“There’s no one I’d rather be doing any of this with,” I replied before pulling away from him, my eyes filled with grateful tears that he was back in my life at the very time I needed him the most. “Let’s get him home. We can figure out all the rest tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” he promised. “I’ll pick you guys up early and take you to school, okay? We don’t have to worry about your car tonight. You’re right. We should get him home.”
And that was exactly what we did.
31
TRISTIN
Lawyers had always puzzled me. Sometimes, it felt like a person could walk into their offices with one issue and walk out with a dozen different new ones. But at other times, it was such smooth sailing that when the answer came long before it was expected, like in this case, it caught me completely off guard.
“I’ve been in contact with the mother,” Edward’s crisp voice said at the other end of the line. “She’s ready to turn over all parental rights. She said it worked for Little Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks, so hopefully it will work out better for Lou than staying with her.”
“What?” I sat up straight in my chair, the spreadsheet I’d been working on and the meeting I had starting in just a few minutes forgotten. “Just like that? It’s only been a couple of days. Surely, she can’t care so little that she’s willing to sign him away without any fight whatsoever.”
The lawyer exhaled heavily. “I don’t know what to tell you, Mr. Ramsey. The social worker was just as surprised, but she’s taking care of things on her end as we speak. Ms. Thurston wants a cash fee to relinquish her rights, of course, but she seems eager to, and I quote, ‘get this behind her.’”
“A cash fee,” I muttered, screwing my eyes shut. “Of course. It’s not a problem, but is that even legal? Did you tell her I’m willing to provide them both with financial support while she gets herself cleaned up? I told her that as well, but I’m not sure she remembers. If we do it that way, they wouldn’t be separated.”
“She remembers, but she’s not interested. We offered her the works, even support from social services’ side and a guaranteed job with American Aviation when she gets out of rehab, but she keeps saying she never should’ve had the boy.”
“Jesus.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “We’re sure she’s not going to change her mind once she’s had some time to cool off?”
“It doesn’t seem that way. She has a cousin in Arkansas who said she can come live with them. It appears she’s been wanting to up and leave for quite some time. She just never had the money to get there, but I don’t think she was planning on taking Lou with her either way.”
I stared out of my office window, looking out over the city and wondering how the fuck any parent could be so cruel. While I knew very little about her personal circumstances and knew I shouldn’t be judging her, I couldn’t help it. She had been offered a lifeline to lift herself out of said circumstances and the opportunity to keep her child in the process, but she just wasn’t interested? She’d been planning on abandoning that sweet young boy regardless?
It was unconscionable.
“There will be a lot of legalities to take care of on the back end,” Edward continued, sounding more reserved than usual himself. “We’ll have to get started with the formal processes as soon as possible, then there’s the matter of the cash fee and setting up the payment in a legal manner. Reimbursement for certain expenses is allowable in some cases, but we’ll get to all that. The more pressing question is whether you’re sure you want to do this.”
“Is that even really a question?” I turned my head and studied the clouds as they drifted lazily by. “We can’t just leave him out there in the big, wide world all by himself.”
“No, but social services can look into suitable foster homes for him. Ms. Thurston has made it quite clear to the social worker that she was planning on chucking the boy out on the streets anyway the day you came by. All the phone calls and messages from the school that day were the last straw, as far as she was concerned. It’s a damn good thing you were there, but that doesn’t mean you have to take him in permanently.”
“Let me talk to Brittany,” I said. “I’ll be in touch with you soon with our answer. I know it’s urgent, but I also know that this is a big step for her. She’d be a mother to a boy with emotional issues, and that’s a lot of work, especially for someone who isn’t married and doesn’t have a support system around.”
On the other hand, I’d love to marry Brittany and be her support system. I was ready to take on the challenge of raising a child with her. Irrespective of what she wanted to do, I would support her decision, but a big part of me wanted us to adopt Lou, get married, and form a family together.
Fuck, it was everything I’d always wanted. My literal dreams come true, but that didn’t mean she was ready for any of it. Or that she still wanted it with me.
“That’s fine,” Edward said. “It is a big step, so I’m sure you can be afforded some time to think it over, but I can’t promise how much time you’ll be given. The social worker is understandably very concerned about this situation. She’s already uncertain about placing Lou with a teacher whose only intention on that day was to see him home safely and talk to his mother about the incidents that had taken place. While she appreciates both of you stepping up when the child needed you, that’s a far cry from being ready to take responsibility for him permanently.”
“I understand. Do what you can to buy me a few days, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
Long after the lawyer had hung up the phone, I sat frozen behind my desk. Archer knocked on the door eventually, and a quick glance at the clock on my computer told me I was over thirty minutes late for this meeting.
“Come in,” I said. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Bring them in. I’m going to need to leave as soon as we’re done, though. Will you be able to handle the rest of today by yourself?”
He frowned, eyes dark with concern, but nodded anyway when I didn’t offer an explanation. “Sure, boss. Anything I can help with?”
“In the long run, maybe. I’ll let you know, but I’ve got it covered for now.” Or at least, I had it as covered as anyone could have it at this point.
My main priority was making sure both Brittany and Lou were okay. I wanted to be there when they got home, spend some time with Lou, who’d had an appointment with the guidance counselor earlier, and then I needed to let Brittany know what was going on with Ms. Thurston.
Lou and Brittany were talking quietly in the living room when I came in. I could see he had been crying, but she’d managed to calm him down before I’d gotten there. He even managed a smile when I joined them, and then they told me all about his session with the counselor and how their day had gone.
Brittany had dinner ready, and while we were eating around her dining room table, I felt happier and more at peace than I had in a long time. Lou was obviously comfortable here with Brittany already, and she even pulled a few laughs out of him before the meal was over.
Later that night, after we’d put Lou to bed, she and I sat down in the living room again. We had steaming mugs of cocoa in our hands, and she listened, wide-eyed, when I told her everything Edward had told me.
“I can’t believe his mother would just throw him away like that,” she said once I was done, tears glistening in those big blue eyes. “So now what? He wouldn’t do well in a group home, and honestly, I don’t know if I’d ever get any sleep again not knowing that he was safe and sound.”
I took her hand in mine, stroking along the outer length of her thumb. “For what it’s worth, I know you would make an excellent mom, but I understand if this is too much. It might not be a group home he ends up going to, and you could keep tabs on him at school.”
“He doesn’t deserve any of this, though.” Her voice cracked with emotion. She dragged in a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. “I know he’s gotten into a lot of trouble, but he’s a really good kid. He’s smart,
and funny, and he’s such a sensitive little soul. Life handed him a crappy hand, but he’s never acted out for no reason. He even stands up for that no-good mother of his all the time.”
“He is a good kid,” I agreed. “If you decide to do this, you have to know that you won’t be in it alone.”
“I can’t ask you to commit to raising a child with me, Tristin. We’ve only just gotten back together, and there’s still so much we have to figure out between us. I really do appreciate all your help, but I can’t ask you to do this.”
“It’s a good thing you’re not asking, then.” I dipped my head, waiting until she brought her gaze to mine so I could look directly into her eyes. “We’ll figure out what we need to between us, but you know how I feel about you. Besides, like you said, Lou doesn’t deserve any of this. I’ve already asked Edward about setting up a trust fund for him. Whatever happens with us and whatever you decide, he’ll have enough money to get by.”
She sucked in a breath, bringing her hand up to cup my cheek as she drank me in. “You really are a good man. You know that, right?”
I put my hand over hers, moving it down to my heart. “I’m better when I’m with you. I wouldn’t have even known about him if not for you, and even if I had, I don’t know that I’d have done for him what I’m doing now. This otherwise useless thing in my chest beats only so I can stay alive to keep you happy.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she released a slow exhale. “I feel the same way about you, but this isn’t only our decision to make. Lou isn’t a puppy we’ve taken in that we just get to decide to keep. We should talk to him about it, see how he feels, and then take it from there.”
“I like the way you think.” I released her hand to wipe away the tears that were tracking down her cheeks. “We’ll find the right time to ask him, but whatever happens, I’m all in, Brittany. All. Fucking. In.”
I punctuated the last words with chaste kisses to her mouth, then pulled her close to me and lay back on the couch. We talked for hours about what it might be like to raise Lou together if he agreed, but eventually she was dozing off, and it was time for me to leave.
As I drove home, the picture of the life I wanted to have with them became clearer and clearer in my mind. It was so fucking close now that I could almost reach out and touch it. If I was lucky, and barring any unforeseen complications, it just might be mine soon.
Everything I’d ever wanted was right there. I just fucking hoped it stayed right there, because I’d upend the whole damn world to keep it if someone tried to take it away from me.
32
BRITTANY
If there had been a time in my life that I’d ever been this happy before, I couldn’t remember it. School had let out last week, and Lou and I had been getting to know each other. Tristin was around a lot too, with us every minute he could spare, and it was starting to feel like we were a family.
We played board games, took trips to lots of fun and interesting places in the area, had movie nights on the couch with popcorn, and were getting into a daily routine. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, but I hadn’t expected it would be.
Lou often cried about things that had happened in his past. He cried for the loss of his father and now his mother, who had taken off without saying goodbye as well. We had her forwarding address, and I knew the lawyer and social worker had been talking to her, but she hadn’t even asked to see Lou before she’d left.
There had been a few nights when he’d cried himself to sleep, and all I could do was hold him while he’d let it out. Bursts of anger still came out of him at times, but we were working toward providing him with the tools he needed to channel it all in healthier ways. We had a long road ahead of us, but I was committed to him and being at his side every step of the way. So was Tristin.
The guidance counselor and social worker assigned to his case had been absolute angels in our lives as well. They helped us a lot, providing whatever support and guidance they could to make the transition easier. We were lucky in that respect.
I’d heard so many horror stories about kids in Lou’s situation and what they went through with the authorities, but that just wasn’t true for us. While there had been bumps in the road, we were actually doing really well under the circumstances.
Lou was blossoming before my very eyes, doing better with each passing day. I’d known that children were resilient, but now I was getting to witness it firsthand, and I was in awe of Lou for it.
The professionals supporting us had advised that we give him a little time to adjust before bringing up making the arrangement permanent. Tristin had been worried about taking too much time, but the social worker had assured him that she was satisfied we were committed and that she knew we were waiting for the dust to settle for his benefit.
We’d finally received the go-ahead from them, and I was planning on talking to Lou about it tonight. Tristin had said he’d be there too, but I didn’t want Lou to feel like we were boxing him in or ambushing him.
It had to be his decision as much as it was ours, so I’d told Tristin to let me break it to him and that I would text him to come over once Lou had had some time to process.
Lou and I were at the park now, and I was watching him run around with some other kids, having fun and smiling. It filled my entire being with warmth and joy to see him this way, and all I wanted to do was go over there to give him a big hug, but I kept my distance. Some of the kids he was playing with now were other students, and it was important that he socialize with them without my interference.
So I just sat on a bench under an old oak tree, watching him and preparing myself for tonight as best I could. I really wanted our talk to go well, and I was scrolling through articles on my phone looking for tips on how to approach the conversation in a gentle way.
Shelley’s name popped up on my screen with an incoming call, and I smiled as I slid my thumb across the green bar. “Hey, girl. How are you? We’ve only been on break for a few days. You can’t be missing me already.”
“I am, actually,” she said, but there was something off about her tone. “That’s not why I’m calling, though.”
“What’s wrong?” My brows tugged together as panic chilled my blood. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She blew out a breath. “It’s you I’m worried about. Have you seen the news yet?”
“What news? Tonight is the big night, so I’ve been a little preoccupied today. What’s going on?”
Even as I asked the question, I knew her call was about Tristin. She still had that alert set up for him, and if she was calling with news, it was about something she’d seen from that alert.
Dread sank into my bones, making them feel as heavy as lead as I waited for her to reply. “I don’t know if I should tell you, Brit. I don’t want to hurt you, and it could be nothing.”
“If it’s in the news, I need to know about it anyway. Even if it does turn out to be nothing.” Those pictures of him at lunch with Faye appeared behind my lids when I closed my eyes, and a shiver ran down my spine.
“It’s just that you’ve been so happy lately, and Tristin seems to be an amazing guy. I don’t want to cause trouble. Maybe you should phone him and ask. I just wanted to check in to make sure you were okay.”
Fear sparked deep down inside me, joining the dread to turn my entire skeleton into a frozen weight that rendered me completely immobile. “Please tell me what’s going on. You’re scaring me.”
“Shit. I didn’t mean to do that.” My phone beeped after a brief pause on her end of the line. “I’ve sent you the link to the article I saw, but let’s not jump to any conclusions, okay?”
I pulled my phone away from my ear without making any promises I didn’t know if I’d be able to keep. The article was from one of the city’s prominent gossip pages, with a headline jumping out at me reading, “Billionaire’s Love Triangle.”
My stomach bottomed out when I saw those words, but I forced myself to keep going. Under
neath the headline was a photo of me kissing Tristin next to his car that day at the arcade. Next to that picture was another, one of him kissing Faye in that very same fucking car.
It was dark, but there was no mistaking that it was him. And her. The date stamp on the picture of them was for only a couple of days after we’d gotten back from the coast.
Disbelief slammed into me, but there was no denying what I was looking at. Just a couple of days after he’d convinced me that I was his world and that he didn’t give a fuck about anyone else, he’d been kissing the woman his mother had supposedly chosen for him.
I couldn’t help it. I lost it right then and there, turning my body away from the playground so Lou wouldn’t see the tears streaming down my cheeks. He’d had an explanation for their lunch together, and I’d believed him. Selena hadn’t been in those pictures, but I could see how she could’ve orchestrated it that way.
She also wasn’t in this picture, but that meant she wasn’t physically pushing their heads together to make them kiss. No, she couldn’t have orchestrated this. There was no way.
“Maybe there’s a reasonable explanation for it again,” Shelley said after a minute. “It might not be what it looks like.”
“The photo speaks for itself,” I said, every insecurity I’d felt about being in his life rushing back to the surface. “That’s the woman his mother has chosen for him. Obviously, he’s decided to listen to her after all. I fucking knew this was going to happen. I knew he’d figure out sooner or later that he needed someone like her instead of someone like me.”
“You don’t know for sure that’s what happened,” she said cautiously. “It could be another setup.”
“Have you accidentally tripped and kissed someone while you were sitting in your car?”
“Uh, no—”
“Exactly. Neither have I. Kissing doesn’t just happen, and from the looks of things, that wasn’t just a friendly peck either. She’s got her hands in his hair and everything.” I screwed my eyes shut in a desperate attempt to stop the tears. My heart was ripping itself to shreds in my chest, but it wasn’t Shelley’s fault. I couldn’t snap at her about it, and I couldn’t let Lou see me this way. “Can I come drop Lou off at your place just for a few hours, please?”
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