When she opened her eyes and smiled at me, I knew I was in deep trouble, because the moment they made me go live with someone else, I knew my life would never be the same again.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Alec
“They’re at it again,” Craig said as he walked up to me. “Do they ever stop?”
I shook my head. “Not since we got the call about the court date. If we’re not out on a job or training, I never fucking see her. She spends every minute she can in the ring with Reid.”
He quirked an eyebrow at me, crossing his arms over his chest. “You sound a little resentful there.”
“My dick hasn’t been serviced in weeks. I was this close,” I said, pinching my fingers together. “And then he banged on the fucking door and she was gone.”
“What about at night?”
I scoffed. “She wears herself out in the ring with him. It’s like this every fucking day. She gets to bed and she’s too tired. And that’s not all. Every conversation we have anymore is about Reid and this fucking trial. We agreed that we needed to keep things as normal as possible around him, but she’s fucking losing it. She’s pulling away from me.”
“Yeah, but you guys could lose him. Doesn’t that worry you?”
“It fucking terrifies me,” I said honestly. “I love that kid like he’s my own, but I feel like I’m losing Florrie more and more every day. And I…” I shook my head. God, I was so ashamed for the way I was feeling right now, and I didn’t know if I could voice those concerns to Craig without looking like a total douchebag.
“What?”
“I feel like I have to choose between having Florrie or having Reid.”
“I’m not following.”
I sighed and ran my hand across my scruff. “Before Reid came along, it was just her and me. We knew that we most likely wouldn’t have kids, and we were good with that. Then Reid came along and it seemed to change things between us. Not in a bad way, but it was like we finally had something we had been missing. And it was fucking great, but I think I always knew that we were on borrowed time. You know, the courts didn’t grant us permanent custody, so we’ve always known that he could get taken away from us. I don’t think Florrie ever really accepted that that could happen. Now she’s determined to keep him, and I just don’t think it’s gonna happen. So, I feel like I have to choose between doing what’s best for Reid or trying to keep Florrie happy. I just don’t think there’s any way to have both.”
“We won’t let him get taken away,” Craig said fiercely.
“Yeah? And how are you going to stop it? Craig, this isn’t something to fuck around on. That kid has never been mine to keep, and he has family out there. We know that now, and we can’t ignore it. Someone out there wants that kid and they have every right to get custody of him.”
“Man, it sounds like you’re giving up on him. What the fuck?”
“He was never really mine,” I said quietly. “Fuck, I wanted him to be, but he wasn’t. We snatched him off the streets and decided he was ours, and I’ll never regret that, but we’re about to pay the price.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Yeah, I do,” I nodded. “I looked into these people. They’re good people, like really fucking good people. How the hell his mom ended up with that prick senator, I’ll never understand. But she did, and now she’s dead. But that kid’s real dad had family that wanted him and still do. How can I stand in the way of that?”
“So, you’re just going to let that kid get taken away from you? After Florrie’s come to love him?”
“Look, I don’t like it either-”
“Sounds to me like you’re just giving up.”
“Maybe I am,” I said sadly. “Or maybe I’m just seeing what Florrie can’t.”
“She’s going to hate you if you don’t fight for him.”
I nodded, because I already knew that, and I knew that my relationship with Florrie could be over in just a very short time. This had the potential to ruin our lives, but for different reasons. I would always keep fighting for Florrie, but I had a feeling that she would give up on me very quickly if she knew where my head was.
“Are you prepared to lose her?”
“I’m not prepared to lose anyone, but you don’t always get what you want in life.”
✯✯✯✯✯
I walked into Cap’s office later that day, needing some clarity on my situation. Cap usually had a pretty level head about things, and I needed to know if I was doing the right thing or not. I trusted his judgement more than I trusted my own.
“How’s it going?” Cap asked.
“I need some advice.” I sat down across for him and just let it fly. “I don’t think we’re going to win custody of Reid. I’m prepared for that, but I don’t think Florrie is.”
“So, what advice do you need?”
“I guess, I need to know that I’m doing the right thing.”
He sighed and tossed his pen down on his desk. “You know, it would help if you gave me a little context into what the hell you’re talking about.”
“I…I’m not planning on fighting the custody suit.”
He stared at me in shock. “Why?”
“I looked into the family. They’re good people.”
“But you’ve been raising him.”
“I know, but he’s not mine. He never has been.”
He looked so confused, and I imagined that anyone else I talked to would think the exact same way. “Alec, I don’t get it. When you brought him home, you said that you would do anything for this kid. You were ready to go to war over this kid, and now you’re gonna walk away?”
“Look, I know it probably looks really shitty of me, but imagine you were that family. What if you had a niece out there that you knew needed a home. Would you walk away?”
“Well, no, but Reid doesn’t need a new home.”
“Would that matter to you? Really think about this, Cap. You have a kid out there that lost his family, and you’re all that remains. Would you give up that kid just because someone had picked him up off the streets?”
“Probably not,” he said after a minute. “But this is a totally different circumstance. Why didn’t they come after him sooner? Is this all about the money?”
“I don’t think so. Cap, I looked into these people. I would bet my left nut that the senator pushed all her family away. I’m guessing they didn’t even know what was going on with Reid until recently.”
He still didn’t look convinced. I knew how it fucking looked. It looked like I was giving up on my kid.
“Cap, this is his last remaining family. I can’t take that away from him.”
“Family isn’t always a blood relative.”
“I fucking know that. Look, maybe I’m not saying this very well. Maybe I’m fucking wrong about the whole thing. Hell, nothing over the past year has been what I thought it would be. All I know is that Reid has family out there, and I can’t hold him back from knowing who he is and where he came from. He grew up in a shit environment, but that’s not always the way it was for him. If these people are serious and really want to take him in and tell him about his family and raise him, who am I to stop them?”
“You’re his father.”
“No, I’m not. I’m a man that loves that kid enough to give him what he’s been missing out on for years. And if that doesn’t happen to be with me, so be it. But I won’t rip him away from the only family he has left to make myself feel better.”
Cap sighed, not saying anything for a minute. I couldn’t get a read on him. I didn’t know if he was going to tell me I was a fucking idiot or if I was right. All I knew was that my gut was screaming at me that I had to give these people a chance.
“She’s gonna hate you,” he finally said.
“I already know that.”
“And you’re prepared to lose her over this?”
“I won’t lose her. I can’t. I have to believe that Florrie and I are more than what Re
id has given us since he came into our lives. If we can’t get past this, then we never should have been together to begin with.”
“Well, you came to me for advice. You want to know what I think?”
“Of course.”
“I think you’re fucking crazy. I think that when you love someone you fight for them with everything you have. And I think that deciding not to fight for Reid is going to tear you and Florrie apart. I don’t think she’s going to be able to forgive you, and you know better than anyone that getting Florrie to trust you is nearly impossible.”
I nodded, hating what he was saying, but knowing that it was absolutely true.
“But I also think that you’re making the right decision. He deserves to know his family, and if you’ve checked them out and think they’re good people, then I don’t see how you can try and keep Reid from them. But you need to really prepare yourself for what’s coming. She’s going to hate you until it hurts.”
“I know.”
“Do yourself a favor and grow brass balls between now and the trial because you’re gonna need them.”
✯✯✯✯✯
I gripped Florrie’s hand as we stood in court. We had just been put through the ringer. The Fullers’ lawyer had just accused us of everything under the sun, from being thugs to mercenaries. And with not being married, he didn’t exactly paint us in a good light. The worst part was that the judge seemed to be buying into it. We knew this was coming, but we never really thought it would feel quite like this.
“After hearing both arguments, I would like to set up visitation between Reid and Mr. and Mrs. Fuller. Since they’re family, it makes sense that they should be brought together.”
“Your Honor,” our lawyer cut in. “We would ask that you listen to what Reid has to say about his living situation. After all, he’s a teenager and more than capable of understanding his living arrangements.”
The judge nodded. “I would agree, but I would like to hold off until he’s been given the time to get to know his aunt and uncle. At this time, I am granting visitation of two weekends a month for three months, to give Reid a chance to get to know his extended family. At that point, we will revisit the final custody arrangements.”
“Your honor, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller live in Utah. You can’t really expect Reid to fly out to Utah twice a month to visit strangers.”
“Let’s recess for one hour. In that time, you will come up with a solution for the visitation. If no solution can be agreed upon, I will make that decision on my own.”
He banged the gavel and I felt Florrie jump next to me. She slowly looked up at me, looking completely lost. I had nothing to give her at this point. There was nothing I could say or do that would make this better. Visitation would only lead to a permanent residence for Reid out in Utah. Like our lawyer said, even if the judge took Reid’s thoughts into consideration, that still wasn’t a promise that he would get to stay with us.
“Let’s go find a room that we can use,” the lawyer said, motioning for us to leave the courtroom.
We headed out in a daze, following the lawyer and barely hearing what he was saying. When we got to the room, both lawyers argued back and forth, while the Fullers stared at us pleadingly to give them what they needed. The woman looked like she was on the verge of tears. When I glanced at Florrie, she looked like she wanted to murder the couple.
If Reid went out to Utah, I knew she would lose her shit. But the only other option was that they move out here temporarily, and Rob had shown me their finances. They didn’t have the money to do that. They probably didn’t have the money to fly out here to begin with. It was going to put a strain on them if they had to keep coming out here, and that wasn’t something I could tolerate. I would never purposely put someone in a terrible financial position, not when they had done nothing to deserve it.
I pulled my phone out and stepped to the side, calling Cap. I had an idea, but even if it was approved, I knew Florrie would lose her shit over it. I was stuck in this terrible position between wanting to make Florrie happy and wanting to do what was best for Reid. I had a feeling that no matter what I did, I wasn’t going to come out on top. I hung up with Cap and made my way back over to the group that was arguing. We only had fifteen minutes left.
“Excuse me,” I said loudly, cutting through the loud voices. Everyone quieted and looked over to me. “I think I have a solution.”
“What are you doing?” Florrie hissed.
“Trust me,” I said quietly, hoping she would listen to me for one fucking minute. “Look, there’s no easy way for this to work. We have fifteen minutes before the judge makes up his own judgement about what’s going to happen to Reid. It’s not feasible for Reid to fly out to Utah twice a month. Frankly, he’s just a kid and flying back and forth is not only going to waste the time he could spend getting to know you, but it’s a place that he’s totally unfamiliar with. And you flying out here twice a month would strain your finances, I’m sure.”
The couple nodded, curious as to where I was going with this.
“What’s your suggestion?” their lawyer asked.
I took a deep breath and locked eyes with Florrie, pleading with her to hear me out and not jump to the worst conclusion. “My suggestion is that you come and live on the Reed Security property for the next three months.”
Florrie gasped next to me and the Fullers both looked shocked.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Florrie hissed.
“Look, this is the best solution for Reid. We currently have a couple of houses that are being finished up on the property. I’ve spoken with my boss and he’s agreed to let you live there rent free for the next three months. During that time, you would get to see Reid weekly, maybe even on a daily basis, and he would get to know you.”
Florrie’s fingers dug into my arm and I tensed when I felt the skin break.
“Would he get to stay overnight with us?” the woman asked.
“I would leave that up to Reid, if he’s comfortable with that. Look, what I’m trying to do is make this as easy as possible for Reid. I can’t see him being comfortable getting shipped off to live somewhere else for a weekend twice a month. We would be worried about him the whole time, and I’m sure at the end of the weekend, you would feel like you didn’t really get enough time with him.”
“How do we know that you’re not just trying to spy on us to find a way to make this work for you?” the husband asked.
“You don’t,” I answered bluntly, “but that’s not my intention. From the moment we took Reid off the streets, the only thing I’ve wanted for him is a safe place to stay and to be surrounded by people that care about him. We’ve given him that so far, and I know when you talk to him you’ll realize that. I’m trying to do what’s best for Reid, so I really hope you consider our offer.”
They turned to their lawyer and started speaking in low tones. Florrie dragged me further away from everyone and turned on me with a glare. “How the fuck could you offer that?”
“Florrie-”
“No, you don’t get to do that. You don’t get to pretend like you’re the logical party right now. You’ve just handed them the keys to the safe. How could you do that?”
“I’m thinking of Reid.”
“Bullshit,” she said angrily. “If you were thinking of Reid, you would be fighting harder for him. Ever since that social worker called, all you’ve been doing is walking along as if we just had to go with the flow. You told me you would fight for Reid, but now you’re helping them!”
“Florrie, listen to me, please. Think of Reid right now. Do you really think it’s okay for him to get shipped all the way around the country to visit people he doesn’t know? Do you think that’s going to make him feel safe?”
“I think that he would feel safer knowing we were doing everything we could to keep him with us. Now you want to wrench him out of the home that he’s come to feel safe in and toss him to the wolves.”
“I’m not doing that, Florrie.
The court is doing that. I’m just trying to find something that works for all of us.”
“And you think it works for us to have them come live on the same property as us? Where they can see Reid every day and manipulate him?”
“Look at them,” I said harshly, making her look over at the older couple behind us. “Do they look like they want to manipulate us?”
“I think they want to take away Reid. I don’t give a shit if they’re good people or if they’re his family. Reid has been with us all this time. He belongs with us. Why can’t you see that?”
“Alec, Florrie,” our lawyer interrupted us. He jerked his head for us to join the group again. We walked back to the group, Florrie still fuming beside me, and waited for their lawyer to speak.
“Mr. and Mrs. Fuller would like to accept your offer. They agree that this would also be best for Reid, as it would give him a chance to get to know them while still being in the comfort of his own space.”
“Alright,” the social worker sighed. “Court resumes in five minutes. Let’s head back and tell the judge what we’ve agreed to.”
✯✯✯✯✯
“I can’t believe you did that,” Florrie shouted at me as soon as we entered our suite. “How the fuck could you do that?”
“I did what was best for Reid.”
“For Reid or for you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked angrily.
“Ever since we found out about this, you haven’t been here with me, fighting to find any way to keep him with us. It’s like you don’t even care if he stays with us!”
“I do fucking care. I’ve been right beside you, but you don’t notice because you always run off to do everything on your own. If you’d just stop shutting me out, you’d see that I’m trying to do what’s best for Reid. Do you really think that I want him to leave? I love that kid, but Florrie, he’s not ours. We don’t get to keep him just because we’ve claimed him as ours.”
Nightingale: A Reed Security Romance Page 13