phone, and the second time
she came to my shop.”
Now it was all making sense. “Did you give it to her?”
“Fuck no. But now I feel like she’s going to
jump out from behind every corner. I just wish she would die
already.”
That was a cold thing to say, but Ryan never
said mean things like that. I’m sure she deserved it. “Maybe you
should tell Scarlet. She might hit her up next. After all, she’s
rich.”
He shook his head. “Sean already gave her a
bunch of money. She probably understands bothering them again would
get her nowhere. Besides, I don’t want to stress her out right now,
not when she’s pregnant. Until it’s absolutely necessary, I’m not
going to tell her.” He gave me a firm look. “And neither are
you.”
“You have my word.”
“Good.” He sighed. “I just don’t want this to
affect Janice.”
“Janice could take on a cougar and a
bear—with one hand.”
He laughed. “You got that right. But I still
don’t want to drag her into this. It’s embarrassing, you know.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that. Janice loves
you for you.”
“Nah. I think she loves me for other
reasons.” He winked.
“What does your mom need the money for
anyway?”
He turned serious. “She claims it’s for
medical bills.”
“Do you believe her?”
“No. I can’t believe a word that comes out of
her mouth.”
“Then I wonder what the real reason is,” I
said.
He shrugged. “Cigarettes, drugs—I don’t
know.”
It was hard to believe that Scarlet and Ryan
came from such a horrible place. It was amazing they turned out so
well. “I’m here if you ever need to talk.”
“I know.” He clapped my shoulder. “Thanks,
man. But Janice does a pretty good job.”
“I always had the impression you didn’t talk
much,” I teased.
He chuckled. “We do sometimes.”
Janice and Monnique were still talking
excitedly.
Ryan clanked his glass against mine.
“Congratulations, man. You guys beat all odds.”
“It took us a while to get here, but I’m glad
we finally did.”
He winked at me. “All good things are worth
fighting for.”
“When are you and Janice going to go through
hell?”
He laughed. “Never. She and I were
practically married the moment we met. We fight, but not like the
rest of you do. She’s my forever. There isn’t a doubt in my mind
about that.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
Chapter 5
Hazel
Cade had been living with us for a while, and
he still hadn’t told us what hard times he’d fallen on. He and I
still didn’t get along but we didn’t fight either. That was
probably because we didn’t speak to each other.
“When is your brother going to tell us what
his problem is?” I asked while we were in bed.
“I don’t know.” Flynn had his computer on his
lap and he was going through a script. “I brought it up again but
he wouldn’t answer me.”
“I guess he’s going to live with us forever,”
I said sadly.
He eyed me. “I’ll kick him out if you want to
get rid of him.”
“No,” I said immediately. “I’m just curious
to know what’s going on.”
“That makes two of us.”
“I mean, it’s been months. What could have
possibly happened? Did he lose his job?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “But he seems
adamant about keeping it as a secret.”
I fluffed my pillows then lay down. “Maybe if
I teach him how to clean he can be our nanny.”
Flynn laughed. “He doesn’t know the
difference between a broom and a plunger.”
“And you do?” I jabbed.
“Hey, my apartment was pretty clean before
you came along.”
“It smelled like man.”
“Well, I’m a man. So is that a bad
thing?”
“Yes.” I smiled at him then cuddled into his
side, my face moving into his neck.
Flynn’s voice turned serious. “Baby, I need
to talk to you about something.”
I sat up, recognizing his tone. “Yeah?”
“I need to go to LA for a few days to work on
the show.”
His script was going to be on HBO. He
she came to my shop.”
Now it was all making sense. “Did you give it to her?”
“Fuck no. But now I feel like she’s going to
jump out from behind every corner. I just wish she would die
already.”
That was a cold thing to say, but Ryan never
said mean things like that. I’m sure she deserved it. “Maybe you
should tell Scarlet. She might hit her up next. After all, she’s
rich.”
He shook his head. “Sean already gave her a
bunch of money. She probably understands bothering them again would
get her nowhere. Besides, I don’t want to stress her out right now,
not when she’s pregnant. Until it’s absolutely necessary, I’m not
going to tell her.” He gave me a firm look. “And neither are
you.”
“You have my word.”
“Good.” He sighed. “I just don’t want this to
affect Janice.”
“Janice could take on a cougar and a
bear—with one hand.”
He laughed. “You got that right. But I still
don’t want to drag her into this. It’s embarrassing, you know.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that. Janice loves
you for you.”
“Nah. I think she loves me for other
reasons.” He winked.
“What does your mom need the money for
anyway?”
He turned serious. “She claims it’s for
medical bills.”
“Do you believe her?”
“No. I can’t believe a word that comes out of
her mouth.”
“Then I wonder what the real reason is,” I
said.
He shrugged. “Cigarettes, drugs—I don’t
know.”
It was hard to believe that Scarlet and Ryan
came from such a horrible place. It was amazing they turned out so
well. “I’m here if you ever need to talk.”
“I know.” He clapped my shoulder. “Thanks,
man. But Janice does a pretty good job.”
“I always had the impression you didn’t talk
much,” I teased.
He chuckled. “We do sometimes.”
Janice and Monnique were still talking
excitedly.
Ryan clanked his glass against mine.
“Congratulations, man. You guys beat all odds.”
“It took us a while to get here, but I’m glad
we finally did.”
He winked at me. “All good things are worth
fighting for.”
“When are you and Janice going to go through
hell?”
He laughed. “Never. She and I were
practically married the moment we met. We fight, but not like the
rest of you do. She’s my forever. There isn’t a doubt in my mind
about that.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
Chapter 5
Hazel
Cade had been living with us for a while, and
he still hadn’t told us what hard times he’d fallen on. He and I
still didn’t get along but we didn’t fight either. That was
probably because we didn’t speak to each other.
“When is your brother going to tell us what
his problem is?” I asked while we were in bed.
“I don’t know.” Flynn had his computer on his
lap and he was going through a script. “I brought it up again but
he wouldn’t answer me.”
“I guess he’s going to live with us forever,”
I said sadly.
He eyed me. “I’ll kick him out if you want to
get rid of him.”
“No,” I said immediately. “I’m just curious
to know what’s going on.”
“That makes two of us.”
“I mean, it’s been months. What could have
possibly happened? Did he lose his job?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “But he seems
adamant about keeping it as a secret.”
I fluffed my pillows then lay down. “Maybe if
I teach him how to clean he can be our nanny.”
Flynn laughed. “He doesn’t know the
difference between a broom and a plunger.”
“And you do?” I jabbed.
“Hey, my apartment was pretty clean before
you came along.”
“It smelled like man.”
“Well, I’m a man. So is that a bad
thing?”
“Yes.” I smiled at him then cuddled into his
side, my face moving into his neck.
Flynn’s voice turned serious. “Baby, I need
to talk to you about something.”
I sat up, recognizing his tone. “Yeah?”
“I need to go to LA for a few days to work on
the show.”
His script was going to be on HBO. He
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