by Kit Kyndall
Chapter Twelve
Candace
She had to stay overnight in the hospital, and she hated that her mom had to travel from Boston, but apparently, Dalton hadn’t been able to dissuade Hannah from coming, though she had recently given birth. Baby Suraya was at home with Ashton, and as Candace became more aware of what was happening, and her head started hurting more, she knew her mom must be uncomfortable, since she hadn’t taken time to pack her breast pump or anything else.
When she was finally able to focus on the thought and speak again, mostly coherently, she squeezed her mom’s hand and turned her head to look at her. “You should be with the baby. She needs you more than I do right now, Mom.” She sounded drowsy, but her words were audible.
“I’m not leaving you here like this.” Hannah looked shocked at the suggestion. “You’re my daughter too, and you need me.”
Dalton appeared in the periphery of her vision. “I’m here with her, Hannah, and you know Suraya could use you at home. We’re not trying to push you out, but the baby—”
“Candace is my baby too,” said Hannah in a firm voice. “I’m not leaving until she gets the all-clear.”
Candace moaned softly as she turned her head, which hurt. “Dalton, can you find a doctor and ask them to come here?”
Dalton squeezed her hand before he slipped away, and Jonas took his spot.
She reached up to take Jonas’s hands, and he was only a little blurry around the edges. She was no longer having the double vision she recalled experiencing before passing out. “Mom, this is Jonas. I told you about him.”
Hannah made a choking sound, but her tone was actually polite when she said, “It’s nice to meet you, Jonas.” There wasn’t a whole lot of sincerity, but it was the best they could hope for at the moment, especially under the circumstances.
“We will take care of her, Mrs. Westerly,” said Jonas in a steady, calm voice. “Both now and later. Like the others, I love her more than anything.”
Her voice was a little softer when she said, “Thank you for telling me that.”
Dalton returned a few minutes later with the doctor, and her guys arranged themselves around the perimeter of the room to give the doctor plenty of space, though Hannah remained in the seat beside her.
After performing an examination, including shining another light in her eyes, he said, “I think you’re going to be just fine. You need to rest a few days to heal, but I’m fine with releasing you to your mom.”
“I’d rather go back to school,” said Candace. “I have finals in a couple of days.”
“Those can wait,” said Hannah. “You need to be home resting.”
“I can rest to my dorm room too, Mom. Please. I just want to finish at BriarEdge, and then I’ll come home. I’ll stay for a while and rest more then. I promise.”
It took some convincing, but Hannah finally agreed, authorizing the doctor to release her into the care of Kip, since he was a teacher. She side-eyed him when she said that, leading Candace to believe her mother had realized Kip was more than her teacher. Candace didn’t bother to point out to the doctor or her mother that she didn’t really require Hannah’s permission or consent. She just went along with it, happy to be able to leave the hospital.
A nurse wheeled her through the hospital before letting her stand up at the curb. When she could walk on her own power, she parted ways with her mom in the parking lot as Hannah stood near the limousine. “Thank you for coming, Mom. Give Suraya a kiss for me.”
“I will, and I want you to come home as soon as your finals are done. You promised.” Candace nodded, which elicited a whimper from the brief flash of pain, and Hannah sighed. “I’ll leave you to this then. It’s obvious you’re ready to make your own decisions.” She looked at the four guys standing behind Candace before nodding. “I think maybe you’re making good, if unorthodox, choices. I love you, and I’ll see you soon.” Hannah leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Candace’s cheek.
Candace hugged her before stepping back and finding herself surrounded by multiple sets of hands and arms to support her. Hannah stared at them for a moment, and she seemed to be gradually accepting the guys were part of Candace’s life, and that wasn’t going to change. She lifted a hand and waved after she got into the limousine, and it drove away a moment later.
“I have my truck,” said Jonas.
“Candace will ride up front with you, and we can take the back,” said Kip.
“It worked to get you guys here,” said Lex. He winked. “The back of the ambulance was probably a bit better than the back of a truck.”
“We all squeezed up front,” said Dalton. He sighed. “It won’t be great riding in the back of a truck, but we’ll manage.” He grinned at Candace. “The things I’ll do for you, babe.”
She managed a small smile. “I’d rather have a demonstration of the things you’ll do to me later. Right now, I’m not up for that.”
“Soon,” said Dalton as he brushed the back of his knuckles down her cheek.
She walked with them to the truck, letting them fuss over her and settle her in the cab. She dozed through most of the trip back, vaguely aware of Jonas stopping the truck and multiple hands helping her out.
Jonas and Kip escorted her to the third floor. She heard Edna’s voice, but the woman didn’t complain about them being there. She just moved ahead to open the door for them so they could help Candace get settled in her bed.
She heard Edna gasp when Kip kissed her on the cheek, and then Jonas kissed her lightly on the mouth before telling her bye. Lex and Dalton had already parted ways from her, and she remembered them telling her they’d see her soon. They’d probably realized Edna wouldn’t let them into her room with Jonas and Kip there to see to her needs.
After that, she slept. She slept for what felt like days and days, though it was only eighteen hours or so.
Chapter Thirteen
Candace
When she woke, she felt alert and refreshed, with only a slight headache. Her first need was the bathroom, and she rushed to it to tend to business and wash her hands before brushing her teeth and cleaning her face. She still felt just a little dizzy, so she didn’t want to risk taking a shower yet, at least not alone, but she freshened up before returning to the dorm room.
Isis sat at her desk, and she was looking at the bathroom, clearly waiting for Candace to emerge. “How do you feel?”
“Much better.” She didn’t bother to mention the dull headache and dizziness, assuming they were lingering effects from the concussion that would probably resolve in the next few days, if not sooner. She was smart enough to go to Oslo if they got worse, and she didn’t need to remind everyone of her injury to have them fussing over her if she continued to improve.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Isis stood up and came over to hug her. “Everybody’s talking about what you did. How you saved Octavia and stopped Manion.”
“Are they talking about anything else?”
Isis frowned. “Like what?”
She lowered her voice. “Kip revealed our relationship to the headmaster in his panic.”
Isis’s eyes widened. “Oh. No, I haven’t heard anything about that.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe the repercussions wouldn’t be so bad.
“Speaking of the headmaster, he told me to tell you to come see him when you wake up if he’s in. Otherwise, you’re supposed to find him as soon as you can the next day. He’ll probably still be in his office right now.”
“Thanks.” So much for avoiding the repercussions. She forced herself to trudge out of the dorm room, doing her best to smile in acknowledgment to the people who spoke to her and praised her, but not wanting to linger and get drawn into conversation.
She managed to extricate herself from the dorm building twenty minutes later and hurried across the campus as fast as she could. She tried running, but that made the dizziness and pain too much, so she had to settle for a fast walk.
Her stomach w
as churning with dread when she entered the administration building, but she was shocked when Nellie smiled at her. “He’s still in, so go on back, Candace.”
That was the nicest Nellie had ever been to her, and she dared hope it was a harbinger of things to come. It wasn’t enough to settle her slight queasiness and nerves as she entered Hastings office after knocking and receiving permission to come in.
“Sit down, Candace. You look much better.”
His tone didn’t reveal much, but at least it wasn’t as glacial as usual, and he used her first name. As she sat down, she subconsciously crossed her fingers before realizing she’d done so. She left them crossed anyway, clinging to the superstitious ritual in hopes that it might help.
“How are you feeling?”
“Okay. I have a headache, but I’ll be fine.”
He nodded. “You’re probably worried about Octavia.”
“Yes, sir. Is she all right? I don’t think she was too physically hurt, but I imagine she’s pretty traumatized, especially since it happened on the day of the anniversary of…” She trailed off, looking down.
Hastings let out a strange sound. “She told you about that, did she?” At Candace’s nod, he sighed as he leaned back. “She must trust you then. For what it’s worth, I now trust you too, Candace. If it hadn’t been for you, there’s no telling what Manion would’ve done to Octavia, either in that room, or if he’d managed to get her off campus…” he trailed off with a shudder. “I feel part of it’s my fault.”
Candace tipped her head slightly. “How so, Headmaster?”
“Earlier in the day, I had told Manion his contract wouldn’t be renewed. I’ve heard some unsavory rumors, and a couple of the girls complained about his inappropriate behavior in the last couple of weeks. At the time, I didn’t think it was enough to deny him a referral to find a new job, but I also didn’t want him here. I should’ve just fired him right then and involved the authorities.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, looking old beyond his years. His eyelids fluttered open a moment later, and he sighed again. “I suspect it was my refusal to renew his contract that spurred him to his desperate action, since he knew his time here was limited. When police searched his cottage, they found a disturbing number of pictures of Octavia among his possessions. He was clearly fixated on my poor little niece. There were disturbing images of other girls too, including some apparently consensual relationships that are better left buried.”
Her gaze flicked up, and she barely resisted the urge to ask if he was referring to Malone. It wouldn’t surprise her to learn Manion had videoed himself with Malone during sex, but she wasn’t going to bring it up in case she was guessing wrong. “What will happen to him?”
“Right now, he’s in jail, but he’s engaged an attorney who’s going for an insanity plea. The truth is, it’s probably accurate. I’ve spoken with Octavia, and she doesn’t care if he ends up in prison or a psychiatric hospital as long as he’s locked away from her, so that’s what we’re focusing on.”
“That’s good. How is she? I don’t think we really covered that.”
“It’s going to take her some time to heal. She’s with Bev right now, having decided to leave school for the rest of the semester. I’ve arranged for her instructors to proctor her exams at our home, so she won’t fall behind. I hope she’ll be ready to return to school by next semester, though she might need another year of homeschooling. It’s been a rough go for her, and this didn’t help, but if it hadn’t been for you, it would’ve been far worse.”
“I’m glad I could help her. She’s my friend.” She looked down at her clasped hands, wishing she had the courage to broach the subject on her mind.
As though he’d read her thoughts, Hastings cleared his throat. “About Professor Stuart…”
Her head snapped up, and she opened her mouth. “You can’t punish him. Please. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Philip shook his head. “It’s obvious to me that he’s in love with you, Miss Munroe, and I assume it’s the same for you. It’s against every rule on our books, but I see no indication that he’s shown you any favoritism or applied any coercion to get you into a relationship, unlike Manion. If you’re as discreet as you have been, and you stay away from each other for the rest of the semester, I’m prepared to overlook his indiscretion, especially in light of the fact that he’s leaving us to go to a new school next year.”
“He’s going to Boston with me. We’re not just playing around, Headmaster. I do love him, and he loves me.” She didn’t mention the others, and he was kind enough not to ask about her status with Lex or Jonas, since they had clung tightly to her side as well. Hopefully, he just assumed Dalton had been concerned because he was her stepbrother and hadn’t realized there was a relationship between them as well. If he had, he clearly had no interest in discussing her harem of men.
“That’s all I needed to talk to you about. If you feel unwell for the next few days, go directly to Oslo. Otherwise, good luck with your exams. Your mother has indicated she would like you to come home as soon as possible after they’re over, so I’m afraid you’ll miss the prom.”
“I don’t care. I’d rather go home after the tests, and it’s not like it’s going to be a surprise. Malone is going to be the prom queen.” She grinned, showing she bore no ill will at the idea.
A real smile passed his lips, making them twitch. “Undoubtedly, that will be the case. Thank you again, Candace, and of course, you must maintain contact with Octavia. Please feel free to stop by and check on her before you leave the school.”
“Thank you, Headmaster.”
Chapter Fourteen
Candace
A few days later, after finishing her exams, Candace got into the limousine that had been waiting for her all morning on the last day of her testing. She parted from Jonas, Kip, and Lex temporarily as Dalton joined her in the limo, having waited around for her to be ready to go home, since his last exam had been the day before. She knew she would see the other three soon at their new apartment in Boston, so it wasn’t as hard to part from them as it would be if that reunion wasn’t forthcoming.
Dalton insisted she rest her head on his shoulder the entire ride home, and it was just the two of them in the limo, since Malone had obviously remained behind to ensure she was crowned prom queen. “I thought I’d lost you.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead.
“It was scary, but I don’t think I was ever in danger of dying. I’m just glad it’s all over. Not just the thing with Manion, but school and all the hiding. We can finally be together openly.” She took his hand, holding it with hers in a death grip, needing the reassurance and closeness.
When they returned home, Hannah and Ashton were there to meet them, with baby Suraya in Hannah’s arms. Candace hadn’t met her yet, since she’d made her appearance the first week of April after she and Malone had returned to school, but her baby sister was adorable.
Hannah quickly passed Suraya to Ashton before embracing Candace. “Are you all right? Do you need to lie down?”
“She’s still supposed to rest for a while, Hannah, but she doesn’t have to be on bedrest. We just need to make sure she doesn’t overexert herself.” Dalton hadn’t bothered to drop his arm from her waist, and neither one of their parents had commented on it. Perhaps they’d resigned themselves to the fact she was going to be with Dalton. Hannah seemed to have accepted it, so she’d probably influenced Ashton to do so as well.
“I’d still feel better if you rested. Dalton, why don’t you make sure she doesn’t overexert herself? Keep her quiet and read to her, or play board games or something, okay?”
Dalton nodded, leading her up the stairs. He took her to his room, since there had been no reminder from either parent to keep the doors open or to stay out of each other’s rooms. She laid down on his bed, content when Dalton laid down behind her, spooning with her. “Our lives are really going to start now, aren’t they?”
He laughed. “I think w
e’ve been living for the last year or so too, but yeah, I know what you mean. No more secrecy, and no one can tell you who you can be with and who you can’t.”
“I love you, Dalton. I love all you guys.”
He laughed again. “I’m not sure they can hear you from here.”
She smacked his hand lightly where it rested on her stomach. “Don’t be a jerk.”
“I can’t promise that, but I promise to spend every day trying to make you happy.”
She turned over to cuddle against him, nuzzling her head into his chest. “I’m going to do the same with you.” Her eyes were heavy, and she felt herself starting to fall asleep. Dalton rubbing her back in a gentle fashion was soothing and pushing her even closer to sleep.
She decided not to fight it. Instead, she closed her eyes and rested against one of her lovers. She couldn’t wait until it was the four of them with her, and that wouldn’t be long now.
October
Epilogue
Candace
Five months later…
“It looks lovely in here,” said Hannah as she stepped inside their apartment. “Beautiful. You’ve done such a good job of decorating, Candace.”
Candace laughed. “Yeah, I’m afraid that wasn’t me. It was definitely more Jonas and Lex. They both have a creative streak, at least when it comes to interior design. Jonas is talking about making it his major instead of botany, and Lex is leaning toward art, so it makes sense.” She led her mother and stepfather, who held Suraya, down the hallway. She paused by the candy bowl, ready for the trick-or-treaters, and selected a big sucker she handed to Suraya, who was reaching out with chubby fingers. “Dad will have to help you with that.”