Everything I Desire (Lupine Valley #3)

21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Adelaide

I’m working in my classroom, trying to get ready for end of the year report cards, and all the activities that take away my class time before the students show up for homeroom. I’ve been slacking at home because I finally have Porter back. I don’t want to waste any time with him. I feel like we have so much time to make up together.

A knock sounds on my door and I roll my eyes. I do not have time for visitors today.

“Come in!” I yell cheerfully, ever the actor here at school.

Stacey opens the door a little bit and pokes her head in, “Hey, sorry to bother you, I know if your door is shut you’re busy. But I want to talk to you about Porter and Kayla’s case.”

“Oh yea, of course, come in.” She walks through the door and shuts it behind her, locking it.

Oh it’s that kind of meeting.

She takes a seat at the desk in front of mine. “So. I know this is a big ask. And I’ve already talked to Porter about it yesterday, but he was adamant that he was not, under any circumstances, doing what I’m about to suggest.” She bites her lip, a nervous habit she can’t hide.

“If he doesn’t want to do it, why are you asking me?” I ask her, genuinely curious how she thinks I can help.

“Well the judge assigned to our hearing, he’s real traditional. And since Porter is a single bachelor on paper, he might not look kindly on separating a young girl from her mother for a single uncle.” She pauses.

“So where do I come in? You need me to write a statement that we are dating?” I ask.

“More like I asked Porter if you guys would be willing to get married. If it isn’t going that way, I apologize, and if it is, you guys could always just do a courthouse thing don’t tell anyone. But it would really help his case, Adelaide,” she pleads.

“And he was adamantly against it?”

Well, that hurts a little bit. I know we haven’t discussed marriage since it’s so soon but he has to know I’d do anything to help him. He didn’t even mention anything about it to me last night.

“I don’t think it’s like that, Adelaide. Really, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to cause issues. I just wanted to see if you’d talk to him about it. He might listen to you more than me.” She stands and places a hand on my arm. “Please. I want to have every advantage for Kayla we can.”

I nod, “I’ll try to talk to him.” I choke out, tears forming behind my eyes .

Once she leaves, I pull out my phone to text our girls group chat.

Me : Girls Night. Tonight. My place. Bring the junk food. crying emoji

Scarlett : Oh shit. I’ve got the ice cream.

Lacey : I’m calling Mom for cookies.

Lauren : I’ll grab pizza.

Damn. The tears flow freely. I don’t know why it hurts so bad that he adamantly refuses to marry me to help his case. It’s not like it’s something we have even talked about. Logically I know that we shouldn’t get married to just to help him get custody. But did he have to hide it and automatically reject the idea?

The bell rings and I need to get out to my door to greet students. I swipe my cheeks, take a big sip of coffee and fan my face on the way to the door. I plaster on my biggest smile and open the door.

“Good morning!” I sing-song, greeting the small line of students that formed.

My front door swings open and all three girls tumble in, their arms full of wine and junk food.

“What’s the emergency?” Scarlett asks immediately.

I break down into tears again, telling them what Stacey asked, and what she told me this morning.

Lacey, the voice of reason, asks, “Have you talked to him? I mean it hasn’t been that long that you’ve been back together. Maybe he doesn’t want to scare you off. Everyone can tell by how that man looks at you that he’d marry you in a heartbeat and have a hundred babies.”

“Yea, Addy. Porter loves you. There’s no way he’s against marriage.” Lauren chimes in.

“Then why won’t he marry me to save his case with Kayla?” I cry out.

“Addy, did you ever stop to think that maybe he wants to marry you because you want to marry him and not because he knows you would do anything to help Kayla?” Scarlett asks.

I wipe at my eyes, and stare at her. “Why do you have to make sense.” I say after a minute of thinking.

That does actually sound like something Porter would do, and had crossed my mind, but I was still hurt by it.

“I know. It’s really a burden being the one who holds this family together.” We all laugh at Scarlett and they pile together around me on the couch for a hug.

“Okay, okay, enough tears. We have pizza.” Lacey says going into the kitchen. She pulls out paper plates and we all grab some slices before coming back to the couch.

“So. Lauren. Anything you want to share with the group about where you went to with Brad the other night?” I ask. Her cheeks redden with embarrassment, and Lacey nudges her side with her elbow.

“Yea, Lauren. Share with the group.”

Lauren stares back at Lacey with a look that could kill. If I had to guess, Lacey already knows.

“No way.” She shoves a bite of pizza into her mouth so she can’t talk even if she wanted to.

“Oh, yea. Now we really need to know.” I lean over and take her pizza.

“Thaffs no pair” She says through a full mouth.

“Totally fair. Spill it.” Scarlett says, eating Lauren’s last slice of pizza.

“You guys are mean! There isn’t much to tell. He kissed me.” She shrugs, then gets up to get more pizza.

“Just kissed you?” Lacey questions her.

“What do you want me to say? He saw me flirting with Gunnar and pulled me away into the hallway, pushed me up against the wall and kissed the life out of me? That no other kiss will ever compare to that one? That after he kissed me he ran for the hills and left me breathless in an empty hallway?” She fumes .

“Um, yea. That’s actually exactly what we were looking for.” I say laughing at her.

“Yea. It’s really funny to you guys, but he hasn’t talked to me since!” Lauren exclaims.

“But you guys walked back to the table together.” Scarlett points out.

“Yea. By coincidence. He saw that crew walk in and knew there’d be trouble so he came back in at the same time I was leaving the bathroom from trying to compose myself.” She half smiles, but I can tell she’s really hurt by it.

“So what are we doing to get Brad to his senses?” I ask Lacey and Scarlett, looking between the two. They each get a big grin on their face.

“Nothing! You three will stay out of it. Swear it?” She demands.

The three of us agree, but I already know my sisters have their fingers crossed under their plates like I do. It’s something we all did as kids when we were up to no good.

The way Lacey smirks at Scarlett and I, I know she already has a plan.

The girls left a few hours later after we finished a rom-com, and ate all the junk food.

When they leave, I see Porter’s headlights flash into his driveway. I walk over to meet him at his truck.

“Hey.” I say, stopping just before I get to him. I see the questioning look in his eyes.

“Hey. What’s wrong?” He steps toward me, wrapping his arms around my waist .

“I had a visit from Stacey today.”

“Fuck,” He mutters under his breath. “Addy. I’m not doing that.” He says with a finality that makes the tears come again.

“Why not?” I ask softly, leaning into his chest.

“Because, baby. When I ask you to marry me, and you agree, I want it to be because you want to be with me. Not because you feel like you have to. I might be new to realizing that I deserve to be happy, but I don’t ever want to feel like I was just an obligation to you,” he answers earnestly.

“Porter. I would never feel that way about you. And I would never want you to think I did. I love you, and yes I will do anything you need me to in order to help you. But, I get it.” Damn, Scarlett for being right. “What other options do you have? Did Stacey say?” I dry the lone tear that escaped.

“Not many honestly. It sounds like the guy is traditional, wants a dual parent home, or the bio-parent home.” He shrugs.

“Well that’s bullshit. He’d rather have her at home with drug dealers than a stable home with her uncle?” That’s got to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

“I know, baby. But I won’t risk us just to make someone else happy. I’m done caring what other people think. If he can’t see how much happier Kayla is, then I’m at a loss either way. My relationship status shouldn’t have any bearing on Kayla’s well-being. She comes first no matter what,” he says sternly .

“I agree. Where is she by the way? I didn’t know you were working so late.” I ask, just now connecting what time it is.

“She went to Eric’s baseball game, and then they were going out to dinner with his parents. She should be home soon.” He answers.

I smirk at him, “How soon?”

“Not that soon.” He smirks back, understanding why I’m asking.

I take his hand and tug him toward my house, happy that Scarlett was right.