body clenches with anxiety.
Of fucking course.
Any other time, I’d be pleased to see Roman. We do probably need to discuss our relationship sometime soon, which I’m not exactly looking forward to. If we’re going to have sex again—which seems likely if we ever end up in a room alone together—we need to clear up some expectations.
Truthfully, I really do want something with him. I wouldn’t mind continuing to sleep with him, on a casual sort of basis, and I wouldn’t let it make things awkward in class. But I don’t know if Roman can do that. He’s always wanted more between us. And as much as I might care about all of the guys… I don’t know if I’m ready to be with any of them. Or anyone.
The thought of it terrifies me. More than facing Raul did, honestly.
Our interpersonal mess aside, hearing Roman’s voice still makes my heart skip. He’s been busy with grading papers and conducting exams, so I haven’t seen much of him other than when I took his final, and I kind of missed him.
But right now, Maddy’s here. And my little sister is no dummy.
She’s perceptive enough to have already noticed the palpable chemistry between me and my three roommates. And if she meets Roman, it’ll only be a matter of time before she figures out something is up between me and him too.
I turn around, and lo and behold, my darkly handsome professor hasn’t disappeared just because I prayed he would.
“Oh, hey, Roman.”
“Elliot. I…” He stops as his gaze lands on Mads. “Sorry, who’s this?”
“I’m Maddy,” she says, holding out her hand for him to shake because she’s a little shit. “I’m Elliot’s sister. I go to Neptune Academy.”
“Ah, for those with water elemental magic.” Roman shakes her hand, his large grip engulfing her smaller one. “How are you enjoying it?”
“It’s great. Hard work, but I’m having a lot of fun.”
“Glad to hear it. I’m friends with a few of the professors there. Do you know…”
Goddamn it, he’s charming her. I really do not need this. I look over at the other men, and all three of them, even Asher, have these absolutely smug grins on their faces that clearly state we’re going to win your sister over whether you like it or not.
I’m surrounded by traitors.
“That would be great!” Maddy says as I tune back into their conversation. She looks at me. “I’m starved, can we?”
“Can we what?” I ask, feeling a little dazed.
“I offered to take you all to lunch,” Roman repeats.
“We’d love that,” Cam agrees quickly before I can say anything. He seems thrilled at the idea of all six of us hanging out together. As if he knows the fastest route to my heart is to win over my sister… which is totally fucking true.
Oh, man, I’m gonna put a dead fish in his backpack.
Just as I have that thought, something… weird happens. It’s not full-on magic, not quite. It’s not like I’m unleashing a sonic boom. But something ripples through me, and I can feel the magic in me churning, coming alive in a new way.
Worry clenches my stomach. Well, shit. That’s not normal.
Asher, ever observant, frowns slightly. “You okay, Elle?”
“Great,” I reply, forcing a smile. What the hell was that?
Whatever it was, it’s gone now. I blink, shaking off the strange feeling.
“Just realizing how hungry I am.” Patting my stomach, I give up my battle against all of us going to lunch. The guys aren’t going to give up, and neither is my little sis. And maybe a tiny part of me wants her to get to know them a little—wants to make sure she approves. “Let’s get something to eat.”
Maddy grins at me and takes my hand, and I squeeze it gently. Whatever the hell that weird feeling was, I shove it into the back of my mind to deal with later.
Right now, I’m with my sister, and she’s what matters.
Dmitri climbs to his feet and joins us, quietly quizzing Roman on something to do with the final exam. Those two are bonding over their shared crankiness, it seems. Cam’s cracking jokes, making Mads and Asher laugh, and Asher himself is quietly at my side, a silent support. He can probably guess, even without his powers, how nervous I’m feeling right now. My two worlds are colliding for the first time.
Maddy leans into me, whispering so that only I can hear her. “I like them. All four of them.”
She’s got a mischievous gleam in her eye, and I scrunch up my nose at her. “None of that,” I warn quietly. “We’re just friends.”
“Whatever you say, Ellie.”
I pinch my lips together to contain my grin as a swarm of butterflies flap around in my stomach.
Cam was right. I’ve always been more of a glass half empty kind of person. But with my sister’s hand in mine and these four gorgeous, amazing men around me, relaxed and enjoying themselves, the afternoon sun bathing us…
For just this one moment, it feels like my glass is overflowing.