Page 5 of Breakout (Walker University #3)

four

I wake up slowly, wrapped up in Beckett’s arms.

“Good morning,” he rasps as he lays kisses along my shoulder.

“Morning.”

His arms tighten around me, making me smile. I can’t help but laugh and attempt to shy away as his five o’clock shadow hits me just right.

“Did that tickle?” He chuckles.

“No,” I lie, making Beckett hum. “I’m going to be tired today,” I say, changing the subject.

“Me too, but last night was worth it.”

“It was,” I say softly.

I know something happened last night before he came over, I just don’t know what.

Every time we have sex, it’s intense, but last night was something else.

If I asked him what happened, he would probably tell me, but that’s not the type of relationship we have.

We have rules in place for a reason, rules I insisted on.

As necessary as they are, though, I hate them.

We broke one last night, though. After a night of marathon sex, I didn’t have the heart to make him leave like I usually do. Not when he could barely keep his eyes open. Add that to how upset he seemed to be, and I was a goner. So I made an exception.

Just ask him what was wrong, I think to myself.

“What—” A pounding on the door cuts me off.

“Were you expecting anyone?” Beckett grumbles.

“Not that I know of. Maybe Cora?”

“Nah, she would have told you, and she has a key,” he says as he gets up.

“Where are you going?”

He looks over his shoulder as he slips on a pair of gray sweats. “To see who’s at the door, what else?”

“But I was warm. Just come back to bed, I’m sure it’s someone who’s at the wrong door.” I might not like the cuddling afterward, but since I made an exception, I was going to bask in it.

“I guess we will find out,” he says as he walks toward the door.

Groaning, I flip the covers over my face and hide.

Okay, universe, I’ll take it as a sign that I shouldn’t break the rules.

“Hey, can I help you?” I hear Beckett ask as he steps out, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door is mostly closed, their voices become a muffle, so I burrow back under the covers.

After a few minutes, the door opens.

“Hey Pey, you need to come here and bring your ID.”

So much for staying warm.

“One minute.”

Huffing, I get out of bed and grab his T-shirt off the floor. I slip it over my head and make my way over to the closet. I grab the first sweatshirt I see and slip it on. At the last second, I grab my wallet from my bag.

When I step out into the hall, I find Beckett standing at the door with his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. My eyes shift from him to the stranger standing in front of him with a manila envelope in his hand.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“Are you Peyton Anderson?” the stranger asks.

“Yes…”

“Can I see your ID, please?”

“What’s going on?” I mutter as I open my wallet and pull it out.

“This guy has a letter that only you can accept,” Beckett grumbles.

Once the guy verifies I am who I am, he hands me the envelope. “Could you sign this?”

I sign the form he places in front of me with a pen. Then I hand it back.

“You two have a nice day,”he says before walking away.

“This is weird, right? Like who would send me a letter I have to personally accept? The only mail I get is junk mail and bills.”

Beckett opens the door and ushers me back inside.

Beckett shuts and locks my door before turning toward me. “I guess we will find out now, won’t we.”

While Beckett takes a seat on my bed, I pace as I open the letter. A law firm’s letterhead jumps out at me when I start to unfold the piece of paper. Piper & Sons Law Office? Never heard of it.

Ms. Peyton Anderson,

I am reaching out to you today in regard to the reading of the will of one Matthias Anderson.

You have been named as a beneficiary in his will.

It is customary that the heir comes into the office for the reading.

Please call to set up a time for your appointment.

We look forward to hearing from you, and we are very sorry for your loss.

Sincerely,

William Piper, Esquire

“What the hell?” I mutter, frowning.

“What is it?”

I hand the paper over to Beckett and let him read it for himself.

I’ve never heard of a Matthias Anderson, so this has to be a mistake.

When my parents died, the state looked for a living relative for me to live with, but none was ever found.

Not only that, but my parents never spoke of any other family members.

This has to be a case of mistaken identity, right? Is there another Peyton Anderson running around out there? Or maybe the guy just had shit handwriting, and they guessed my name was the one written down?

This has to be fake. Or wrong.

I can’t help the little surge of hope in my chest, though. The idea that maybe I am not all alone in this world. I squash it, though.

If it’s true, then why didn’t they step up when I needed them? Why did my parents never speak of them?

No, I have zero family. This is all a mistake.

“I thought you didn’t have any family,” Beckett says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I glare at him. “I don’t.”

He cringes. “Sorry, that sounded meaner than I meant it to.”

“It’s okay. No harm, no foul. What do you think, though?”

Beckett frowns as he looks down at the paper. “My guess is it’s a scam. One that looks legit, but one nonetheless.”

I agree with him. It has to be a scam or a mistake. There’s no way this is real.

Right?

“But what if it isn’t?” I say, the words slipping out of my mouth.

“Well, I guess you could call and set up an appointment like it suggests, but I wouldn’t give them any personal details over the phone.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m not a complete idiot.”

Beckett’s eyes soften. “You’re not an idiot at all. I just don’t want anything to happen to you. Now are you going to call or what?”

Taking a deep breath, I snatch my phone off my nightstand and grab the letter from him. Quickly, I dial the number before I chicken out. When it starts to ring, I put it on speakerphone so we can both hear what’s said. Beckett reaches out and pulls me toward the bed, forcing me to sit next to him.

“Piper & Sons Law Office, this is Mary speaking. How can I help you?”

“Hi, Mary. My name is Peyton Anderson, and I just received a letter from you regarding someone’s will. I think I received it by mistake.”

“Oh, Peyton! We’ve been waiting to hear from you. I can assure you, dear, that it was not by mistake. We here at Piper & Sons are so sorry for your loss. Matthias was a wonderful man, and he will be missed. Now, when would you like to come in? Mr. Piper has an opening in two days at noon.”

“Sure, that will work, I guess.”

“Now, I know that you are almost an hour away, so if you run into any trouble, please let us know.”

“Okay, thank you, Mary.”

“Of course, sweetheart, I look forward to seeing you soon.” She hangs up the phone before I can say anything else.

“Well, if it’s a scam, then it’s awfully elaborate,” I say as I drop my phone onto the bed.

“Are you actually going to go?”

“Yeah, I think I am,” I tell him softly.

Beckett places his hand on my thigh and squeezes. “Then I’ll go with you.”

“What, why?”

A crease forms between his eyebrows. “Because I’m not letting you walk into this without backup. It’s sketchy as fuck, Peyton.”

I jerk back in surprise and push his hand off my leg. “You aren’t letting me?” I scoff. “Last I checked, you don’t get a say in what I do.”

I want to cringe at how I snapped at him, but I’m feeling insecure right now. My nerves are frayed with this new development. I’ve never had anyone to rely on before, and that won’t change now.

“I didn’t mean it like that, and you know it,” he groans.

“No, I think you did.” I fold my arms over my chest.

He sighs, taking a different approach. “Come on, Peyton, do you blame me for being concerned? This isn’t normal.”

“I think it’s time you leave,” I say as I stand.

“Peyton…”

“No, Beckett, it’s time for you to go. I have to get ready for class.” I turn and walk to my closet and start pulling out clothes.

How fucking dare he. I’ve been taking care of myself for years. Is it sketchy? Yes, but I can handle myself. The same way I handled myself when my foster brother tried to get handsy with me. Or when one of my eighth-grade teachers tried to fail me because she didn’t like me.

It’s always been me against the world, and it always will be.

I don’t need anyone. Not some family that didn’t exist until this moment and not Beckett fucking Hayes.

I tense as I feel him walk up behind me. My eyes shut as he kisses the back of my head.

“This isn’t over,” he says softly.

“It is.”

He sighs. “I’ll see you later.”

When the door clicks shut behind him, I sigh.

In the silence of the room, I realize how alone I truly am. All the tension drains from my body, leaving my body sagging as I fall back onto my bed.

I can handle myself. I always have, but that doesn’t mean I want to.

Shit, maybe he’s right, and I should let him come with me.

I won’t, though. I can’t. If I start to rely on him, then I will develop feelings for him. Feelings have never done me any good.

Peyton, we are going to adopt you. We will love you forever.

The brief flashback to my first foster parents enters my head unbidden. The words were pretty. I wanted them to be true.

Too bad Cynthia found out she was pregnant three weeks later. They had no need for a foster child after that. They sent me on my way with the clothes on my back and a lesson.

You can’t let your heart get involved. It will only cause you more pain.

So I won’t rely on Beckett. I can’t.

I refuse to let anyone into my heart.

The pain isn’t worth it.

I tap my thumb on the space bar of my keyboard as I stare at my phone. I should be working on a paper for my investment management class, but my mind can’t concentrate on why I believe the fictional company would be a good investment. Instead, like usual, Peyton is taking up all my thoughts.