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I scratched at my stubble-covered jaw and picked up one of the brochures for a local tech school about thirty minutes away. “Spencer isn’t going to like this.”
“No, he won’t,” Jaxon agreed. I sighed. “But I also know my son will force you to choose your future before choosing him.”
“What about Logan’s future and choices?” Spencer asked, walking into the dining room with Ezra right behind him. Spencer rubbed at his eyes, his lips settled into an adorable pout. He was cute as fuck first thing in the morning—all sleepy-eyed, pouty, and needy. So damn needy.
“Sit down,” Jaxon told him.
“I’ll make coffee,” Ezra said, sensing the talk we were about to have. His eyes ran over me, concern washing through his blue-eyed gaze. When I nodded at him to show him I was okay, he headed into the kitchen. Spencer frowned as he looked between me and his dad. Then, his eyes flickered to my half-eaten bowl of cereal and the technical college brochures.
Reaching out, he slid them over, flipping through them, his brows furrowed. He looked up at me as Ezra set a mug of coffee in front of him, steam rising from the cream-colored liquid. “You’re going to go to college?” Spencer asked in surprise as Ezra took a seat next to him. I’d held no secrets about how much I detested the idea of college for myself when Ezra and Spencer had been discussing school.
“Yeah,” I told him quietly.
“Here?” he asked, his voice small. My stomach clenched. I didn’t want to make him upset. Hadn’t I done enough of that?
Swallowing thickly, I nodded, my knee beginning to bounce beneath the table. Sadness washed through his eyes, and my heart clenched in my chest. “Your dad has offered to pay for what grants don’t cover and allow me to stay here while I complete whatever certificate program I choose,” I rasped.
“Son,” Spencer looked up at his dad, his eyes glassy with unshed tears, “I know this hurts.” Ezra wrapped an arm around Spencer’s shoulders and pressed a kiss to his temple. “And I know it sucks. But I’ll make sure Logan has the means to come visit both of you twice a month. I promise.”
Spencer nodded and sniffled, swiping his arm beneath his nose before he looked over at me. “I think you should go to school,” Spencer quietly told me, his voice cracking. “I’m going to miss you like crazy, but you deserve this opportunity. And I want you to take full advantage of it.”
I chuckled, though it sounded choked and raspy. Ezra rubbed the back of Spencer’s neck to comfort him. “Your dad said you would say something along those lines.”
“He’s right,” Ezra told me. “And if we want to come see you one weekend, I have more money than my family will ever spend in three lifetimes. We can make this work. Long distance is going to be tough, but we’ve already proven we can make it through anything.”
I hadn’t even met Ezra’s parents yet. They hadn’t been home. Ezra told me it was normal, but I hated it for him. According to him, as long as he stayed out of trouble—legal trouble—they truly didn’t give a fuck what he did.
My lips tilted up the slightest bit in the corners before I slid my chair closer to Spencer. Jaxon quietly got up, leaving us to my college decisions.
“I have no idea what program I want to do,” I muttered as I flipped through the information on the one closest to home.
“You like to work on cars,” Spencer said, pointing out their automotive program. “And you’re good at it.” He wasn’t wrong. I’d been doing a lot of work to my car lately; it needed a shit ton of upgrades. YouTube could teach you how to do just about anything.
I pulled the brochure closer before grabbing my phone and going to their website to read more about the program. Spencer leaned his head on my shoulder, and I looked over at him. “You okay?”
He nodded. “I already miss you, and we haven’t even graduated yet.”
Ezra chuckled and pushed his coffee closer to him. “Drink your coffee.” Ezra pushed back from the table. “I’m going to go make some breakfast.” He nodded his head toward my soggy cereal. “You done with that?”
“Yeah. And I’ll take some of whatever you’re making.”
Ezra grabbed the bowl, dropped a kiss to the top of my head, and headed into the kitchen. I stared after him for a moment, an ache settling in my chest.
Being without them was going to suck fucking balls, but it would be worth it. Because at least now, I would be able to truly contribute to the future the three of us would have together.
I wouldn’t be dead weight. Never fucking again.
I would support them.
CHAPTER 33
Spencer
GRADUATION
A smile tilted my lips as I watched Logan walk across the stage and receive his diploma. He’d busted his ass this year to finally graduate, and I couldn’t be prouder of him. He’d come so far from the moody, rude bad boy I’d met back in September, and I was so proud of him, I could barely contain it. Glancing over at the bleachers, I saw my dad snapping photos of Logan, a proud, beaming smile on his lips.
Logan had become family—like a second son—to my dad. And I knew Dad was just as proud of Logan as he was of me. My heart was damn near filled to bursting with love and happiness. I was so, so glad Logan had a parental figure in his life that would always be excited to share in his milestones.
