Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 96586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“Fuck yeah,” I mindlessly agree. “You’re um…welcomed to whatever.”
Janet sniffles at the same time she brushes away a fallen tear. “I would love to join you for lunch. Do you mind if I have a moment to clean myself up?”
“Take all the time you need.”
She smiles softly and scurries away to do whatever she needs to do.
Finally alone with my brother, I walk around to where she was just seated and quietly grunt, “I don’t want that fucking money, Noah.”
“Take it.”
“No.”
“Take it.”
“Still no.”
“Take it.”
“Fuck. No.”
“Ryder-”
“I don’t want decades worth of fucking guilt money! And you know what? That’s all the fuck he’s ever done for me! Throw money at the problem in hopes that it’ll just fucking disappear. Fuck him for that then. Fuck him for that now. And fuck his final effort to poorly apologize for being so shitty to me.”
There’s an expectation for my big brother to yell or shout or shake sense into me, yet instead, he simply repeats his previous proclamation at a lower volume. “Take the money, Ryder.”
“I-”
“I don’t fucking care how much you hated him,” my brother flatly states. “I really don’t. Look, I know you blame him for many things, most importantly, for stealing from you a future you wanted; however, this is your chance to take it back. This is your chance to rewrite it. You don’t wanna think about him ever again? Fuck. Fine. It is what it is. That’s your grief to deny or bury or give a Viking funeral to. But your future? This…opportunity to have one you never imagined having? You owe it to younger you…rehabilitated you…to take the money and build something. Use it to put yourself in school rather than trying to find aid to help. Use it to buy a house with your girlfriend that you can both call home. Fuck, put a ring on Pres's finger like I know you’ve been dying to do for months. Take the money Ryder you’ve rightfully been given and then take back your future in every aspect possible.”
Noah’s command causes me to seal my lips shut.
Fuck me, he’s right.
I should take the money and continue to rebuild my life the way I want without fear of financial stipulations.
As much as I hate how it feels like one giant payout with astronomical compound interest for destroying at least ten years of my life, I have to stop thinking about what I lost during that time and start preparing for what I’d like to gain.
It’s time I lock the hood to what once was and focus with everything I have on the common goal I share with Noah.
It’s time I become addicted to building a better and brighter future for our children.
For Presley.
For me.
Epilogue
Presley
Three Months Later…
“You cannot hang up a neon car sign in the upstairs loft,” I argue, trying to distract myself from the fact that I’m blindfolded.
In the car.
Going somewhere unknown.
I mean, I know it’s not my death, but still a little unsettling.
“Why not?” my boyfriend laughs from the driver’s seat. “My study space. My decorations.”
“Because it’s bright and tacky and I don’t wanna feel like we suddenly live in a frat house just because you’re in school!”
Louder laughter has me shaking my head in amusement.
While him enrolling in a higher education program was always part of Ry’s plan, the fact his father left him millions to do it took away all hesitation he was holding onto regarding the subject. He starts in January, which gives Big Roscoe plenty of time to adjust his hours to accommodate. Plus, Ry’s expressed wanting to possibly co-own the second shop and his current boss loves the idea of sharing the cost versus having all the debt in his name. His current class schedule is mainly focused on getting his mechanic certification; however, he is also taking business classes in addition to it.
I’m so fucking proud of him.
For doing it.
Committing to it.
And for including me as much as everyone else in the decision-making process.
Having him move into the townhouse was something we were already planning, the delay being how to coordinate with Merrick so that he’s not fucked paying full rent, but the large lump sum solved that problem too. He promised to keep paying rent while Merrick took his time finding a replacement.
Not entirely sure what stops him and Jovi from just living together, but I get the feeling it might have something to do with her father.
Officially living together has been…fucking incredible.
I love it.
Has it solved all of our problems?
Definitely not.
We still struggle to communicate at times, especially when one of us seems gung-ho about solving something on our own, but we’re working on it.
Katherine – who we just had over for dinner last week – says it’s totally normal.
You know.
Right after making notes for her to use in this follow up book that she’s been working on.