Page 26 of Feels Like Forever (Undercover Lovers #6)

RONNIE

“ H ow’s it going?” I ask Rory after coming back from dropping off a round of drinks to my regulars.

She’s seated near the bar at a high top of her own and is studying for an upcoming test in her online class.

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of finding a new normal and working together.

I offered to give Jude and Rory space, take a step back and stay at my place more, but that went over like a turd in a punch bowl.

Not only did Jude shut down the idea, so did Rory.

And while she would be glued to my side before this conversation, well, it became even more apparent that losing a person of any kind would do more harm than good.

“Math is hard, but pre-calculus, well, it’s harder. I’m thinking it’s trying to suck all the cells out of my brain.” She rolls her eyes.

“You could always ask your uncle or Zane. Both are ridiculously smart,” I suggest, not offering myself because the thought of those equations makes my stomach turn. School is not my idea of fun, and while I can help Rory in some instances, anything past algebra or geometry is out of my hands.

“I’m going to see how this test goes, then I’ll go from there. I’d like at least to see where I stand.” Rory takes a sip of her drink. She’s functioning on caffeine while getting through tonight’s study session.

“That’s fair. Do you need a refill?” I nod to her drink.

“No, I’m good. As much as I want to cram, I’ll eventually need to get some kind of sleep.

” She’s been going to therapy, has online sessions twice a week, and is taking an anti-anxiety and depression medicine.

We’re still toggling between the correct dosages.

The first week, she was a zombie, sleeping non-stop and seeming like all it did was dull everything.

Her doctor lowered the dose this week, and while she complains that sometimes the feelings are too much, it’s part of the grieving process.

One that’s going to take a very long time.

“Alright.” I squeeze her hand for a moment, then Rory abandons her work and engulfs me in a hug.

“In case I haven’t said it lately, Ronnie, thank you.

” I place my tray on the tabletop, wrap my arms around her, and hold her.

Times like these are what I now know are part of what Bobbi gave Rory.

The girl is a lover, likes to be held even if it’s holding someone’s hand.

She’s still mostly glued to my side, anywhere I am, she is.

Which is why she comes to work with me and stays until Jude makes an appearance, usually with dinner he cooked at home or something he picked up on the way.

He’s giving his sister what she wants and needs, and damn if any time we see a little bit of reprieve, something comes out of nowhere and knocks her on her ass.

Recently, it was a call from the district attorney.

They finally released Bobbi for us to lay her to rest. Rory made the decision, Jude paid for everything, and when she’s ready, we’ll do a celebration of life.

I suggested to Rory that we take some of Bobbi’s ashes and have a necklace made so she can always have a piece of her mom with her.

She fell in love with the idea. Jude wouldn’t allow me to pay, we had words, and the money came out of my account.

He’s learning there are certain things about me that I won’t concede on. Paying when I want is one of them.

“Honey, you don’t have to thank me. There’s no place I’d rather be.

” I kiss the top of her head. She pulls back, sends me a slight nod, and returns to her schoolwork.

I grab my tray and look around the bar, only to find I’m being summoned at the other end.

There’s always someone who needs a drink, and that’s why they’re here at The Social.

I get lost in work, going from one patron to the other, hustling back and forth, along with a new wave of customers that walked in, so I nearly miss Jude when I wrap things up.

He’s sitting with Rory, and he’s not the only one.

Zane is right there with them, and I can tell from a mile away that the two of them are scheming a plan, one I’m sure will be against me.

Jude’s been battling leaving me at the bar while he takes Rory home.

It means I’m walking out in the dark, and he does not like that.

Never mind I’ve been doing it for ten plus years on my own before Jude entered my life.

Plus, leaving Rory at the house by herself at two or three o’clock in the morning is absolutely out of the question.

I don’t care that Jude has the most top-of-the-line security system, I’d hate for Rory to ever wake up alone and be scared.

“Rory, how do you feel about working at the tattoo shop a few days a week?” Zane sks when I walk up to the table. I look from her to Jude to Zane, worried how this is going to play out.

“Um, I’ve never had a job before, and I don’t know a lot about tattoos, except that Jude is covered with them,” Rory replies.

“Zane,” Jude goes to interject. I’m about to shut him down, too, not my brother but Rory’s. This could be a really good deal for her, and it’ll help gain some independence every teenager needs.

“What? She may as well work. She’s here almost as much as Veronica.” My brother only uses my full name when he’s pulling out the big guns in order to get his way.

“I’ll do it,” Rory pipes up, a look of excitement on her face.

“Are you sure?” Jude asks the table. His arm bands around my lower back, pulling me into the comfort of his body.

“Yes, but maybe only a couple of days a week. The classes I’m taking are trying to suck the life out of me.” The girl is school oriented, has high hopes for her future, and has talked about going to college to become a doctor.

“That works. You can study in between calls or whatever. It’d be nice not to be interrupted every hour about an appointment or a walk-in needing this or that.

” Zane looks like he’s ready to pump his fists in excitement.

Meanwhile, Jude has a nervous energy about him.

I watch as he tosses back a handful of candy before placing the bag on the table, and Rory snatches it away to steal some.

The drawer in the kitchen has become a basket in the pantry where it stays filled to the brim.

"What do you know about tattoos?” comes from my bother.

“Not much. I know that Jude has a Fox on his heart he got at the rock festival he went to.” Then Rory proceeds to tell my brother a truth I’ve yet to tell Zane or Jude.

She noticed my ink when we went swimming recently and asked all the things.

I’m not one to lie, so I told her the truth.

“Rory got one, too. It’s of the moon phase the night she and Jude started talking and has their birth month flowers, too.

” Jude’s leg stops bouncing, and when I look over my shoulder, there’s a look on his face I’m all too familiar with.

“Motherfucker, you didn’t?” Zane tries to capture our attention, mine or Jude’s, but who really knows or cares. My gaze is locked on the man I love. While his ink is more of the obvious type, mine is understated.

“Shut up, Bungholio. It’s my body. I don’t have to always go to you or your artists,” I snap at him when I realize I need to diffuse the situation.

“Plus, do you honestly think Jude would ever let anything happen to me?” Zane closes his mouth.

In doing so, his eye starts twitching. Jesus, he’s such a pain in my ass.

I swear I don’t know which guy in my life is worse when it comes to their protective instincts, Jude or Zane.

Dad tries to act big and bad, but he’s really just a big ole teddy bear these days.

“Fine. I still don’t like it, but I’m sorry for being a jerk.” Oh, that really did hurt him to admit .

“Apology accepted.” I tack on a smile. Rory notices that I’m not mad at her. It’s my fault for not explaining the tattoo to Jude in the first place, and judging by the hard length of his dick growing beneath my ass, he likes that I’ve got a piece of him marked permanently on my body as well.

“I have some conditions,” Jude interrupts, breaking up the stare-off Zane is intent on having with me, even though he said his piece, and I forgave him.

“What’s that?” My brother slides his hand across the table, grabs the package of candy, and takes a few pieces. Jesus, instead of having an old-fashioned vending machine for cigarettes, we might have to bring one in for candy with this crowd.

“The cameras happen, inside and out, along with my security company manning it. You’ve got two women I love more than life in this building, and their safety is of the upmost importance.

” Jude is getting what he wants, which means he’ll have to deal with Dad, because it won’t be me trying to convince him to get with the twenty-first century.

“Done. What else?”

“No ink or piercings until Rory’s eighteen or I’m there with her.

” He points at Zane then his sister. “That includes using your puppy dog eyes on Foxy. I get that you’ll want ink and something pierced.

We’ll talk about it, write down the pros and cons, then we’ll decide together if it’s a good idea, yeah?

” There’s Jude’s protective side coming into the open.

“Okay.” Rory has already come to me, asking about a couple of ideas she has that she’d like to get. I’ve made a few comments, and without a shadow of a doubt, Jude will relent when she finally shows him the piece she’d like in remembrance of her mom.

“Good with me. The last thing I want is to lose my license.” Zane looks from Jude to Rory. “Sorry, kid.”

“No biggie,” Rory responds.

“What else, Jude? I’m sure there’s a list multiplying by the minute.” My brother isn’t wrong, but I already know what’s coming next. Jude’s hand skims to my lower stomach, teasing at a different kind of promise.

“You take Rory home, feed her the dinner that’s in the microwave, and stay with her till Foxy and I get home.” That isn’t what I was expecting, but I’m not upset about it, either.

“Alright, Rory, let’s roll.” Zane’s shop closed up a bit ago, and he’s been hanging out here instead of going home to sit around doing nothing in the silence of his house.

“Thanks, Zane,” Jude says.

“I’ll come say good night when we get home, if you’re still awake, okay?” I don’t want Rory to feel like we’re abandoning her. In the same sense, a night where Jude helps me close down the bar, and we have some time to ourselves, well, I can admit I really want it.

“Of course. I’m going to eat, study some more, shower, and call it a night anyways.

Remember what you tell me, Jude. Children last forever.

” Our table laughs. He also says there are other things that last forever, too, namely sexually transmitted infections.

If he’s trying to scare her away from boys, I’d say he’s successful.

We say our goodbyes, I go back to work, and Jude sits at his place in the bar, watching me every single minute until I close everything down.