“This is from me.” I didn’t feel the need to verify that it had actually come from Troian, who in turn had acquired it from the Rhodes family via a different than normal channel. “Use ithowever you need to, as long as it goes back into the center.” When I saw Claude about to recoil from the generous gesture again, I reached out and folded his hand over the check. “I won't take no for an answer, Claude.”
His features softened like butter left out on the kitchen counter, accepting the magnanimity I'd forced upon him.
“Thank you,” Claude finally nodded. “This will help a lot. We've been looking to expand the center and buy the space next door to make it happen. We might even be able to hire another counselor if there's any left.”
I beamed proudly. “Sounds absolutely wonderful.”
“You just happened upon this money?”
I shook my head. “Troian paid me back for the money he stole from me those years ago.” Claude had heard me rant and rave ad nauseam about the life insurance money we'd both been given once our parents had died that Troian had taken from me, so it was nice to not have to clarify and go into the nitty gritty of all the details again. “And I've spent the past couple days trying to figure out what I wanted to do with it.”
“I’m assuming this isn't all of it.” He said, holding up the check with a lazy laugh. “What else are you planning?”
"Oh, this and that." I smiled sheepishly, clapping him on the shoulder, mirroring his earlier action. “I’m gonna head out. I have a call to make.”
“Well thank you, Thayer.” He gestured the check between us. “Seriously, thank you.”
“Thank you for putting up with me all these years.” I smiled back.
Claude beamed back, waving a hand at me like it was nothing to sit and listen to me over the years, but the truth was it was everything to me. When Troian had first come back to Piper and I'd met Qwill, I'd been so messed up emotionally. Group had helped me find my way back to myself. They needed the money more than I did and I was happy to help.
As I stepped outside the community center and took in the clear sky and slight breeze of the day, I took a quick second to close my eyes and breathe in the fresh air. I was proud of myself for being able to do the things I'd put my mind to since I’d taken the time to assess what I wanted and what I wanted to do with the money. It felt like I was back in control of my life, especially after being taken by the Rhodes twins and had my entire autonomy shaken. I felt back in the driver seat and it made me feel powerful.
Opening my eyes, I whipped out my phone from my jeans and dialed the number I saved this morning before heading to the community center. I had one more piece of business to attend to before I could take a break and prepare for my return to the stage in a couple days.
The number rang exactly three times before a saccharine voice greeted me.
“Thank you for calling Gossamer Apartments, this is Ashley. How can I help you?”
“Hey, Ashley. This is Thayer Nguyen from Apartment 3B.”
“Oh, hello, Mr. Nguyen. What can I do for you?”
“Is Mr. Sheffield in today?” Just mentioning the landlord's name made my heart quicken as I thought about the last phase of my plan.
“He is.” Ashley said, curiosity colored throughout her tone.
“Great, is he free for a meeting this afternoon?”
Chapter 28
By the timeI made it back to my apartment, the sun had blinked itself to bed by disappearing over the horizon, setting Piper ablaze in the sky with it’s mix of oranges and pinks as night whispered itself into the air. It’d been a pretty lucrative afternoon for me and my head was in the clouds with elation. I was giddy as hell over the way my life was being set up going forward and I couldn’t contain the happiness that seemed to be pouring out of me.
When I heard the succession of knocks on the outside of my apartment door, I’d almost forgotten that Qwill had texted me and asked if he could come over today since he was off from work. I’d gotten the text while I had been meeting with Mr. Sheffield, the owner of the apartment building that I rented from, and I’d had to quickly send him a text back that I’d be delighted to enjoy more of his company.
Now that we were officially boyfriends, my insides felt ready to burst from euphoria, adding to the stockpile of adrenaline unleashing throughout my body since I’d been on the journey of setting up the next phase of my life. I had so much to tell the people in my life, and I was eager to eliminatetelling one person as soon as my boyfriend walked through my door.
Temporarily leaving my jumbled and hyper thoughts, I ambled over to the apartment door and checked through the peephole, confirming that it was Qwill before I pried the door backward. Qwill’s smile was there to greet me.
“Hey, beautiful.” Came his soothing voice, cutting through the space between us and embracing me, the feeling of his strong scaled arms wrapping around me in a womb of comfort. As I softened into the hug, he tilted his head and kissed my neck before pulling back enough to stare at me. “I missed you.”
My cheeks heated at the compliment and longing combo. “I missed you too. I have lots of updates to tell you.” And boy did I. Not only did I have to update him on all the money moves and life changes I’d initiated since we’d last seen each other, but as a storm of realization brewed within me, I had more than I initially thought to share with him.
A swell of emotions hit me then, still caged between my handsome boyfriend’s arms. Over these last few days, we hadn’t really communicated much, much less seen each other while I tried to figure out my next plan of action. Now that said plans were being set in motion or, more realistically, were closer to being finished than ever, I didn’t realize how supportive Qwill had been. Even the absence of him texting me and asking me if I was still okay, or allowing me the space to figure my life out, that fact wasn’t lost on me. This was a new relationship, for both of us, and not every person would have taken the time to allow the other person to go off the grid and extract the details of their life out and expect to return like no distance had passed between them. In that moment, surrounded by Qwill’s recognizable fresh water scent, I recognized how undeniably fortunate I was.
“Qwill, I want to start by saying thank you.” I started, feeling a lump forming in my throat as the sentiments started buildingupon each other, begging for me to release them through my tears or sobs or racked breathing. But I pushed forward, making them quiet themselves for the time being. “You’ve been amazing through this process of me trying to pick through the debris of my life and it doesn’t go unnoticed. I know how lucky I am to have you by my side.” I paused to place a hand over another black shirt that had become his usual attire. I let my fingers flex over the material, seeing in my mind the hot scaled flesh that waited for my touch underneath. “I’ve been struggling to figure out my life since we met, it feels like, and having you by my side through most of it has made it so much easier for me to find myself. I never would have realized why my previous relationships hadn’t panned out if it hadn’t been for you.” Tears tickled the rims of my eyelids but I begged them to be on their best behavior and to wait. “I’m so grateful and it means so much to me that you’ve been so understanding.”
Qwill’s features morphed into a sincere stare with ease. “Thayer,” My name on his lips, in that deeper than usual husk that was usually reserved for the bedroom went straight to my dick. He lifted a hand and cupped my jaw. “I’m the lucky one. I’ve always been the lucky one. Do you know how crazy it is for me, still, to wrap my head around the fact that my feelings for you are even reciprocal?”
