59. Leilani

In less than a week, Hockey House needs to be empty. And so does Rachel and Mikayla”s little apartment down the road. Hayes Carmichael was going to double their rent. No more special deals for friends of the family.

The Carmichaels have been hardline and unrelenting. It probably doesn”t help that the police arrested their son a few days ago and charges have been pressed against him. Asher”s parents have stepped up with their lawyers, and I”m so incredibly grateful.

I got to tell them that this weekend, when we flew to New York for a two-day visit.

At first, his mother was overly cautious of me, and I spent the first meal being grilled like she was searching for a chink in my armor. But I obviously said all the right things, because by the time dessert was served, she was telling me how brave I”ve been and that Asher was right to stand up for me the way he did.

After a day on their boat, sailing along the Hudson River, I was assured of their support, and Asher was being complimented on his fine taste in women. I didn”t love being referred to like I was an aged bottle of wine, but his father just talks that way, and I can live with it for Asher”s sake.

He”s come from such an upper-class, structured lifestyle that I”m sure the chaos of my upbringing would be too much for him, but it was nice to catch a glimpse of the world Asher grew up in. It definitely helps me to understand him on a deeper level.

And I won”t lie… there are serious perks to dating a rich man.

Not that I”m with him for his money, but it is a fine, fine life that I could quickly get used to.

Yeah, Asher”s not interested in joining the family business, and although he”ll probably get a chunk of start-up cash from his trust fund, he”ll still be on his own, making his way in the world. But that doesn”t mean we can”t tag along when his parents take off to Europe… or we can”t enjoy some fine dining or a free night in one of their hotels.

Making love on silk sheets… yeah, I could get used to that.

We flew late Sunday afternoon tired but happy… until we walked into his man cave and realized how much stuff Asher still had to pack. I”ve been helping him as best I can. He still doesn”t know where he”ll be living, and that sick uncertainty is vibrating throughout the entire house. They”ve been looking at rental properties in the area and trying to figure out how much they can afford.

It”s not much, and their quest to stay together is looking futile.

The thought is bringing everyone down, and packing has kind of stopped as we all dribble into the dining room after class on Monday.

We sit at the table, nibbling on bowls of chips and popcorn as the late afternoon rolls around. No one”s talking, and Baxter”s probably reveling in it. He stares at his plate, his nose twitching while Fezzik sits at his feet whining. The puppy soon gives up and tries to beg for scraps from Casey, who”s the softest touch of us all.

He breaks a chip in half and feeds it to the pup.

“So…,” Ethan starts but then sighs and shakes his head.

Mikayla gives his forearm a squeeze, her smile sad until her phone starts ringing.

She jolts, snatching for her device and nearly dropping it in her haste. She reads the screen and her face lights up as she looks to Rachel. “This could be it!”

Her best friend lurches forward in her chair and then chases her out of the room as Mick disappears to answer the call.

“What”s up with those two?” Asher asks.

Ethan and Liam share a perplexed frown, then shrug.

It”s obviously bothering Liam more than Ethan. The guy scratches the back of his head, turning in his seat and straining to catch Rachel”s eye as she hovers in the archway, watching Mikayla pace to the front door and back.

Her voice starts pitching with excitement, and then she lets out a squeal.

Ethan winces. “What the fuck was that?”

Rising from the table, he”s about to go investigate when Mikayla shouts, “Thank you! I love you too!” then hangs up and starts happy dancing.

“What are you doing?” Ethan calls across the room.

She laughs, hugging Rachel and practically skipping into the room.

“What is with the squealing?” He crosses his arms and frowns at his girlfriend.

“What?” She gives him a coy smile. “I squeal.”

“Not like that.” He smirks, and her face blushes pink as she laughs at him. “This is a different kind of excitement, okay?”

“So, what”s going on?” Liam looks to Rachel, and the smile that crosses her face is brighter than the sun, I swear.

“Well…”