Page 98 of Forever Always

“What exactly is it that you do?”

Luca grinned. “Trust me, you’re better off not knowing.”

Fuck. I looked at Beckett, but he was staring both of them down. Okay then.

“So what now? We just go back to the apartment and our lives like nothin’ happened?”

I wasn’t sure I could do that.

Wesley shifted and something changed in his usually neutral expression.

“What?” I asked suspiciously.

Wesley looked toward Luca, but Luca put his hands up in front of him. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not helping you with this one.”

Wesley groaned, and I looked at Becks, who shrugged. “Helping you with what?” he asked.

“I don’t think you two should go back to that apartment.”

“Why the fuck not?” Becks snapped. “Is there a chance of us getting’ caught?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s just not . . . the best neighborhood or building.”

I snorted. “No fuckin’ shit, but not everyone can afford a fancy place like this.”

Jay leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head, looking completely relaxed. “Oh, this should be good.”

Wesley ignored him. “You can if you let me pay—”

“No!” Beckett and I both snapped at the same time. We were both on our feet, glaring down at my stupid bio-dad.

“There’s no fuckin’ way you’re payin’ for our place,” Becks said as he started pacing. He was pulling at his hair and it made me nervous that he was gonna hurt himself. He spun around and faced Wesley again. “We appreciate everything you’ve done for us, but there’s already no fuckin’ way we can pay you back for all this. I ain’t addin’ anything else to the list.”

“You don’t owe me anything—”

“Bullshit,” Becks snapped. “Fuckin’ bullshit. There’s always a price. I’m willin’ to pay it to keep Riley safe, but this, this is too much.”

My eyes bounced back and forth between Wesley and Beckett. I wanted to interrupt, but I didn’t even know what to say.

“What if you split it?” Luca interceded before they started really fighting.

Becks whirled on him. “What do you mean?”

“Find a place that’s maybe just outside your budget. One in a better area, maybe without mold and with working heat, but nothing crazy, and you split it three ways. So Wes will just be paying the difference.”

“We’d still owe him,” I reminded Luca.

Wesley opened his mouth to speak, but Luca stopped him. “Think of it like this. If Wes knew you existed, he’d have been paying child support all this time, right? Plus a bunch of other stuff parents usually buy for their kids. He’s just paying you back the money he owes you.”

Wesley looked like he wanted to murder Luca, but it made sense. “Make that spilt four ways.” Jay spoke for the first time.

We all looked at him. “I’m not really ready to move in permanently with Dakota. Maybe we can find a two bedroom or something?”

I smiled at him, and I Becks started to calm down. “I’d like that.”

I looked over at Beckett. “Baby,” I said quietly, as I stepped into his space. “It’s up to you.” His mind was spinning. With everything with Mr. Chase front and center, it had to be hard for him to trust something like this. I was struggling too, but if I thought about it the way Luca had said, it wasn’t too bad.

Finally, Beckett turned toward Wesley. “The place will be in our name only. Mine, Ri’s, and Jay’s. If we can’t get approved for it without your help, we won’t take it. And if you hold it over our heads in anyway, we’re movin’ and all this”—he gestured between us—“is done. I don’t think you’re like that, but lots of people didn’t think Mr. Chase was like that either.”

---