Page 112 of Campus Crush
I was all for any suggestions he had because I felt like I was drowning and it had only been three weeks since Gram died.
Foster guided me to sit on the only other seat left in the room.
“We’ve all been talking,” Foster began, gesturing to include everyone in the room, “and we’ve come up with a plan that might help with your commute situation and give you more support with Mason.”
I glanced around at the faces watching me—Sam’s encouraging smile, Gordy’s steady gaze, Drew’s uncharacteristically serious expression, and Liam’s casual nod. Whatever this was, they all seemed to be in on it.
Foster laid out the plan methodically, the way he approached everything—thoughtful and thorough. Sam would move into his room at the hockey house. Foster would move into my apartment and share my room. Mason would take Sam’s room. The arrangement would keep all our current leases intact while cutting my commute time dramatically.
As he spoke, I found myself mentally calculating the time savings. Thirty minutes each way, sometimes more with traffic. An hour of my life reclaimed each day. Time I could use for studying, for Mason, for sleep—the thought alone made my exhausted body ache with longing.
When Foster finished explaining, he watched me carefully, waiting for my reaction. The others remained quiet, giving me space to process.
“Yeah, this shortens my commute and makes things more manageable for me,” I acknowledged slowly, turningthe idea over in my mind. “But how will Mason get to school? The bus doesn’t come out this far and he doesn’t have his license.” It was the first practical problem that came to mind, though I was already mentally listing others—Mason’s adjustment, the logistics of moving, whether this was too much change too soon.
“I’ll take him,” Sam said immediately. “I have plenty of time before my first class in the morning.”
“And we can rotate picking him up if there’s ever days you can’t,” Drew said, pointing to Liam, Gordy, and Foster.
“We’re happy to help pitch in,” Liam added. “Mason’s a good kid. We want to see him thrive, but he can’t do that if he knows you’re pulling yourself apart at the seams to take care of him.”
Foster watched me carefully for a reaction, but I was so shocked and overwhelmed by what they were offering that I was worried my face was frozen in a stupefied expression. These guys—who’d barely known me a few months ago—were offering to rearrange their lives to help me and my brother get through this impossible time.
I knew I couldn’t do this myself—not if I was going to convince the courts that Mason had a solid support system—but the generosity of it all made my chest tight with emotion.
“I appreciate you all so much,” I said finally, my voice slightly hoarse, “but I don’t want to put anyone else out.” The last thing I wanted was to be a burden on these people who had already done so much for me.
“You’re not putting us out,” Gordy said firmly, leaning forward. His usually quiet demeanor made his words carry more weight. “You’re part of our tribe now. We’re here to help.”
The word “tribe” hit me hard. Since Mom died, it hadjust been Mason, Gram, and me against the world—although I couldn’t deny how Sam had become an integral part of my support system during that time, which made me all the more grateful that she was here now. The idea that our family had somehow expanded to include these people was beyond comforting.
I glanced at Sam, searching her expression for any hint of reluctance. “And you’re sure you’re okay with moving in here and living with the guys?” Sam loved our apartment, and I couldn’t imagine she’d be thrilled about living with three hockey players, no matter how cool they were.
“One hundred percent positive,” she said, her smile genuine.
“You guys are all on board with this?” I asked, looking around at Gordy, Liam, and Drew, still not quite believing they’d all agreed to this disruption.
“We’ll tell you as many times as we need to,” Liam said, his usual playboy persona set aside for a moment of sincerity. “But this is your family now,” he said, gesturing around the room. “And we’ve got your back.”
Tears of gratitude burned behind my eyes, but I’d cried enough over the last few weeks, and I really didn’t want to break down now. I blinked rapidly, trying to keep the moisture at bay.
My gaze met Foster’s. His eyes were full of hope and love.
“And you want to live with me?” I asked softly, almost afraid of the answer. We’d only been dating a few months, and moving in together was a big step under normal circumstances, let alone with my teenage brother in tow.
His smile was sweet and sure. “Hell, yeah,” he said without a moment’s hesitation.
His response brought a genuine smile to my face—thefirst one I could remember in days. The answer seemed obvious when he put it that way.
“Okay,” I said, feeling like I could breathe a little easier already. “But first I have to talk to Mason and make sure he’s okay with this. If he’s on board, then we’ll do it. But if he wants to stay at Gram’s house, then that’s where we’ll stay.”
Everyone reluctantly nodded, understanding that Mason’s needs had to come first. Foster squeezed my hand, silently communicating his support either way.
As the conversation shifted to logistics and timing, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. I was grateful to be surrounded by people who cared enough to create solutions I couldn’t have managed on my own.
I was nervous about talking to my brother about the plan because if he said no, it was dead in the water, and a part of me really wanted this plan to work. I was stretched too thin, and I knew if we stayed at Gram’s house, I was going to have to give up my internship. The commute was just too long to maintain with everything else on my plate.
I’d made Mason’s favorite meal—lasagna with extra garlic bread—hoping the comfort food might make him more receptive to change. As he shoveled pasta into his mouth with the boundless hunger of a teenage boy, I gathered my courage.
