Page 116 of Wicked Minds
Dropping the book, I bury my head in my hands and cry. I cry for my mom. For my Gran. For myself. For all the people who my father has destroyed.
And I cry for the one girl who didn’t allow herself to be beaten by him.
36
RILEY
“That could have gone better,” Logan grouses as we leave his lawyer’s office the next afternoon. Honestly, it went about as I expected. Actually, it was better than my last conversation with a lawyer about Aurora’s guardianship.
At least this time, they said I had a strong case of regaining guardianship. Probably thanks to Logan offering to provide enough finances to sufficiently care for her until she turns eighteen. That wasnotsomething we had discussed before the meeting, but it turned the tide, and the lawyers went from being skeptical to confident that they could win the case.
The problem… is that a court case like this takes time. Especially if my mom contests it. The lawyers said they’d get the ball rolling immediately and that, in the meantime, they’d contact my mom about ensuring the agreement we made when I started college—that I’d have monthly visits and regular phone calls with Aurora—is abided by. If my mom refuses to agree to that, then we can take it to the courts and make her legally obligated to ensure I have that time with Aurora.
Even that is a small win, and after so many knocks down recently, I’m taking it. I'd happily agree if I knew I could beguaranteed regular phone calls and visits for the next three and a half years without Mom messing with me.
Obviously, I always want my daughter with me, but I know not to overreach. To accept the wins life gives you because it could very easily take them back and decide to fuck you over instead.
“It could have been worse,” I counter, earning a dispassionate glare from Logan. It’s adorable how incensed he is, and despite the mediocre meeting, I find myself smiling up at him.
“Have I told you how much it means to me that you did this?”
His expression softens, the tension draining from his shoulders as he relaxes enough to wrap his arm around me. “Only about five times today alone.”
“Well, I mean it. Even just organizing this meeting has instilled in me more hope than I’ve had in a long time. Don’t even get me started on you offering to cover all costs and expenses. That’s a conversation we need to have.” I pierce him with a stern stare.
“No, it’s not, Shortcake, because it’s non-negotiable.”
“Logan, do you even know how much it costs to raise a child to the age of eighteen? A quarter of a million dollars,” I say, not giving him time to answer. “It is one thing for you to buy me food and cover my bills, but aquarter of a million dollars,Logan? No. Absolutely not. That’s just… that’s insanity.”
He only grins like I’m not trying to make him understand exactly how much money he’d be throwing away. “Then call me insane, baby.” Ducking his head, he kisses the tip of my nose before dipping lower to capture my lips. “Insane about you.”
“Logan,” I groan, fighting back a laugh.Dammit, how does he always manage to twist serious conversations until he gets his way?“You’ve taken one too many pucks to the head,” I grumble irritably.
He barks out a laugh. “Shortcake, I wear a helmet when I’m on the ice.”
“Then the team needs to invest in harder helmets because the ones they have aren’t sufficient.”
Grinning like a loon, he just shakes his head. “Do you need to get back to campus for class, or do we have time to grab lunch?”
“We can grab lunch,” I say, looking up and down the busy street. The lawyers’ offices are located in Springview, so Logan and I ended up skipping this morning’s classes for today’s meeting.
“Awesome. There’s a perfect little Italian place near here that you’ll love.”
Early on Friday morning, I wake to the buzzing of my phone on the bedside table.
“Too early,” Logan grumbles sleepily as he tugs a pillow over his head.
I can’t help smiling at how adorable he is as I reach for my phone. After Logan fell out of my bed for the second night in a row, we decided it was just too small to fit all three of us—especially since they are both twice my size. So the guys drew straws and have been taking turns to stay with me. While I enjoyed having both of them here, I very much like having one-on-one time with each away from campus, too.
“Logan,” I gasp, when I see my mom’s caller ID flashing on my phone. His only response is a groan, and I hit his arm as I call his name again.
“Where’s the fire, Shortcake?” he mutters, eyes still halfway shut.
“It’s my mom,” I tell him, showing him my phone screen. Instantly, he’s awake, sitting up beside me in the bed. “Do you think she’s gotten the letter from the lawyers yet?”
“Only one way to find out.” He stares at the phone and then at me, and taking some of his courage, I answer the call and put it on speaker.
“Mom.”
