BriarEdge Academy: December

by Kit Kyndall

  “If you can,” grumbled Dalton, semi-under his breath. Octavia shot him a look of surprise and Candace gave him one of censure, but Oslo didn’t look at him. Instead, he examined Candace.

  “Okay, let’s get some x-rays of that left wrist. I think it’s just sprained, but let’s make sure it’s not broken.”

  “You have an x-ray machine here?” asked Candace.

  Oslo grinned. “Wealthy people send their children to this school, Ms.…?”

  “Candace Munroe,” she said.

  “Ms. Munroe, so we have the best of everything that I’m authorized to use as a nurse practitioner, since I’m not a physician.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t have a doctor on staff,” said Candace.

  “We did until last year, but Dr. Simons grew restless with our provincial lifestyle, so she jumped ship and headed back to Boston. They haven’t bothered to replace her, and I’m not sure they will at this point. The clinic isn’t busy enough to really need two attendings, and I’ve been able to handle everything.”

  “Make sure you handle this as well,” said Dalton as they walked down the hall. He wanted to follow, but it was clear from Oslo’s demeanor that he wouldn’t let him.

  Ignoring him, Oslo took her into another room. Dalton hated when the door closed with her on the other side, and he started pacing.

  “She’s going to be okay,” said Octavia softly. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

  He nodded jerkily before stumbling to a stop. Did Octavia know about them? A glance at her seemed to suggest she did, judging from her sympathy. Of course, she could think he was just concerned because Candace was his stepsister. He didn’t like the thought of her being just that, but he didn’t want to tell Octavia about them if she didn’t already know either.

  With a weary sigh, he collapsed into the seat beside Octavia’s. “Maybe we should text Lex,” he said grudgingly, and only because he knew Candace would like that.

  “I’m sure she’d rather we wait until we know what’s going on. She won’t want to freak him out for no reason.” Octavia sounded certain.

  Dalton was happy to defer to her, since he’d rather not have Lex there. He wanted this moment with Candace to himself. Octavia was bad enough, but at least he could be the one to comfort her in her moment of pain, if the damned nurse practitioner did his job competently and brought her back.

  As though his irritated thoughts had summoned them, Oslo returned with Candace, indicating she should sit on the table. He disappeared again, perhaps to develop the x-rays.

  Candace moved to the table, and Dalton placed a hand on her right elbow to assist her. When she was settled, he leaned against the table and put his arm around her waist. She put her head against his shoulder, and he turned his head slightly to breathe in the scent of her shampoo. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so. It hurts a lot though.” Her lower lip wobbled a she looked up at him, though she no longer seemed like she might sob. “I’ve never had a broken bone before. I really hope I’m not starting today.”

  He smiled. “It’s no fun, that’s for sure. I broke my leg playing JV football. I had to sit out the season, and the cast itched like crazy. When it came off, I had to do physical therapy because the one leg looked like it belonged to someone much smaller than me due to atrophy. It was a process I hope you don’t go through.”

  “Good news,” said Oslo as he reentered then. “It’s not broken, but you do have a bad sprain. I’m going to wrap it to keep it immobile for a few days, and I’ll give you a sling for support. You don’t want to put too much pressure on the wrist. It’ll be easier all-around if you wear the sling while you’re awake, just to relieve some of the heaviness and remind you to keep it as still as possible.”

  Dalton breathed a sigh of relief as Candace nodded. He thought about apologizing to Oslo, but the other man spoke again before he had a chance.

  “I’m going to write a note excusing you from class for the next two days, so you can rest the wrist and keep it immobile. I want to check on you before you go back to class, but I don’t expect any further complications. Come see me in two days please.” As he spoke, Oslo opened a drawer and started removing things. Dalton didn’t know most of the items, but he recognized an ACE bandage.

  “I should call my mom. Or should I?” She looked at Dalton uncertainly. “I talked to her the other day, and she was really sick. Do you think I should worry her?”

  Dalton shrugged, but before he could answer, Oslo interrupted.

  “I’ll call her myself. It’s one of the rules, Miss Munroe. I’ll make sure she knows it’s nothing too serious, so there’s no reason to worry.”

  “Just be as gentle as possible. She’s pregnant and having really bad morning sickness.”

  Octavia gasped. “Your mom’s pregnant? You didn’t tell me.”

  Candace looked surprised. “I didn’t? I thought I told you.” She shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal, but yeah, Mom and Ashton are having a baby.”

  Octavia looked at both of them. “Won’t that be weird?”

  Dalton had the feeling she was asking more about their relationship than about having a younger sibling at their age. He shot a questioning look at Candace, and she nodded, as though confirming she’d read the question in his gaze. So, she’d told Octavia about him and Lex and Jonas. He wondered with a bit of bitterness if she’d mentioned Kip to Octavia, and if she had, was it way before she told Dalton? He tried to push aside the bitterness at being left out of the loop for a while, knowing he had to earn her trust.

  “I want you to take that ibuprofen and rest. Also use the ice packs.” Oslo nodded to several of the emergency packs that activated by breaking the chemicals inside. He set a small box on the counter for her. “Other than that, I just need to see you in a couple of days to sign off on your return to class.”

  Dalton put his arm around her so she could step off the table, and Octavia grabbed the box with ice packs and a few doses of ibuprofen. Dalton kept his arm around her as he led her back to the dorm, aware of Octavia following.

  Candace hadn’t asked to return to decorating, and Dalton was glad. He would’ve forbidden it, though he wasn’t certain how much authority he had to do that. More than likely, he would’ve told her it was a terrible idea and argued until she told him to mind his own business if she’d been determined to return to decorating. It was good she didn’t seem to be inclined to do so.

  As they were walking up the stairs to the third floor, he saw Lex coming out of the second-floor rec room area, though he ignored his presence and moved on to the third floor. He boldly passed Edna’s door, and the resident advisor didn’t so much as peek out. He figured it was safe enough with Octavia behind them, and Candace having hurt herself. He was determined to personally see that she got in bed and started resting after she took her medicine.

  She opened the door herself with her right hand that held the keycard, and they entered. Dalton gently urged her to the bed, and she sat down compliantly. He looked at Octavia. “Will you get her some water, so she can take her pills?”

  Octavia took the glass off Candace’s nightstand and disappeared into the bathroom, returning a few seconds later with half a glass of water. Dalton doled out the ibuprofen, ensuring Candace swallowed it without complaint. He didn’t expect her to though, since she was obviously in pain.

  “You can’t sleep in that.” He started to unbutton her shirt, and Octavia gasped just as there was a knock at the door. It was more like a forceful pound, and Octavia scurried to open it.

  Dalton braced himself for facing Edna, or even Headmaster Hastings, but Lex stood there. He looked angry, and he stormed in. He loomed over both of them where they sat on the bed. “What did you do to her?”

  “I didn’t do anything, Sperry.” Dalton glared up at him.

  “Why don’t I believe you, Westerly?”

  Dalton shrugged. “I don’t know, but you do you like to jump to assumptions when it comes to me.

>   “Enough,” said Candace with a hint of steel in her tone. “I’m okay, and it certainly wasn’t Dalton’s fault. A boy knocked me off the ladder when I was decorating, and it was an accident. There’s no one to blame for my sprained wrist.” She glared at Lex. “You need to dial it down a notch.”

  Lex took a step back, looking wounded. “I thought he—”

  Candace sighed heavily. “I know what you thought. You don’t like each other, but you really need to work this out if we’re going to be together. Our relationship won’t work if you two are constantly fighting, even if you both care a lot about me, and I care about you. We’re all in this together if we’re together.”

  Dalton couldn’t help curling his lip. “You don’t expect me to love that guy or something?” He hoped he didn’t come across as homophobic. When it came to people, he didn’t care whose dick went where, but he was straight. If he was suddenly going to become bisexual or gay, it certainly wouldn’t have been for Lex.

  She rolled her eyes. “Of course not. I’m just saying that you have to be able to get along, so work this out somewhere else, because I’m in too much pain to deal with your bickering today.”

  “But—” said Dalton and Lex simultaneously.

  She lifted her right hand and pointed to the door. “Out.” Her tone was gentler than the blunt word. “Octavia can help me change, and I’ll see you both soon, hopefully in better moods and having done something to get along.”

  Seeing her obstinate expression, Dalton got to his feet. He didn’t bother arguing with the eviction, understanding she didn’t feel like dealing with them right then. He brushed his fingertips lightly down her cheek. “Text me if you need anything, okay?”

  Her countenance softened, and she nodded at him. “See you.” She turned to Lex. “I’ll see you soon too.” Her expression and her tone remained just as gentle.

  Lex seemed on the verge of arguing, but he just let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “Okay.”

  Dalton waited for Lex to exit, following behind him. When the door closed, it automatically locked, and they stood in the hallway for a moment.

  “What is going on here?” asked Edna Grimley as she marched toward them. “You two are way out of bounds. Were you in that room?” She stabbed a finger in the direction of Candace’s door.

  “We were, but it was just to help Candace get back to her room,” said Dalton. “She fell off the ladder, and Oslo told me to make sure she got to her bed.” That was close enough to the truth that he figured Oslo would back him up if Edna bothered to call for confirmation.

  Her expression changed to one of concern. “Is Miss Munroe okay?”

  “It’s a sprained wrist,” said Lex. “She’s in pain, but she’ll be okay. Right?” He addressed that to Dalton.

  Dalton nodded, not liking how Candace’s pain seemed to cause Lex pain as well. That meant he cared about her. Could he care about Candace as much as Dalton did? It seemed unfathomable, but it also seemed hard to believe that there were men out there who didn’t care about Candace and weren’t drawn to her.

  “In that case, thank you for seeing her to her room. I’ll ask you gentlemen to leave now, or please go to the rec room.”

  “Sure,” said Dalton and started walking. He was aware of Lex following him as he headed to the stairs.

  Chapter Six

  Lex

  Once they neared the landing, Lex put his hand on Dalton’s shoulder. “We need to work this out.”

  Dalton looked disdainful. “You really think that’s going to happen in one day?”

  “No, but we should give an effort for Candace.” He still wasn’t convinced Dalton hadn’t hurt her. Maybe he hadn’t caused her sprained wrist, but he’d definitely hurt Candace in the past, and Lex couldn’t help worrying he would do so again in the future. If he could get Dalton to give up on the idea of sharing her, it would be the best thing for all of them, except maybe Dalton. He didn’t care about him.

  “Fine, whatever.” Without another word, Dalton jogged down the stairs, and Lex kept pace with him. They left Dorm A and went around the back of the building to an open field, covered with snow. “You’re not good enough for her,” said Lex as soon as they were facing each other. “You’re just going to hurt her.”

  “I have no intention of hurting her. You’re the one who’s not good enough. You had her first, but you weren’t enough to keep her.” Dalton was clearly looking for a response.

  Lex was happy to give it to him. Before Dalton could move, he rammed into him, slamming him into a tree nearby. Snow fell from the branches and covered both of them, but Lex didn’t pay much mind other than brushing it out of his collar and off his head. “I don’t know what she sees in you. She’d be better off without you. If you had any decency at all, you’d step back.”

  Lex stumbled back when Dalton shoved his shoulders. “What’s the matter? Afraid of competition? I think you’re just insecure, because you know she’d picked me if it came to her choosing.”

  Lex glared at him as he surged forward again, this time punching Dalton squarely in the jaw. Dalton didn’t even try to stop him, and he stumbled back before responding with a left hook of his own. They fell to the ground, wrestling and trying to punch each other. “There’s no choosing about it. If you still haven’t learned that, I feel sorry for you. You’re just going to get hurt, and you’re going to hurt her too. That’s what I’m worried about. That’s why you should bow out, because you aren’t strong enough to make something like this work. With you, it’s all about Dalton, and it has to be about Candace more than you.”

  “Don’t tell me how I feel,” roared Dalton as he punched Lex in the face before flipping them over, so he was beneath Dalton. “You have no idea how much I care about her. If I didn’t, there’s no way I could try sharing her with you losers.”

  “That’s really going to endear you to her if you keep calling us losers.” Lex laughed. “You totally deserve the heartbreak coming your way, but she doesn’t.”

  I’m not going to—” Whatever Dalton was not going to do, Lex cut off the words by slamming his fist into his mouth.

  They stared at each other for a moment. Dalton’s lip was bleeding, and Lex felt warm wetness trickling from his nose. He touched the spot above his lip and pulled his hand away, seeing red on his fingers. For some reason, that took the fight out of him.

  With a sigh, he pushed Dalton to the side, and Dalton didn’t try to stop him. Then he rolled into a seated position, briefly ignoring the unpleasant coldness seeping through his pants. “She’s right that we do have to work this out, but I don’t know how to trust you not to hurt her.”

  “It’s between Candace and me if I do, but I promise I’m not interested in hurting her. I care about her, Sperry.” Dalton was openly vulnerable for the moment as he dabbed at his split lip.

  “I care for her too.” Lex pinched his nose closed as he got to his feet, extending a hand to help Dalton up as well. When they stood facing each other, he said, “We have that much in common. We don’t want to see Candace hurt. Do you think we can make this work?”

  Dalton shrugged. “I don’t know, but I feel like I have to try. If it means getting along with you, I can do that for her sake.”

  “We’ll see,” said Lex with a laugh. “I’m still not convinced you can do it.”

  “And you can’t do it either. You immediately assumed I hurt her on purpose. But, let’s try to present a united front.”

  “Fake it ‘til you make it?” asked Lex as he held out his hand.

  After a hesitation, Dalton took it and shook it. “Exactly.

  Things weren’t resolved, and there was still tension between them, but Lex felt like they were on better footing. They could at least play nicely in front of Candace to avoid upsetting her, and maybe, with perseverance and a small miracle, they might actually end up really getting along instead of pretending to do so.

  That seemed about as likely as Santa Claus appearing on Christmas Eve to ask Lex for help
delivering presents, but he tried to maintain some optimism. At least it would make Candace happy that they were trying.

  Chapter Seven

  Candace

  Candace spent two days resting in her dorm room before resuming classes. In that time, she only saw Octavia and Isis, so she gasped when she got her first look at Dalton and Lex when she entered the dining hall. They weren’t seated together, but they both looked up at her the moment she walked in, as though they were drawn to her, or more likely, they’d been looking for her.

  They both bore signs of having brawled, and it was obvious they must’ve fought each other. Her first inclination was to chastise them, but she changed her mind as she got her tray and tried to decide where to sit. Maybe it had done some good for them to get out their aggressions, so she’d wait to see if they were getting along better.

  After another moment of indecision, she took her tray over to sit with Beth, and Octavia joined them a few moments later. Lex sat with Wills, and Dalton was with his minions, but she could feel both their gazes on her. She made a point of looking at each of them and smiling upon occasion, and she wasn’t surprised when they both lingered until she was ready to leave the dining hall after breakfast.

  She leaned against the wall in the hallway, a few feet from the entrance and exit of the dining hall, as they followed her out. “I’ve missed you guys.” She almost giggled at the way they relaxed. They had held themselves stiffly, as though expecting a lecture.

  “We missed you too.” Dalton scowled. “Dragon lady Edna Grimley wouldn’t let us past to visit you.”

  “You wouldn’t want to break the rules, would you, Dalton?” she asked with a giggle. “I know how you’re a stickler for doing the right thing.”

  Dalton rolled his eyes, but he gave her an indulgent smile.

  “How are you feeling?” asked Lex, his expression full of concern. He touched the sling she wore to hold her arm immobile. “How long do you have to wear that?”