Chapter 15

I unlocked my apartment door and tossed my keys into the bowl reserved for them. My whole body ached. I was just happy it was Friday, and I didn't have to go into the shop tomorrow.

Even though I'd had a four-day week, it felt like it had lasted an eternity. Jeff had been in a foul mood, like he always was after I came back from a weekend training, so he gave me the shittiest jobs. I had no idea why he resented my time in the National Guard so much. But I'd had just about enough of his shit. Miguel had been right. I worked my ass off for Jeff, and he still treated me like I was that sixteen-year-old kid who was trying to put food on his parents' table.

I finally decided to call Marco's friend, Tommy, and set up a meeting. We agreed to meet on Saturday at his Harley repair shop. I still wasn't confident I would get a job, considering I wasn't certified to work on late-model Harleys, but Marco seemed to think Tommy would give me a chance.

I slowly made my way to my bathroom to shower. Because I was going to have dinner with Miguel, I took extra time to make sure my fingernails were as clean as I could get them. The hot water pouring down on me helped my body relax after a long day. I thought about Miguel and wondered what he'd wear tonight. He always looked so nice, even after a long day at work.

My mind drifted back to the outfit Miguel wore the night we went to the drag show. He'd looked so…sexy, if I was being honest. Apparently, my dick agreed because it thickened and lengthened. What the hell was going on with me? It was true that it had been a while since I'd had sex with anyone but my right hand, but still…

My cock was quite insistent, so I grabbed my body wash and slicked up. I closed my eyes, replaying my favorite scene from my spank bank as I fisted my cock and tugged on my balls. It didn't take long to feel the familiar tingle at the base of my spine and for my cock to go rock hard in my fist as I drove through it. Just as my orgasm reached its peak, the pretty blonde woman on her knees morphed into Miguel. It was too late to do anything but ride out the wave of pleasure that crashed over me. I gasped, trying to get air into my lungs while my legs trembled so much I had to hold on to the shower wall for support. What the fuck was happening to me?

I finished rinsing and turned off the water. I was just tired, that was all. It was early enough that I could take a nap before going to pick up Miguel. Some sleep would straighten me right out. I dried off, grabbed my clothes off the bathroom floor, and headed to my bedroom. I pulled my phone out of my pants pocket and set an alarm for thirty minutes later. Then I crawled under my covers and was out three seconds after my head hit the pillow.

After my alarm woke me up, I dressed in a blue Henley I'd bought in an effort to spruce up my wardrobe a bit. I checked my phone for the time. I still had half an hour before I had to leave to pick up Miguel. I'd just decided to get something to tide me over until dinner when someone knocked on my door.

I opened the door to find my landlord's son standing there. I frowned when I saw him. I hadn't heard from him since Tino sent him the letter telling him it was illegal to try to force me out with only two weeks' notice. It turned out there was a "termination due to sale" clause in my lease, which still gave me sixty days from the sale of the house to move. As far as I could tell, the house hadn't even been sold yet.

"Mr. Peterson," I said. "What can I do for you?"

To my surprise, he looked nervous. "Zach, I wanted to apologize for sending that letter. I took the advice of an acquaintance of mine, but I should have known better."

"Okay," I replied. "I appreciate your apology." It was all I could think of to say because I was still pissed at how he thought so little of how good a tenant I'd been for the past seven years.

As if he'd read my mind, he continued, "You've been an excellent tenant, and I know you've helped my dad a lot over the years when you didn't have to." He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled ruefully. "My wife had a lot to say about that letter when she found out."

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. I'd met his wife quite a few times. She was a very nice woman, but she had opinions and wasn't afraid to share them. Not knowing what else to say, I asked, "How's your dad?"

He shrugged. "Better. He's still in the hospital. They're looking to discharge him to rehab in a couple of days. But the doctor is adamant he can't live alone anymore. That's why we're selling the house."

And we were back to that again. "I get it," I began. "But I can't just move on such short notice."

He put up his hands in a gesture of peace. "I know. I know. I understand most people can't just up and move in two weeks." He blew out a breath. "I was offered a million in cash if I could make the property available by the end of the month. The guy who made the offer knew you were supposed to have sixty days, but he said most people don't know their rights. He was surprised and annoyed that you got a lawyer."

"I'm lucky to have friends willing to help out when I need it," I retorted, getting mad all over again.

He made a sound of frustration. "I'm doing this all wrong." He pulled an envelope out of his inner jacket pocket. "This is a letter offering you ten thousand dollars if you can vacate the premises by the fifteenth. You can show it to your lawyer so he knows it's a legitimate offer."

I stared at him, speechless. When I finally found my voice, I asked, "Are you serious? Why would you do that?"

"Because my dad needs this. If we wait too long, he'll get it in his head that he can do it on his own, and then we'll just get a repeat of what we have now, maybe worse. If I can get him into the assisted living place near here, he'll have everything he needs and still be able to be independent for as long as possible."

I took the envelope from him. "Okay. I'll show this to the lawyer and get back to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you," he said.

After he left, I opened the envelope and, sure enough, it was a letter drawn up by a lawyer offering to pay me ten thousand dollars to leave my place by the fifteenth. I took a picture of the letter and texted it to Tino. He texted me back right away.

Tino

Well damn. That's a really nice offer.

Me

Is it legit?

Tino

Yep. The money will be held in an escrow account until the fifteenth. Do you have a place to go? You could rent a hotel room for a couple of weeks until you find something.

Me

I might have a place to go. I was all set to move at the end of the month. I'll have to see if they're willing to move it up two weeks.

Tino

Ok. Let me know as soon as possible.

Me

Will do.

I looked at the time on my phone. "Shit. I'm late." I texted Miguel.

Me

I'm running late. Sorry. Big news. I'll tell you when I get there.

Miguel

Not fair, making me wait. I'll see you when you get here.

I grabbed my leather jacket and headed out. I couldn't believe my luck. This could really help me financially. Maybe I could even take that Harley certification course.

I pulled up in front of Miguel's apartment building less than ten minutes later.

Me

I'm here. Should I come up, or are you ready to go?

Miguel

Come on up. I'm still getting ready. Dwayne and Jason are here, so you can talk more about moving in.

Me

Good, because my big news affects them too.

Miguel

Now you're just being mean. Get up here.

When I got up to Miguel's apartment, the door was open, and Miguel stood there waiting for me. He wore a dark-red long-sleeve shirt with a short zipper in the front. His liquid brown eyes were highlighted with eyeliner and the barest hint of eyeshadow. He looked good. "What's this big news you have?" he demanded.

I blinked and then chuckled to cover up my zone-out. "Impatient much?"

"Of course I'm impatient," he said as he turned back into his apartment. I followed him and closed the door behind me. We went into the spacious living room, where Dwayne and his boyfriend, Jason, sat on the sofa. Miguel sat in one of the overstuffed armchairs in the living room, and I sat in the other. They all looked at me expectantly. I started to feel nervous, wondering if Dwayne and Jason would be willing to move up Dwayne's move-out date.

"So, what's this news you've got?" Miguel asked.

I told them all about the offer I got from Mr. Peterson's son. I finished by telling Dwayne, "And I can pay you back the month's rent you already paid for this place, plus your half of the security deposit."

All three of them stared at me. "That's amazing," Miguel finally said.

"And very generous of you to pay me back the full month's rent. You don't have to do that," Dwayne added.

"Sure, I do," I replied. "I'm inconveniencing you by asking you to move out two weeks early."

Jason shrugged. "Not really. Most of his stuff is at my place already."

Miguel held up his hands. "Tell you what. Let's split the difference and throw a big double housewarming party."

I was about to object, but Jason and Dwayne were smiling and nodding. "That's a great idea," Dwayne said. "I'm always up for a party."

I sighed in defeat. "Fine. It just can't be the first weekend of May. I have National Guard training."

"No problem," Jason said. "We can do it the second weekend of May. That will give us all time to get settled."

Miguel clapped his hands. "Good. Now that's settled, let's go. I'm starving." He got a light jacket from a closet by the door. "Come on. I'm craving pizza from Talula's."

I pulled out my phone. "I just have to text Tino to let him know it's a go."

Me

I can move by the 15th.

Tino

Fantastic. I'll contact the other lawyer.

Me

I can pay you for your time now.

Tino

No way. You're a friend of Marco's.

Me

Thank you.

I put my phone away with a sigh. "I don't get it. The guy doesn't even know me, and he's giving me his services for free."

Miguel held his apartment door open for me. "That's just how some family works."

I scoffed and followed him down the stairs. "Not mine, that's for sure."

He didn't say anything until we were in my car. He stared out the windshield as he spoke. "I think we all want our families to love us and always be there for us." He sighed softly. "But we forget our parents and siblings are just people. Sometimes they're great, and sometimes they suck. So, like I said the other day, we sometimes have to create our own families out of people who love us for who we are and will be there for us when we need them most. I get the impression that Marco, Sean, and Liam are like that. They decided we were family, and that was it. Now we have a whole tribe of people who have our backs even though they hardly know us."

He turned his head to look at me. When I glanced at him, I saw that his eyes were shiny. "It's just hard to give up the hope that my own family might someday be that for me as well."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just covered his hand with mine. I had long ago given up on my own family. I barely spoke to my mother. I hadn't spoken to my father in years. I never went to their apartment. I'd been making my way on my own for so long that it felt strange to have people willing to help me without expecting anything in return. "I hope you know you can count on me to have your back when you need me."

Miguel smiled. "I know. Same goes for me. I've got your back."

I gave his hand a light squeeze. "I know."