Page 129 of Bad for Me

“We’re in the clear? What does that mean, exactly? What happened?”

His arm squeezes my waist as his free hand grabs his phone from his pocket and swipes through it. When he finds what he’s looking for, he shows me the screen.

Dad

It worked. You’re in the clear.

Frustration builds in my chest, and I huff. “Uhhh, not an answer. What does ‘in the clear’ mean, Woods?”

He lays the phone down and meets my gaze. “I can’t tell you everything?—”

“Woods,” I groan. “Come on?—”

“—but what youcanknow is that if anyone was going to use this information against us, they can’t now. As long as we’re not blatantly flaunting our relationship this semester, we’ll be fine.”

“Really?” He nods and I glance at his phone screen to re-read the words for good measure. “Okay… okay good. This is good.” My voice is husky from stress, but I take a soothing inhale and exhale—until the sender’s name finally sinks in.

“Wait, yourdadknows?” I squeak. I didn’t even think about telling Thad and my mom, yet, and the very thought now makes me queasy, but Woods just chuckles.

“Not only does he know, he said he approves so long as we make each other happy.”

Panic had gripped my lungs like a vice, but it releases me just as quickly, leaving an airy sensation in my chest.

“Do I make you happy?”

He nods. “Yeah, sunshine. You do.”

I bite my lip. My brow furrows before I ask the question I truly wish I didn’t have to.

“Should we… I don’t know, call it off while you’re my professor? I can wait until after exams if we have to.”

“Fuck no,” he growls sending those flutters in my chest all the way down to my core. If his arms weren’t so tight around my waist and across my thighs, I’d turn around and straddle him right here to alleviate the ache that’s already building inside me. “You’re mine, Everly. Like I said before, as soon as we can tell the world, I’m shouting how I feel about you to the rooftops. In fact, I’ll set a date and time for you right now.”

He turns with me in his chair, scribbles on a sticky note, and hands it to me. “Here.”

I take the paper, and a confused frown curves my lips as I blink at the words.

“Feather & Roost. 7 p.m. December 11… What’s this?”

“That’s the day of your last exam with me.” He taps the paper, bringing my attention back to him. “Meet me here, sunshine, and I’ll tell the fucking world.”

“Rightafter the exam? But people will know we’ve been together…”

He shrugs. “Fuck the rumors. So long as we play it smart, that’s all they’ll be.”

My heart flutters at the possibilities. I brush my thumb over the note and smile back at him. “The whole world, huh?”

He kisses my smile, making it grow, and when he leans back in his chair, his own grin radiates warmth through me.

“Watch me, sunshine.”

EPILOGUE

EVERLY

December 11

I didn’t knowwhen Woods made his promise that Feather & Roost is the most upscale restaurant in Graveston. The building used to be the go-to inn for visitors since it’s across the street from the campus horseshoe. Now it’s one of the oldest restaurants in town, catering to senators, celebrities, and presidents for just over a century. The “seen” go here to “be seen,” so of course Woods and I have never eaten here.

---