Page 69 of Wicked Waters

He shrugged. “I’ve been taking journals out of the library for the past four years. It’s the least I can do. Ease my guilty conscience.”

“Do you have a guilty conscience?”

“Nope. Not about taking them. But I do about you having to be punished for something I do all the time. Roman would do the same for me, and anyway, you’re one of us now. That means we look out for each other.”

A warm feeling spread through me as I took in his words. Coming back to Hatherley Hall, I hadn’t known what to expect, but somehow, I’d ended up with an amazing man who loved me, but also a group of people who really, truly had my back.

“Thank you, Tristan. The same goes for me, too.”

The conditions were perfect for the lacrosse game. Fluffy white clouds, bright sunshine, and a fresh breeze. The mood in the stands was jubilant as the teams jogged onto the pitch. Roman had said it would be an easy win, and the Hatherley Hall team looked confident and focused. It was too hot to wear Roman’s hoodie, but he’d given me a team jersey with a number 18 on the back. His number. When I’d shown up with Elena, both of us wearing our boyfriends’ jerseys, Aria had sighed and shaken her head at us, muttering that she’d never be caught dead wearing one. We were now seated in the front row along with our friends and families. My parents were to my left, and my mum was currently in a conversation with Knox’s mum while my dad stared across the field with a faraway look on his face.

When the teams took their positions, Roman shooting me a huge grin, my dad finally turned to me. “This brings back memories. Being out there on the field, stick in hand…” He trailed off as the game began, his full attention turning to the players. My focus was on my boyfriend, of course, fast, determined, and so gorgeous with that look of concentration on his face.

The first half passed in a blur, and by the end of it, Hatherley Hall were winning, 7–5. Knox and Tristan had been integral in scoring our goals, and Roman had been instrumental in setting the majority of them up, running and passing the ball with deadly accuracy while avoiding the Cheltenham players. My voice was hoarse from cheering, and I gratefully accepted the water bottle Aria handed to me.

When I lowered the bottle, my dad was giving me a thoughtful look. “Your…friend. Mr. Cavendish. He’s rather talented.”

I bit back a smile. Roman had already been upgraded from “the Cavendish boy” to “Mr. Cavendish,” and my dad was acknowledging him as a friend of mine? This was going better than I thought it would.

“He’s very talented,” I said softly, my gaze going back to the field. “Not only at lacrosse. He…he’s an amazing man.”

My dad didn’t respond other than a brief nod, but it was enough. More than enough. Hope rose inside me, and I let myself smile for real.

In the second half, Cheltenham managed to score again, but we drew ahead, thanks to an amazing play from Lincoln, assisted by Knox. Cheltenham did their best to recover, but it was clear to everyone watching that Hatherley Hall were dominating the game.

With only a few minutes left on the clock, Roman got the ball in his scoop and ran, a blur down the field, the crowd roaring their support. He sliced his stick through the air, sending the ball straight into the goal and sealing our win. The game finished 14–9, and when Roman jogged over to me and pulled off his helmet, his eyes sparkling and a huge grin stretching over his face, I didn’t even hesitate. I leaned over the barrier at the same time as he reached for me, our mouths meeting in a euphoric kiss that was everything.

Until my dad cleared his throat, and Roman and I sprung apart. My heart sank at his serious, unsmiling face, but then he held out his hand to Roman.

“Good game,” he said, and my heart skipped a beat. Roman’s eyes widened as he took my dad’s hand and shook it.

“Thank you.” There was a small pause before he added, “Sir.”

My dad’s lips tilted upwards in the barest hint of a smile.

38

QUINN

“Iknew you’d manage to charm them.” I straddled Roman on one of the sofas in the crypts, my arms wrapped around his neck. He rubbed his thumbs over my hips as he kissed me.

“Yeah. The meal went well, I think. Compliments are definitely the way to your mum’s heart, but I won your dad over the minute I took my first shot in the lacrosse game.”

“I think you won them both over before that, to be honest. When they found out your role in everything and how you’d been dragged into it all against your will. I’m pretty sure your uncle impressed them during the meeting, too.”

“He’s good at that.” Roman grinned. Reaching around me, he grabbed his cider from the coffee table and took a swig before offering the bottle to me. “Do you think they’ll be okay with the fact we’re together?”

“I…I think if I can show I can keep my focus on my studies, they’ll be okay. I get the sense they feel partly responsible for the things that happened—for isolating me, I guess. We don’t need to hide. We just need to toe the line for the rest of the term.” Sipping the cider, I allowed myself to properly think about the future. A future that included both Roman and the approval of my parents, something I never thought would be possible. Maybe Penelope had done me a favour in her own twisted way.

“Arlo’s given me the toeing-the-line talk, too. I guess I can’t be the bad boy forever.” He pouted, and I laughed, kissing him again.

“Ahh, look at this. All the lovebirds together. How sweet.” Tristan threw himself down onto the sofa next to us, slinging his arm across Roman’s shoulders. He nodded towards the opposite sofa, where Knox and Elena were reclining. As I shifted sideways on Roman’s lap, placing the bottle down, I saw Knox give Tristan a lazy smile, saluting him with his beer.

“Two of the three gods are taken now, Tris. Are you gonna join us?”

“You wish.” Rolling his eyes at Knox, he kicked his feet up on the coffee table and then patted Roman’s shoulder. “But I am gonna do you a favour, Ro. You can have the room tonight. Literally all I ask is that you don’t fuck on my bed or my desk—just stay away from anything that’s mine. But if you want the room for you and Quinn, you can have it.”

I was swept into a standing position before I even had time to register it, laughing as Roman more or less dragged me away from our friends, through the crowd, and up the stairs.

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