by Chase, Nikki
I know Caine’s not at all like any of my mom’s shitty boyfriends. He wants us to always be together, and he wants to take care of Jack and me .
Still, anything can fall apart. The Titanic wasn’t supposed to ever sink either, yet look what happened to it .
What I’m saying is, we may have a solid relationship, but I don’t want it to be the only thing keeping me afloat. I want to work and see how far I can go in my career, even if it’s just to prove to myself that I can do it .
Insurance is always a good thing. Having been at the bottom, I know for sure I don’t want to ever find myself there again .
After realizing I could’ve died at the hands of Nathan and his men, I began putting more thought into making sure Jack’s taken care of, in case I can’t be there for him .
At the moment death was staring me in the face, honest to goodness, I was worried about what would happen to Jack. Would he fall into Mom’s hands again? Would he have to struggle from scratch when he was old enough to move out, despite my efforts ?
When I voiced my concerns to Caine, without a moment’s hesitation, he suggested that he adopt Jack, too. My heart swelled so much I thought it was going to burst. I sobbed like a toddler into his expensive shirt .
Jack quickly agreed to it, too .
Caine’s lawyer is still taking care of the paperwork right now, but those guys work fast . I mean, my lawyer was okay, but these guys are in a different league altogether. The legal stuff should be done any day now .
“I’m glad I didn’t listen to you,” Caine says as he loads a box into the back of one of his father’s SUVs. “All these boxes wouldn’t have fit inside my car .”
“Okay, you were right. Happy ?”
“Very.” He pulls my head close and kisses my temple. He shoots me the cocky smirk that turns my knees into noodles. I can’t wait to jump his bones when we get home .
Home .
I inhale, letting the fresh air fill me up as I repeat that word inside my head. Home . My new home with Caine and Jack .
Over the past few months, Caine and I spent most nights apart and it was getting annoying having to drive back to my place every single night .
I was always staying at Caine’s place, because we wouldn’t have any private space at my apartment. I shared the bedroom with Jack and, well, Caine and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other. We still can’t .
Now that we’re moving in together, I don’t have to feel guilty about leaving Jack all alone with Katie .
Jack tells me he likes having the bedroom all to himself and he enjoys hanging out with Katie, but I still sometimes feel like I’m shirking my responsibilities, like my mom used to when she went missing for weeks at a time without any explanation .
Everybody tells me a teenager needs some time alone anyway, but Jack will always be my little baby brother .
When Jack easily picks up the box of books Katie struggled with earlier, though, I have to admit he’s grown. Soon, he’ll be a man and he’ll probably want to move out, leaving Caine and me alone like empty nesters .
Unless… Unless we have a baby before then .
Caine and I have discussed having kids together, and we both definitely want to do it, but I still want to focus on my work. For once, I can do that without having to worry about bills and debts and my mom, and I want to enjoy that for a few years .
I’m only twenty-one. There’s plenty of time. But by the time Jack moves out… Who knows ?
“That’s the last one,” Jack declares when he loads the box into the back of the car .
My heart squeezes. This is a happy occasion, for sure, but it’s also the end of an era, like Katie said .
“I’m going to miss you.” Tears prick my eyes as I turn to look at Katie, her brown hair looking like a halo as it catches the sunlight .
“I know, right?” She pulls me into a hug. “Who’s going to sweep the floor now, or wash the dishes, or take out the trash ?”
I laugh. Katie’s always been messy and I’ve always had to be the responsible roommate. “I can’t wait to see what the apartment will look like in a few weeks .”
“It’s going to be a disaster,” she laments. “I’ll still see you at work. Take care, okay ?”
Like me, Katie has always been independent, but we’ve always had each other to lean on. Now, she’s really going to be on her own, while I’ll have my two favorite guys with me .
“I will. You too.” I hold her tight. “Come visit us any time, okay ?”
“Of course. You have that fancy gym in the building and that nice swimming pool, too. You don’t have to invite me. I’ll just show up when I feel like it. You’ll regret asking me to come any time .”
I smile. Katie wipes her eyes before any tears fall as she pulls away from the hug, and I do the same .
“Guess I’ll see you around, then,” I say .
“Yeah. See you around .”
I give Katie one last smile and turn around .
Caine’s already waiting for me in the car, as is Jack. I plop down on the passenger seat and close the car door. Caine lowers his window so we can all wave goodbye at Katie .
As the car rolls away from my old apartment, I think about how everything that I have in the world is in this car—my stuff, my love, my brother. My happy little family .
I can’t wait for our new life to start .
* * *
T hank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Daisy and Caine’s story .
Want more ?
You can read all about Emily and Cole in Guilty .
Or check out Jessica and Jacob’s story in Stripped .
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About the Author
N ikki Chase is a contemporary romance author. After having her own real-life insta-love experience, Nikki now lives happily ever after with her husband in the Pacific Northwest .
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