Page 4 of Only Temporary

“Okay. And you are twenty-four?”

I grit my teeth. Knowing he’s going over the information right in front of his face and still asking me these questions is making me want to rip my hair out. Not to mention, I told this to his co-worker earlier.

“I am.”

“You want to gain guardianship of all four siblings, correct?”

I nod again without even having to think about it. It was always the plan anyway. Our mom dying just sped that up a little. “I do.”

He looks over his little folder again, and I only get more tense. “You work for TJ’s Wreckers?”

I might actually crack a tooth if I grit my teeth any harder. “Yes.”

“For how long?’

“Almost four years,” I supply and try to breathe deeply. He has to ask these questions for his little form. I watch as he writes something, I’m not sure what, but it doesn’t matter. I just want to see the kids.

“And your address, is that a house or an apartment?”

“House.”

He marks something down on the form again. “Rent or own?”

Why the fuck do they need to know this?I bite back the question, but my voice is tense when I answer, “Own.” I nod at Tatum. “We bought the place over the summer. We’re fixing it up.”

I watch as a crease forms between Phillip’s brows, and he looks up from his paperwork. “You two own the home together?’

“Yes,” I answer, unsure why that matters either.

“Are you related?”

That makes us both laugh, and Tatum answers, “Fuck no. Look at that ugly mug. No way we share any genes.” I fight the urge to flip him off.

“I see.” Phillip grabs my attention with his hesitant tone. “Are you two together? In a committed relationship?”

I’m taken aback by that. He thinks we’re together? Liketogether, together? And if we were, would he have a problem with that? I glare at him. “We’re friends. Only friends.”

“Wait. You think we’re fucking?” Tatum asks, clearly amused, and I kind of want to kick his ass out of here. He’s going to mess this up for me, but I know he means well.

Phillip doesn’t answer right away and marks something down on the goddamn form again. “If you’re not in a relationship and you’re not related, Tatum living under the same roof with the kids would be a problem.”

I frown at that. “Why?’

“Because he’s not related to the children or in a serious relationship with you. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to find an alternative place.”

I stare at him. Shocked is an understatement. We have a house. It’s not the fanciest, but it’s safe and has a fenced-in backyard. We’re working on making it nicer... but now he’s telling me it won’t work?

The air in the room feels stifling, and I feel like I might throw up.

“I’ll move out.” My head snaps in Tatum’s direction at his statement, and I open my mouth to argue with him just as fast.

“No, you won’t. That’s your house too.”

“The kids, Kell. They come first.” He’s completely serious now as he looks back over at Phillip. “I’ll move out. Will that work?”

I want to argue, but Phillip nods. “Yes. That will be okay.”

I’m still stuck on Tatum offering to leave a house we’re in fifty-fifty together. “Where will you go?”

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