Chapter 28 #4
“Okay,” Rita announces, brushing the crumbs from her hands as she stands.
“Col gave us a quick rundown of how your meeting went this morning, so let’s start divvying out tasks and make the most of the time we have, which is roughly a day and a half.
I’ve helped plenty of families during the reunification process, so this is somewhat familiar territory.
First things first, Andi needs to prove she has adequate housing that’s in her name.
Is that doable?” My gaze flits to Raiden, his guilt-ridden eyes finding mine across the room.
“About that…” he starts, palming the back of his neck nervously.
“If you’re about to confess that this is actually your apartment, don’t bother.
I’ve known from day one,” I admit, flashing him a small smile that hopefully portrays my lack of anger.
His mouth parts in shock before glancing at the guys in question, each of them giving him a subtle shake of their head.
“No one told me anything, if that’s what you’re wondering.
It was obvious. I’d spent enough time with you before moving in here to know your scent, and this place was covered in it.
” Raiden sighs, like the truth finally being exposed has freed him from the crushing weight of his secrecy.
“Perfect!” Rita claps, her grin growing as a plan starts to come together in her mind.
“Col, use your laptop to find a template for a basic rental agreement. Backdate the start of the lease to a month prior, and I’ll use my notary status to make the document official.
” Colsen jumps right to it, happily doing what she’s asked of him as the rest of us wait for further instruction.
“Raiden can stay with us from now on, since the cat is out of the bag,” Dayton comments, his stony glare daring him to argue. “You can’t keep paying for shitty hotels. God knows you’ve probably spent a fortune by now.”
“What?!” I practically shriek, turning towards Raiden in hopes he’ll deny there’s any truth to the accusation, but all I find is resigned annoyance directed at Dayton for airing out his dirty laundry.
“Please tell me that’s not true. I thought…
” I trail off, closing my eyes to stave off the threat of guilty tears.
“I don’t know what I thought. That you’d made other arrangements with friends or family, or were staying someplace the city actually funded.
I can’t believe you’ve been living in a hotel.
What the hell, Raiden?” My incredulous tone can’t be tempered, frustration mounting when I think back to all the times he’s shown up looking exhausted.
All the nights he’s left here, only to return to a crappy hotel room he had to foot the bill for.
“I made the best choice available to me at the time,” Raiden insists, his tone resolute.
“But I’ll admit that it’s getting expensive, so I’ll crash with the guys until I figure out a more permanent solution.
” I press my lips together to keep from voicing my displeasure, but the look I level at him makes it clear that this conversation is far from over.
It feels incredibly gross to know I’ve taken his home from him, regardless of him being the one to give it to me.
“Let’s get back on track, shall we?” Rita voices, redirecting our focus. “Job security is paramount to CPS granting you custody, which means you need to be able to show proof of income.” My stomach sinks, realizing I won’t be able to clear that hurdle quite so easily.
“Don’t fret, sweetheart,” Roy hums, his eyes sparkling with determination.
“I’m going to rig the dates so it looks like you’ve been working at The Village for the past month.
I’ll cut you a check that accurately reflects the wages you would’ve earned.
” My lips part to protest, but he lifts a hand, a silent request for my cooperation.
“Think of it as an advance. We’d love to bring you on permanently, but only when you’re ready, and life isn’t so chaotic.
Take some time to settle into your new normal before you feel the need to fulfill an obligation that doesn’t exist.” I swallow past the thick lump in my throat, wrapping my arms around Royce as my entire being sags in relief.
I refuse to take advantage of his kindness, but I’m also aware that my back is against the wall, and without their help and support, there’s no way in hell I’d be able to get custody of Hudson.
And his safety and well-being will always come before my own discomfort.
I’ll gladly accept their generosity if it means I can bring him home.
“With your main obstacles sorted, all that’s left is ensuring you have what’s needed to care for a child his age.
I think we should pay a visit to Seth’s house, pack what we can of Hudson’s, and leave the rest for another day.
Having familiar clothes and toys will help him acclimate, so it’s beneficial to make use of what we have available to us, in more ways than one.
Briggs and Col can join Andi and me at Seth’s, while the rest of you clear out a bedroom here so we can begin setting everything up as soon as we’re back.
Chop, chop, boys. Time is of the essence,” Rita concludes, springing into motion as she shoos the guys towards their respective tasks, expertly dividing them into groups that’ll result in the least amount of clashing.