Page 90 of Beautifully Complicated

“It’s just geometry, and because of my field I happen to be an expert in that.”

“How come he’s so bad at it then?” Damien inclines his head toward my boyfriend.

“I get nervous under pressure.” Aiden gives us a sheepish look.

“I’ve never seen that,” I tell him.

“Academic pressure is different than sports pressure.” He lifts a pouty shoulder. “Plus, computers have a delete button, but once you swing or shoot or whatever there’s no do over.”

“Fair enough.” I sling my arm around his shoulder and pull him to me so I can plant another kiss on his forehead.

Aiden’s mother interrupts the party talk with a reminder that it’s almost time for the ceremony, so everyone starts to file into the stadium, with the students on the field and guests in the stands. Sitting between Conor and Aiden’s dad, I listen as the president of the school and the commencement speaker talk about the school, the graduating class, and how to succeed post-graduation.

The students don’t receive their degrees right now—that happens at a separate event where the students are grouped by college, not class—so instead of having to get through thousands of names the list is whittled down to a few hundred. Once the initial program is finished, students and their families retreat to various buildings around campus for the degree portion of the process, where they’re each called to the stage individually.

Bennet and Damien are in different colleges, so I’m left alone with Aiden’s family, and while they once again invite me to sit with them, I choose to take advantage of one of the perks of being faculty and slip into the wings just off stage. I’m not sure they buy my story that professors have to help with the ceremony, but I figure that’s a better excuse than saying I want to be the first to congratulate my man after he receives his diploma.

The dean of the computer science department gives another overview of what the students had to achieve in order to graduate before he starts reading off names, and since they go in alphabetical order it takes the better part of an hour before they get to Aiden. As his name is called, I see his smiling face rise from the crowd, and I have to bite back a grin of my own as I watch him bounce down the aisle toward the stage.

I stop fighting that grin when he shakes the dean’s hand and takes his diploma, not caring in the least whether anyone sees how happy I am. How proud. Even if I wasn’t in love with him, I’d be in awe of his determination, his unrelenting enthusiasm for the work, and his passion for helping people. A better man doesn’t exist, and I’m humbled and honored by the factI’mthe one who gets to call him mine.

Aiden doesn’t know I’m hiding in the wings, and once he catches sight of me his beaming smile somehow grows even bigger, which makes my heartbeat echo in my chest. His steps quicken until he’s within arm’s reach, and we fling our arms around each other, holding on so tight there’s barely space to breathe.

“I’m so proud of you, Leanbh.” I cup his face in my hands and kiss the air from his lungs just as a chorus of gasps sounds to my right.

“Leanbh?Him?” Daniel’s eyes are as wide as Grace’s mouth.

“What are you doing?” She hisses, mercifully missing the fact Daniel knows something she doesn’t. “You two can’t be involved.”

I release Aiden’s face and take his hand in mine, linking our fingers. “Why not?”

“You’re his professor,” she sputters.

“I’m not actually. He’s never been in any of my classes, and I’ve never had input on any of his grades.”

“You’re still his advisor,” Daniel says. “This renders all recommendations from you useless.”

“I didn’t write him any,” I say with more calm than I feel. Even knowing they can’t do anything with the knowledge that we’re together, I’d rather not get into the whole history of our relationship if I can avoid it, so I try to stick to the basics.

“You didn’t… but his future…” Grace blinks furiously. “Anyone worth their salt in this industry will know you two were at Front Range University at the same time, and if he doesn’t have a recommendation from you that will reflect poorly on him. How could you do this to him?”

“Ms. Bowers,” Aiden puts a gentle hand on her arm. “I appreciate your concern, truly. But I don’t need Keir’s recommendation. I’m not applying anywhere.”

“You’re not… but what… where are you… what?” Grace looks between Aiden, me and Daniel.

“Aiden and I formed a consulting company together.” I hold up our joined hands as I hand her the incorporation papers I still have in my pocket. “We’re partners in both business and life.”

“But you… he worked for you,” Daniel objects. “Even if you weren’t his professor, it’s unethical for the two of you to be involved.”

I can see the wheels turning in his mind, recalling prior conversations, and even though I firmly believe we’d ultimately be found innocent of any wrongdoing, I’d rather not get bogged down by an invasive investigation if he speculates about our history aloud.

“Under normal circumstances I’d agree with you, Daniel. But Aiden and I actually met, and had a brief relationship, before I came to the university. We didn’t expect to find each other here, and when we did, we realized we wanted to be together. Personally and professionally. That’s why we formed our business, and why I haven’t written him any recommendations.”

“I suppose you haven’t technically broken any rules.” Grace hands the paperwork back to me. “Although it’d certainly have been a lot less messy if you’d just disclosed you knew each other from before.”

“My apologies, Grace. Prior to deciding to form our own company I didn’t want anyone to question Aiden’s brilliance by mistaking my motives.”

She gives me a curt nod, seemingly satisfied I have Aiden’s best interests at heart.

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