Page 16 of Endlessly Yours
“Is the community going to fight for the kids?” I asked, wondering exactly what kind of community this was.
Ava shook her head. “It hasn’t even been a day, and they’ve already explained in explicit terms that they won’t fight for custody if she doesn’t fight the will for anything else. And from what I can see, they have the money to make it a bloodbath.”
“So she’s going to bring them here. Because I’m pretty sure none of us want those kids anywhere near them,” I growled.
Ava met my gaze, and I knew she had questions. Hell, anyone who saw me around Rory had questions. It surprised me, though, that it had taken this long for Ava to even look at me in that way.
“She’s not going to be gone for long, and she’s going to bring those girls back home, and she’s not letting me go with her.”
Wyatt ran his hand up and down Ava’s arm. “Those girls are already going to be seeing a stranger in their aunt. Maybe seeing another stranger would be too much.”
“But that doesn’t mean she’s alone when everybody gets here,” Alexis put in. “We Wilders are a loud bunch, and while Rory technically isn’t a Wilder, we adopted her long ago. She’s a Wilder woman for wine night, at least, so she’s one of us. What can we do?” She pulled out her planner and pen, and my lips nearly twitched at that thought.
Because while a sense of grief and confusion seemed overwhelming to the rest of us, we apparently were going to make plans.
“How is she going to fit two kids in her tiny apartment?” I asked as they went over supplies and schools and paperwork for the girls.
Everyone stared at me, and I shrugged. “Her office is in her guest room, and there’s already not enough space for her to walk around. Is she going to look for another rental? Are you guys going to put her in one of the cabins on the property?”
“Rory isn’t going to take handouts from us, at least not something that big,” Ava said slowly. “As it is it’s going to take guilt and pressure in order for her to let us help with the paperwork that it’s going to take for the move. Because I don’t know exactly what those little girls are going to need, but we’re going to make sure they have everything.”
“Damn straight,” Aurora said as Ridge squeezed her shoulder.
“We’re not going to be able to bring their parents back, or help any of the hurts, but we can make sure that they have a pillow to sleep on and people around so they know they’re not alone.”
“And we won’t be so cult-like,” Kendall pointed out. “And I know people joke that the Wilders can be, but what the hell is this community?”
“All I know is if that community comes after those kids, they’re going to have to face us,” I blurted, and people once again stared at me. “What? I don’t like the sound of them.”
“Same here,” Elijah said as he looked through his phone. “Oh, and we have lawyers, too, so we’ll ensure that we can take any necessary steps to guarantee it’s not an issue.”
“I don’t think it will be,” Ava put in. “I think once the girls are here, they’re going to cut ties. At least, that’s what Rory felt. It just feels icky.”
Wyatt leaned forward. “Okay, so let’s find them a place to stay and figure out how to get Rory to agree to move.”
I shook my head and stood up, pulling my phone out of my pocket. “You know what, fuck it. I’ll deal with it.”
Everyone gaped at me. “What?”
“What do you mean by you’ll deal with it?” Wyatt asked slowly, looking as if I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had.
“The house next door to mine is open. My renters moved out, so there’s enough space for everyone. And it’s in a good school district, close enough so Rory can drive them both. Though, I don’t really know what grades they will be in.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Ava said as she stood up. “Rory’s going to hate it, but maybe I can convince her. And that’ll ensure that she’s close enough to all of us, and you’ll be right next door to help her if she needs anything. It’s perfect.”
I didn’t like the odd look on her face, one that said she had something else up her sleeve, or maybe I was just thinking too hard.
I shook my head, though. “No. I’ll handle it. I’ll make sure she does what we need her to. You guys handle all the rest. I’ll make sure she has a place to come home to.”
And with that, I walked out, leaving everybody flabbergasted. They called after me, but I ignored them.
I needed to head to Rory’s and make another fucking terrible decision when it came to her.
My hands tightened on the steering wheel as I drove towards Rory’s small apartment, wondering what the hell I was doing. But for the life of me I couldn’t think about three people in that tiny apartment, trying to navigate a new world. I knew firsthand what it was like when your world broke into a thousand pieces.
Because those little girls would be grieving and would have no idea what the hell they were doing. And I knew that Rory wouldn’t be grieving at all. She would be pushing it down, working on a checklist like everybody else, and she would do her best to think of the girls and not of the fact that she had just lost her sister.
I couldn’t do much, and I didn’t want to do anything else, but I could do this.
