Page 15 of Only Temporary

Goddamn him. I hate how well he knows me. Every part of me wants to fall apart, but I can’t do that right now. “I need to find furniture for them. Phillip said something about Facebook. I don’t even have Facebook.”

He pulls out his phone. “I’ve got you. What are we looking for?” He starts scrolling.

When we met, we were both in a bad way. And he may think I was his rock then, but he was the only thing keeping me sober there for a while. That and the hope that I could go and get my siblings. Give them a better life. He reminded me of that over and over.

He wasn’t the only one crying out for anything to numb the pain.

There were so many nights I thought I’d die if I didn’t get something in my system, but he was there. And no, we aren’t in love or dating. That would be really weird. Not because of what he has between his legs, but because he’s like a brother to me. He’s family.

“Bunk beds,” I say, trying to go over the things Phillip said earlier. “And a twin bed. A dresser and a desk.”

He nods. “Beds are priority, I think, right?”

I nod. “I don’t know how the hell I’m going to afford any of this.”

“Don’t worry, okay? We’ve got this.” He holds up his phone excitedly. “See? Ten dollars for a whole bunk bed because they want to get it gone.”

I look at the picture. They’re a little rough-looking but sturdy, I think. “Okay. That’s an amazing price.”

“Yeah. Rich people, man. It’s amazing what they’ll throw away just because they don’t want to deal. It’s only ten minutes from here. I’ll message them, and we can go pick it up in my truck later tonight, hopefully.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t sweat it.” He puts a heavy hand on my shoulder. “We’ve got this. You aren’t alone, and then, when we get the beds set up, we’re going to a meeting.”

“I need to get groceries too.”

“After the meeting. We can find a store that’s open twenty-four hours, so there’s no excuse.”

“Okay,” I agree. “Also, Raegan wants to burn your bed.”

He tosses his head back and cackles. “Come on. It’s not that bad. But the sheets, maybe.”

I grin, and we scroll through, finding a twin bed frame someone is giving away and then a cheap mattress place that has brand-new ones for a decent price. We set up pickup times, and the pizza gets delivered.

Raegan pretty much just picks at her food, and I’m worried this is going to be a problem, but I’m not going there again tonight. We’ll figure it out. Cason is quiet, which is odd, but I’m thankful. And the youngest boys are loud but not too bad.

After we eat, I tell the kids where we’re going, and they all wave me off, wandering about the house. I feel a little bad, leaving them, but Cason is fifteen. God knows he’s watched the kids on his own many times.

They’ll be okay for a couple of hours.

Tatum and I go and pick up the beds and three mattresses, dropping them all off in the living room before heading out again to go to a quick meeting.

I don’t speak during this one, it’s all too damn raw. But I listen. I listen to everyone talk and to the reminders. This too shall pass bullshit, which for some reason works.

After the meeting, we go to the grocery store, where I spend nearly my last dollar until payday buying things I hope they’ll eat and sheets for each bed, including Raegan’s.

I know they’ll need so much more than this, but one day at a time.

I can do this.

I have to do this.

SEVEN

“Fuck this,” I grumble after pinching my finger for the fifth time, trying to put the bunkbeds together. We had to take it apart for everything to fit in the truck, and now it’s not fitting back together.

Tatum, thankfully, is being more levelheaded though, and he effortlessly attaches the pieces I was just working on without pinching himself. “You need a break?”

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