick my phone in my pocket, jogging down the stairs to Jordan and Jo’s apartment. When I push open the door, the two of them are tangled together on the couch, kissing like one of them is about to be shipped off to war, never to return.

“Jesus, you guys were only apart for, like, one day.”

Jordan doesn’t even lift his head, just raises his middle finger at me behind Jo’s head, never breaking their kiss. I laugh, even as I get a sharp tug of longing thinking of the brown-haired girl who can’t be mine. Yet.

“Jesus fuck, you guys, enough with the making out where everyone can see you. You’re in love. You’re obsessed with each other. We get it.”

I laugh again, setting the pan of brownies I’m holding down on the coffee table and turning as Cooper strolls into the apartment, an uncharacteristic scowl on his face. This time Jo and Jordan do break apart.

“What’s with you?” Jordan asks him, shifting so Jo is sitting next to him, his arm draped over her shoulders.

Cooper shakes his head, huffing out a frustrated breath and dropping onto the couch on Jo’s other side. “It’s that new associate at the firm. She’s making me crazy.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “I guess you’re not talking about the good kind of crazy?”

He gives me a bland look. “No, I am definitely not talking about the good kind of crazy. I’m talking about the steals cases right out from under me, everything’s a competition, sucks up to all the partners to make everyone else but especially me look bad kind of crazy.”

Jo leans forward, and Jordan’s hand immediately moves to her back, like he has to be touching her at all times. “It must be pretty bad for you to be so annoyed. I didn’t think anything could annoy you.”

Cooper groans, scrubbing his hands over his face. “This really isn’t like me, but for some reason, Evangeline Rhodes turns me into an entirely different person, and I hate it. Quick, someone change the subject.”

I sit down in the chair across from the couch, glancing at the three of them.

I may not be able to tell them who Amelia really is, but I can tell them something, and not just to save Cooper from thinking about his lawyer nemesis.

Because these are my people, and I may keep some parts of myself close, but this isn’t one of those things.

“So, I kind of have news.”

Three heads whip in my direction so fast I laugh. “It’s…sort of big news.”

Jordan’s eyes light up, and Jo practically rubs her hands together with glee. No one loves gossip like those two. “Fuck yes,” Jo says, swinging her legs up onto the sofa so she’s sitting cross-legged, her elbows on her knees. “Big news is exactly what this movie night needs. Tell us everything.”

“So...I kind of found Amelia.”

“What?” Jordan, Jo, and Cooper all say at once, staring at me.

“Mystery girl from the plane?” Jo asks excitedly.

I nod. “The very same one.”

“No shit,” Jordan says, grinning at me. “How did that happen?”

“Hold up.” Cooper lifts a hip and pulls out his phone, unlocking it. “Noah needs to hear this too.”

He hits Noah’s contact, and ten seconds later his face appears on the screen. “What’s up? I need to be in the OR in ten, so I don’t have long.”

Cooper grins into the phone. “Guess who found his mystery girl?”

“No fucking way,” Noah exclaims, looking at me. “The girl from the plane?”

I nod. “Yep.” I could give them more but making them ask for it is more satisfying. It’s a brother thing.

“Okay, I only have ten minutes, so I’m going to need you to start talking right now. Leave nothing out.”

I snicker at the earnest look on Noah’s face. “She walked into my first class this morning.”

“Just showed up in your class?” Jo asks. “Like, she’s a student?”

I nod. “A PhD student. She started mid-year, so today was her first day. She walked into class five minutes late and I recognized her, like, immediately.”

“Did she recognize you?” Cooper asks, his face screwed up in thought.

“She did. It turns out she already knew who I was. I think I told you guys that when we landed in Boston we ran into one of my students in the airport. When my student called me Dr. Wyles, Amelia put it together and figured out who I was.”

“That’s why she disappeared,” Jordan says, running a hand up and down Jo’s back in a gesture that looks so habitual I’m not sure he even realizes he’s doing it.

The desire for that kind of ease with another person—with one person in particular—is so sharp I have to take a deep breath to stem the emotion bubbling up in my chest, the lightness from before dissipating like the air let out of a balloon.

“It is,” I manage.

“So, what happened this morning? Did you talk to her? Hurry the fuck up because I’m down to a tight five before I have to be in the OR.”