Page 133 of The Love Penalty

And I’d damn well better, because when I finally get home after my evening workout, I find a stack of flattened boxes resting against the wall in the living room.

I frown at them, then turn to find Liam giving me a glum smile. “Your uncle stopped by. We’ve got two weeks to get our asses out of here.”

“What? I thought we’d get ninety days. That’s the law, isn’t it?” I pull out my phone, starting a quick search to confirm that.

“Yeah.” Liam interrupts my frantic hunt. “But in two weeks, he’s gonna start charging us rent, and dude…” He cringes. “It’s astronomical.”

My lips part as he hands me a sheet of paper and I gape at the figures. “Eight thousand a month? That’s criminal!”

“Do you think he can get away with it?” Liam scratches the back of his head.

I work my jaw to the side, slapping the paper against my thigh. “I guess we could try fighting him, but by the time it all goes through, we’ll be out of this place anyway.”

“That’s what we figured, so…” Liam buries his hands in his pockets and shrugs. “Time to start looking for new digs.”

My frown is sad and desperate; I can feel it tugging my lips down and wrinkling my forehead.

“Don’t really want to be here anyway, after all this shit, you know?”

Liam’s murmured words ring true, and all I can do is nod my agreement.

CHAPTER 59

LEILANI

In less than a week, Hockey House needs to be empty. And so does Rachel and Mikayla's little apartment down the road. Hayes Carmichael was going to double their rent. No more special deals for friends of the family.

The Carmichaels have been hardline and unrelenting. It probably doesn't help that the police arrested their son a few days ago and charges have been pressed against him. Asher's parents have stepped up with their lawyers, and I'm so incredibly grateful.

I got to tell them that this weekend, when we flew to New York for a two-day visit.

At first, his mother was overly cautious of me, and I spent the first meal being grilled like she was searching for a chink in my armor. But I obviously said all the right things, because by the time dessert was served, she was telling me how brave I've been and that Asher was right to stand up for me the way he did.

After a day on their boat, sailing along the Hudson River, I was assured of their support, and Asher was being complimented on his fine taste in women. I didn't love being referred to like I was an aged bottle of wine, but his father just talks that way, and I can live with it for Asher's sake.

He's come from such an upper-class, structured lifestyle that I'm sure the chaos of my upbringing would be too much for him, but it was nice to catch a glimpse of the world Asher grew up in. It definitely helps me to understand him on a deeper level.

And I won't lie… there are serious perks to dating a rich man.

Not that I'm with him for his money, but it is a fine, fine life that I could quickly get used to.

Yeah, Asher's not interested in joining the family business, and although he'll probably get a chunk of start-up cash from his trust fund, he'll still be on his own, making his way in the world. But that doesn't mean we can't tag along when his parents take off to Europe… or we can't enjoy some fine dining or a free night in one of their hotels.

Making love on silk sheets… yeah, I could get used to that.

We flew late Sunday afternoon tired but happy… until we walked into his man cave and realized how much stuff Asher still had to pack. I've been helping him as best I can. He still doesn't know where he'll be living, and that sick uncertainty is vibrating throughout the entire house. They've been looking at rental properties in the area and trying to figure out how much they can afford.

It's not much, and their quest to stay together is looking futile.

The thought is bringing everyone down, and packing has kind of stopped as we all dribble into the dining room after class on Monday.

We sit at the table, nibbling on bowls of chips and popcorn as the late afternoon rolls around. No one's talking, and Baxter's probably reveling in it. He stares at his plate, his nose twitching while Fezzik sits at his feet whining. The puppy soon gives up and tries to beg for scraps from Casey, who's the softest touch of us all.

He breaks a chip in half and feeds it to the pup.

“So…,” Ethan starts but then sighs and shakes his head.

Mikayla gives his forearm a squeeze, her smile sad until her phone starts ringing.

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