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“I’m happy.” I couldn’t bring myself to think about what would happen if Abby broke things off. Right now, things were good. And if she was pregnant? I loved the idea of that too. I loved having Brody, and I’d love a baby too. I was so high nothing could bring me down.
“Where were you?” he asked as we moved toward the front door together.
“I took on a bookkeeping job. Helping a friend.”
Brody’s eyes glazed over like I knew they would. He didn’t like hearing about work.
“What do you want for dinner?”
“You actually going to cook?” he asked as we headed inside.
“I think I will.” I pulled out meat, potatoes, and some veggies to grill outside. I’d bought groceries with the intent to cook more, but it was just easier to order out or make sandwiches. But I needed to do better. Brody was a growing boy who needed the proper nutrition to get through the day at school and to be active.
He was counting on me.
I told him to wash up and called him back to the kitchen so he could help me prepare the food. Preparing Brody for adulthood was my job. I needed to show him more than the importance of hygiene and completing his homework. He needed to learn how to cook. I didn’t like the idea of him living with his father again, but it was always a looming possibility.
“I don’t know why I have to learn to cook.”
“You were on your own with your dad, weren’t you?”
“Sometimes he’d bring home takeout. Or there was something to make.”
Brody had confided in me that he was able to order groceries through an app on Austin’s phone.
“This way, you’ll have more options, and you’ll be able to cook for yourself when you’re an adult living on your own.”
“You don’t think,” he swallowed hard before he continued, “I’ll live with Dad again, do you?”
I paused my cutting of the veggies. “I don’t know. I can’t make any promises.”
“Is there some way you can get the court to make me yours?”
My heart clenched hard before picking up the pace. “I can ask around. Talk to a lawyer if that’s what you want.”
Brody nodded solemnly. “I’d like that.”
It was scary to take the next step, but I was tired of being at the whim of Austin’s actions. If the court declared me Brody’s guardian, it would make things at school and with his doctor easier. It would also insulate us from whatever was happening with his court case. Brody could have more stability.
The more I thought about it while we chopped veggies and carried the food out to the grill, I knew it was the right thing to do. Austin lost his chance to father Brody when he made the decision to burglarize the local businesses. Whatever he was into, whether it was drugs or gang activity, wasn’t something Brody should be around. Surely, a judge would rule in my favor. That was the best thing for Brody.
I was proud I was doing something for myself and putting Brody first. I wasn’t going to wait around for something bad to happen. I was taking control of my life.
Nineteen
ABBY
Even though I was worried we’d fallen asleep the other day and almost missed the boys coming home, it didn’t stop us from meeting up every afternoon. The only difference was, he worked on the financials before we explored each other’s bodies.
He mentioned we’d forgotten to use a condom that one day. I wasn’t worried because I’d gone through so much to get pregnant with Hunter. There was zero chance I’d get pregnant from one slip. We were still careful, though.
I think Nick used work as an excuse to stop over. I didn’t mind. It was the most amazing sex I’d had in years.
I felt light, happy, and content. It was such a foreign feeling, I found myself literally floating through the days, excited for the next time I’d see him. I was starting to crave his touch. He made me feel cared for and cherished, even if it was only a temporary arrangement.
I tried not to think about the terms of our deal—friends with benefits but no emotional entanglement—because I worried that I’d violated the second one. I felt so much. I wasn’t sure if it was love or lust, but I was consumed with Nick.
I looked forward to seeing him every afternoon, and I enjoyed watching him interact with the kids at practice. I was falling for him a little more each day.
