Straight Up (Twisted Fox Book 3)

by Charity Ferrell

  That catches my attention, and I focus on the couple across the table from us. “What?”

  “We maybe found a second home—”

  “A second home?” I blurt out. “A second home for what?”

  “For us to hang out in …” Georgia says before trailing off, as if she lost her train of thought.

  “How did we go from you saying let’s be roommates to you saying you’re moving out?”

  “Technically, we don’t close on the house for another month,” Georgia says. “Plus, Archer isn’t selling the penthouse. He wants to keep both, and it’s good news for you. When we move out, you guys will have the place to yourselves.”

  I stare at them, blinking, while processing the news that I wish Archer had given me. We’re supposed to tell each other everything, especially something as big as this.

  “The penthouse is yours to stay in for as long as you’d like,” Archer says. “Georgia just keeps on girlie-ing up shit, so I figured we needed our own place for that.”

  The discussion has changed from Cassidy moving in with us to Georgia and Archer moving out. It’ll be weird, not having them there with me, but I understand their reasoning. If I had the option to have a place with Cassidy solo or with roommates, I’d for sure take a place for just the two of us.

  Now, I just need to figure out when we can make that leap in our relationship.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Cassidy

  I walk into the kitchen to find Grace grading papers, notebooks spread out along the table and her laptop to the side. “Hey, girl.”

  She grins up at me, shutting her computer. “How did last night go? The first night at the boyfriend’s?”

  “It was …” I’m no doubt beaming like those love-drunk yuppies in movies. “Amazing.”

  “Aw, yay! I’m so happy for you, Cass. You really deserve it. I think you’re a great match.” Her voice is genuine and soft, and if I were ever to cast an angel in a movie, it’d be her with that tone, her strawberry-blond hair, and her fair skin.

  She stayed with her parents last night because I’d given her a heads-up that I was staying the night with Lincoln. He’d asked me to since it was something we’d never done before, and he said he wanted his sheets and bedroom to smell like me.

  Hell, I wanted his sheets and his bedroom to smell like me to ward off any middle-aged women who might try to become his cougar.

  Although I was unsure of how deep her not wanting to stay home alone was until breakfast this morning, I’d known she wasn’t a fan, known she was always nervous at night, but I’d thought it was similar to me—a girl who had always been surrounded by company and wasn’t used to being alone. After seeing the uneasiness on Georgia’s face when Lincoln asked why, I know it’s something deeper than that.

  The nervousness on her face matches the nervousness on mine after Quinton’s visit. Something similar happened with her, I’m sure of it, but what I’m not sure of is how to start a conversation about it.

  Or if I even should.

  I pull out the chair across from her, and my voice becomes hesitant as I take a seat. “Is there something wrong?” I lean back against the seat and take her in, wanting to make sure I don’t miss her reaction to my question. “Are you unhappy about Lincoln spending so much time here?”

  She stares at me with intent, her hand resting against her chest. “Oh, absolutely not. Why would you think that?”

  “You’ve just seemed … off lately.”

  She flicks at the corner of a paper. “Is it that noticeable?”

  So, there is something.

  “Kind of.” I stare at her, determined to help with whatever she’s struggling with, to be a friend like she was with me during my Quinton issues. “I don’t want to overstep any boundaries, but does it have anything to do with me? If so, I want to be able to fix whatever it is. I want you to be happy and comfortable.”

  She shrinks in her chair before nodding. “I have been nervous about you moving out now that you and Lincoln are together.” Her words become more rushed. “Not that I’d blame you. I’d probably want to do the same with the man I love, so I wouldn’t take any offense to it. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t crossed my mind more often than it probably should.”

  I’m happy she’s not upset about Lincoln crashing with us, but my heart breaks that the thought has been haunting her.

  “You don’t need to worry about me moving out,” I say, reaching forward and squeezing her hand. From the fear on her face, that won’t be happening unless she finds someone or says she’s okay with living alone.

  She sits up straighter in her chair, as if my words were connected to a chain that lifted her back up. “You know, I don’t care if Lincoln moves in here. It’d actually—and no offense because I love you being here and want to keep you forever—be nice, also having a guy with us, you know? Two girls living alone can be scary at times.”

  I love the sound of that.

  Although I’m not sure how much Lincoln will love it.

  I know he likes the penthouse, but after Georgia and Archer’s news at breakfast, he might feel a little differently.

  Grace turns quiet, her breathing hitching, and as she plays with her hands, I know there’s more than what she’s telling me.

  “Grace,” I say softly, “we’re roommates. You can talk to me, you know that? Just like you kept my trust, I’ll always do the same with you.”

  She blows out a breath and glances around the room as if she’s worried someone is hiding in the shadows. “I haven’t told anyone this, but I was dating the principal at our school.”

  “Oh.” I’d tell her that’s great, but from the expression on her face, it’s not.

  “He’s married.” She bows her head in shame.

  “Oh.”

  “I didn’t know that, though,” she blurts. “He’s new. It’s his first year, and I guess his wife was still packing up their belongings and everything before moving out here after he got the job. He didn’t tell me that he was married. He said he’d been married, but that he and his wife had recently divorced.” She holds in a sob that becomes a sniffle. “I didn’t think much of it, and then, the other day, his wife showed up at the school to surprise him … after we messed around in his office.” She covers her face. “It’s humiliating and heartbreaking.”

  “Oh my God, why didn’t you tell me?” I feel bad because she was at my side during this Quinton mess when she was going through her own issues.

  “You were dealing with something way more serious.”

  “I’ll talk to Lincoln, see what he thinks, but no matter what, you don’t have to worry about losing me as a roommate.” I switch to the seat next to her. “Now, come on. Let’s make some roomie hot chocolate and Netflix it up.”

  “I talked to Grace.”

  Lincoln peers over at me, and I’m almost positive my sentence came out in somewhat of a slur. We might’ve had one too many hot chocolates, but they were putting Grace’s mind at ease. What the guy had done was messed up, and from the few details she gave me throughout the night, she was really falling for him.

  Which is weird because I thought Finn held the key to her heart. As bad as I wanted to ask what happened with that, I didn’t want to bring it up, in fear there were bad memories there as well. Maybe Finn turned her down, or maybe they just flirted, but that was it. Although I would have put my money on the two of them being the next to date.

  Heck, I would’ve put my money on them dating before Lincoln and me when I first started working at the bar.

  “You did, did you, drunkie?” Lincoln asks with a laugh.

  I nod, swaying as I walk toward him. “And I can’t move out. You and I are staying here.” My words come out in short blasts as if I were slamming my foot on and off the gas pedal of my mouth.

  Lincoln nods. “I figured that’d be the case, and it’s cool. We can keep doing what we’ve been doing. It works for us.”

  “She offered for you to move in … said it
’d make her feel safer, and I definitely feel the same.”

  He stares at me from my bed, scratching his jaw. “I mean, I’m cool with that. As long as I get to be with you, I’m happy.”

  “Yes, but our apartment is definitely no Archer penthouse.”

  “I don’t give a shit about that. All I care about is having you and a bed. Nothing else matters.”

  It’s the day before Lincoln’s birthday.

  And good thing I questioned him dozens of times because he didn’t give me a birthday reminder. Tomorrow, we’re going to celebrate with our friends, but today, I have something special for him.

  At least, I hope he sees it as special.

  I told him we were taking a trip to Blue Beech, and he was excited even though the last dinner was a hot mess.

  My mother is throwing him a birthday dinner. After the initial shitshow of when Kyle questioned me about him being a convict, everyone seems to be getting along now. In fact, Lincoln now texts my brothers on the regular, like they’re friends, which makes me happy. I love my brothers, and for them to like the guy I’m dating is a big deal.

  My mother is also a Lincoln fan, which is why, when we walk in, there’s a birthday feast laid out on the table—all of Lincoln’s favorite foods. It’s what she does for our birthdays along with fixing two birthday cakes—one for everyone else and then a personal one for the birthday person.

  Everyone yells, “Happy Birthday!”

  My mother scurries around the table and gives him a tight hug, singing the “Happy Birthday” song to him. Lincoln laughs, shaking his head, and hugs her back.

  “Wow, looks like you’ve sure won her over,” I say with a laugh.

  Lincoln winks at me when they pull apart. “Like mother, like daughter.”

  Just as we’re about to sit down, Lincoln’s phone rings in his pocket. Dragging it out, he looks at the screen before holding it up.

  “Let me take this real quick,” he says, walking out of the room.

  I’m taking a seat and pulling my chair in when Lincoln returns with a bright smile on his face. As he holds the phone in the air, he’s practically dancing.

  “I have good news,” he says as if it’s an announcement.

  “What’s up?” Rex asks.

  Lincoln points at me with his phone. “And, babe, you should be receiving a call soon, but I can’t keep this from you. Louis wasn’t supposed to tell me, but he thinks you should know.”

  I frown at Louis even though I shouldn’t. I appreciate all the help he’s given with Quinton, but I hate that he’s connected to Isla. It makes me uneasy because all I remember is the look of heartbreak she gave when Lincoln told her to leave.

  She loves my boyfriend.

  Therefore, I don’t like her.

  Lincoln sets his phone down before sliding his hands together. “First, they have Quinton in custody.”

  “Hell yes,” Kyle says while Chloe squeals, shimmying in her chair.

  Quinton hasn’t sent a text or made an unwanted visit since his arrest.

  “With the evidence they have, he should be facing some time,” Lincoln continues. “I don’t know all the details yet, but we did it.” He walks around the table and stops to high-five Rex. “And secondly …” He pauses, going quiet while taking the seat next to me. Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, he beams down in my direction. “Cass, Louis plans to expunge your record.”

  “What?” I gasp.

  He nods, and Kyle jumps out of his chair, knocking his fists in the air.

  “Holy shit!” Rex shouts. “That’s fucking awesome.”

  My heart batters against my chest, and I repeat, “What?” because I have no other words.

  For so long, I’ve accepted being a criminal. Having that misdemeanor was a part of me, forever who I would be. That might change now.

  Lincoln nods. “Yep, say good-bye to your record.”

  Tears are in my mother’s eyes. “That means … that means you can go back to school, get a degree, go back to do whatever you want.”

  “Best damn birthday present ever,” Lincoln says, smashing a kiss to my forehead.

  We’re still riding the high of Quinton going down and me losing my record when we get back to the townhome. We talked on the way home, and Lincoln decided he wanted to move in with us.

  Best day ever, seriously.

  I’m ecstatic for us to take the next step in our relationship.

  All the lights, except for the hallway bathroom, are off when we walk in, which is strange because Grace’s car is parked in the drive. She rarely leaves the lights off. The girl sleeps with a night-light and has one in every room.

  Lincoln glances at me, his brow raised in concern. “You think everything is okay?”

  No.

  Dread soars through me. “I hope so.” I take small steps to the bathroom and knock on the door. “Grace?”

  Sniffles come from the other side of the door, but no response from her.

  My hand is trembling when I knock again. “Are you okay?”

  Again, silence and sniffles.

  “Just go in,” Lincoln whispers, motioning toward the door.

  I nod, hoping she doesn’t see this as an invasion of privacy. Lincoln stands to the side, out of view of the bathroom, so they can’t see each other. I play with the door handle, tinkering it from side to side to see if she’ll tell me to stop, but nothing. Slowly, I open it, sliding between the crack, and shut it, my back pressing against the door.

  Grace is crouched down on the floor, back to the tub, tears in her eyes, and … a pregnancy test in her hand.

  “I’m pregnant,” she croaks out, her hands shaking.

  Oh my God.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Lincoln

  Three Weeks Later

  “I’m going to miss working with you,” I tell Cassidy.

  “Oh, stop.” She swats at my arm. “I’ll still be there on the weekends, and don’t think I won’t be sitting at the end of the bar, studying it up while you’re working.”

  “You promise?”

  “I absolutely promise.”

  I chuckle. “Nothing like studying for law school in a bar.”

  “Studying for the bar while in a bar,” she singsongs. “If I ever write an autobiography when I’m some famous attorney, I shall make that the title.”

  Cass is going back to school. It’s online for now until she figures out where she wants to go or even if she wants to attend somewhere where she’d have to live on campus. She’s made it clear to her mother that she’s not going back to her old college because there are too many Quinton memories.

  “I don’t want the old typical college life,” she told her mom.

  I was worried she didn’t want to go because of me, because we now lived together, because she thought we couldn’t make it if she was gone. I didn’t want her to give up on her future. She swore up and down that wasn’t the case.

  She’s even changed the route of what kind of law she wants to practice. Before everything with Quinton went down, her plan was to go into law and become a defense attorney because that was where the money was.

  Now? She wants to become a prosecutor to take down people like Quinton.

  I’m so damn proud of her.

  Before she was expelled, she was a few years back from earning her bachelor’s degree, so law school is still far down the road, but she can do it. She’s a fighter, and when she has her mind set on something, it gets done.

  She climbs across the bed and into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I’m so happy I found you. So happy and thankful for our love.”

  I brush my thumb over her cheek. “Me too, baby. Me too.” I shut my eyes. “I’d probably be living in a ball of sorrow had you not skipped your way into my life and told me we’d be sleeping together eventually.”

  She saved me.

  Showed me what love was.

  Hell, she showed me that love actually existed.

  I’d be a skeptic, s
omeone who called it a joke, had Cassidy Lane not come into my life.

  She throws her head back and laughs. “All those times I said we’d sleep together sure caught your attention, huh?”

  “It sure did.” I open my eyes, meeting hers, and smile. “And what else was it you always said? That we’d sleep together and have all the babies?”

  “Oh, yes, that was definitely another subject that was regularly brought up.”

  Another subject that I can’t wait to happen.

  She bows her head to kiss me.

  I kiss her back. “I love you.” More than you’ll ever know.

  “And I love you,” she says, raining kisses along my cheek. “I can’t wait to be your wifey and have little Lincolns running around.” Lacing our fingers together, she squeezes my hand. “What’s your favorite love song?”

  That’s one we haven’t touched on for me, surprisingly.

  “Hmm …” I tap the side of my chin as if contemplating the question strongly. Not that I listen to love songs on the regular. I go with the first thought. “Umm … ‘Next To Me’ by Imagine Dragons. Why?”

  “Just preplanning what song we dance to first at our wedding.”

  I chuckle before kissing her hard.

  I love this woman.

  She loves me.

  Straight up.

  No bullshit.

  We got this.

  Keep Up with the Twisted Fox Series

  Stirred

  (Cohen & Jamie’s story)

  Shaken

  (Archer & Georgia’s story)

  Straight Up

  (Lincoln & Cassidy’s story)

  Chaser

  (Finn & Grace’s story)

  Last Round

  (Silas and Lola’s story)

  Also by Charity Ferrell

  TWISTED FOX SERIES

  (each book can be read as a standalone)