Chapter 7 #2
All of which suggested that Kaelan was right that at least part of my attraction to Forest was about more than physical, more than just sexual attraction.
And that was not a discovery I was happy about, though it was hard to be pissy with Kaelan since I had practically badgered him into telling me. “I hate you just a little right now.”
“That’s okay, big guy. I can take it.” Then he grew serious. “Is he okay?”
I waited a long time before answering. “No, he’s not…but I’ll do whatever is needed to help him.”
“I know you will. You’re a good friend, Nash.”
“Friend… I thought you objected to me calling Forest my friend?”
He was still chuckling when I ended the call.
I leaned back in my chair and waited for Forest to be ready to talk to me.
Forest took about half an hour before he came out of his room to talk to me, and I spent every minute of that time worrying about him. When he finally emerged, he was pale and looked like he could keel over any moment.
I made us some tea, and then we settled on the couch. “What happened?” I asked softly.
He licked his lips. “I asked for the accommodations, like you told me. I know we made a whole list and everything, but I figured I’d only bring up the most pressing ones, like the block schedule.”
“And?” I prompted him when he stopped talking.
He blew out a shaky breath. “They canceled my classes.”
My eyes widened. “They what?”
“The woman I talked to claimed that they didn’t have enough students enrolled and that was why they canceled them, but whatever the reason, I’m out of a job. And they’re not gonna bring me back for the fall semester.”
They’d fired him. Those motherfucking pieces of shit had fired him.
I’d learned a whole slew of colorful curses over the course of my Army career, and none of them seemed sufficient right now to express the utter rage I felt inside. The burning, white-hot fury over what they had done to him.
Talk about kicking a man when he was already down.
They had set him by the side of the road without so much as a thought as to how this would affect him.
And, of course, with the way they’d done it, he didn’t even have a case for discrimination based on disability.
They’d been smart enough for that. Or rather, sneaky enough because hell if I was gonna give them any credit.
“I wish I could say I can’t believe it, but unfortunately, I can. But I’m so sorry, honey. So, so sorry. It’s a despicable thing, what they did.”
“I need some time to figure this out,” Forest said, his voice so frail and thin. “After the move, I’ve only got minimal savings left, and with all the medical bills…”
Fuck, his medical bills… I hadn’t even thought of that. No job meant no health insurance. How the hell would he pay for the treatment he so desperately needed now?
If only I could put him on my plan. The combination of free healthcare at the VA and the health insurance from my job meant I was covered from every angle.
The VA benefits applied to only me, but technically, I could put someone else on my health insurance through my job if they were a dependent… or a spouse.
A spouse.
The solution presented itself like clouds moving away to show off the sun after a day of rain. That was it.
And so I opened my mouth. “Marry me.”
Forest grew very still, his eyes widening. “Excuse me?”
“Marry me. I can put you on my insurance if we’re married.”
“Nash…”
“No, think about it. It’s a perfect solution.
I have great insurance, and as my spouse, you would be covered.
All of your medical expenses would be, minus the deductible, but that’s super low.
It would solve that problem.” I forged ahead.
“I know it’s not a permanent solution, but it would help you for now, if only until your medical situation has stabilized and you have a better sense of what to expect.
And we already live together anyway, so it’s not like you’d have to change anything other than your marital status.
I mean, you can take my name if you want, but you don’t have to, and—”
“We don’t live together,” Forest said, for some reason focusing on that part, as if he’d somehow skipped over the getting married aspect. “Not like that.”
“Of course we don’t, but no one knows that, do they? It’s not like they see what’s going on inside our house.”
“Your house. It’s not our house, Nash. It’s yours.”
I shrugged. “Technically, if we were to marry, half of it would be yours.”
That, apparently, was the wrong thing to say because he grew even paler. “You can’t do that.”
“It’s California law, honey. Unless we do a prenup, which we could, I suppose.”
He held up both hands. “Stop. Just…stop. You can’t talk about prenups and marital law like that, as if it’s…as if it’s nothing. A joke.”
My jaw tightened. “I promise you I’m not joking. There’s nothing funny about this whole situation.”
“You can’t marry me.”
“Why not? Unless you have a secret husband somewhere I don’t know about, I see absolutely no reason why I can’t.”
“Because it’s… You’re…” He threw up his hands. “You can’t. You can’t save me. It’s not your job, your responsibility. I’m… I’m not your brother, by blood or otherwise.”
No, and thank the gods for that because, otherwise, I’d have to step into the nearest church for some serious confession, considering the dreams and fantasies I’d had about him.
Kaelan hadn’t been wrong about that. If Forest were my sibling, all the Hail Marys in the world wouldn’t absolve me from that sin. “You’re my friend.”
“I’m Creek’s little brother.”
Creek. Fuck, if he ever found out, he’d kill me with his bare hands. Not the marrying part. He would understand why I’d done it. No, he’d take issue with me not telling him…and not entirely without reason. “You’re my friend,” I said again, stressing the word friend this time.
I didn’t care what Kaelan had said about that word not being enough. It would have to be.
“And I don’t want to save you. I want to help you. And it so happens I’m in the position to do that by marrying you.”
“Do you not see how crazy that is? You can’t just go around asking people to marry you.”
“You’re the first one, actually,” I said stiffly, strangely hurt by that comment. Did he really think I would’ve offered this to just anyone? Hell, in my entire life, I had never even considered marrying someone. Not until now. “I don’t exactly make a habit out of it.”
He must’ve picked up on something because his expression softened. “It didn’t mean it like that. But it’s… This is clearly an impulsive solution, one you didn’t think through. I appreciate that you’re feeling sorry for me, and—”
“A quick decision isn’t the same as an impulsive decision.
” I didn’t like interrupting people, but he was starting to piss me off with his attempts to make this into something it wasn’t.
“Over the course of my career, I’ve learned to make snap decisions, and none of them were impulsive.
It’s simply a matter of being good at seeing all the information, coming up with a solution, and then fixing the problem. ”
“I’m not a problem you need to—”
He still wasn’t getting it. “I don’t feel sorry for you.
Not in the way you imply. It’s empathy, which is something else entirely.
And of course you’re not a problem that needs fixing, but the shitty situation you’re in is.
” I leaned forward, meeting his eyes. “You’re free to say no to my proposal.
That part is entirely up to you. But don’t insult me by accusing me of impulsive decisions or seeing you as a problem. ”
His shoulders sagged, his body growing small. “I didn’t mean to…insult you.”
“I know you didn’t. And I understand that you feel lost and are hurting and scared. I get that. But please, don’t push away the people who want to help you. Like me.”
He was quiet for a long time, emotions playing across his face. “It’s a big thing you’re offering.”
“Not to me. And not because I don’t take marriage seriously, but because it feels like something so little in comparison to what you’re dealing with.”
“Won’t people realize it’s fake?” he asked, then groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Sheesh, I can’t even believe I’m considering this. It’s insane.”
“You could do far worse for a husband.”
His head shot up as if he wasn’t sure I was joking, but when he saw my grin, he rolled his eyes. “What, you’re gonna sell me on your qualities next?”
If he needed a little humor to deal with this, I was all too happy to oblige.
“I’m in decent shape, still have all my teeth, and I have a steady job,” I said, checking them off on my fingers.
“I don’t think I’m too old for you. I own my own home, and I’m a halfway decent cook.
Seriously, I’m what’s considered a catch. ”
He chuckled, then laughed out loud, and when that laugh transformed into an almost hysterical fit of the giggles, I laughed right along with him. Laughter could be a massive stress reliever, and he needed that right now.
It took him a little while to come out of it, but even after he did, he was still smiling. I put my hand on his, meeting his eyes again. “Think it over, okay?”
He slowly nodded. “I will.”