Undefeated (Unexpected Book 5) (34 page)

This is fucking crazy. That’s a lot of money I have no use for right now. Mac’s earlier text reminds me exactly what it could be used for. A big house. We have to talk. I have to make her understand. This shit between us has to work. It has to. After signing the dotted line, I take a picture of it to make sure I remember how much they’re depositing.

“I received the songs, but you didn’t sign the contract.” He pushes yet another piece of paper in front of me. “You did specify that you want your music paid as royalties, which takes a long time, but since you have a nice cushion that shouldn’t be an issue. Writing can be done from anywhere; your contribution to the foundation can be financial only. We’re not kicking you out, but if you ever decide to move back to Oregon with your girl and the kids, that’s cool too.”

I nod, reading the quarterly schedule and opting to donate a percentage to the foundation. Chris and Gabe plan to sit down with me and explain what their foundation does and what I can do to help.

“Any news about Mac and the kids?”

I shake my head. “Thank you for everything, though,” I say, bobbing my head. “For letting me show your parents that I’ve changed.”

“As long as you keep yourself clean, we’re cool.” He extends his hand. “Good luck with everything.”

After I’m done with him, I head to the academy to talk to AJ.

“I’
ll be outside.” Mason comes out of the office after I knock on the door. He gives me a glare and exhales. “You know better, don’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know better, Mason.” I clear my throat and step inside her office.

AJ sits behind her desk, surrounded by blue-gray walls covered with musical pentagrams. It’s a song, and as I follow their order, I realize it’s one of the songs Chris wrote for her when she was a baby.

“That’s sweet.” I point at the wall. She shrugs, her eyes smiling as they follow the walls. I’m sure she’s playing each note along with the lyrics as she reads through them. Probably with a guitar riff, as it’s the way Chris would play it for her.

I did that a few times with Harper and Finn. Composed a couple of melodies just for them that I played at night before they headed to bed, or while they were playing in the backyard. Finn loved it; God, he loved anything I played. That kid could sit by me for hours and just mumble along with me. I miss my girls, but I miss him more. He was my little shadow.

“It reminds me how much my parents have always loved me,” she explains, pulling me back from Portland where I left my heart. “It’s fitting too, because he taught me what I know—to love music and live by it. He continues doing so with his grandchildren.”

“How many children do you have?” She lifts a frame. I walk closer and take it from her. It’s a picture of her holding a baby. Mason is hugging her with one arm, and a beautiful girl, who looks just like AJ, is on his lap smiling down at her baby brother. “She’s a cutie, what’s her name?”

“Gracie; our baby boy is Seth.” She takes the frame back. “They’re an amazing handful, but we love them so much.” Kissing each one of her loved ones, she puts the frame back where it belongs.

“How are you, Port?” She sits back, sinking into her chair and looking at me.

“Good. I’m doing well, AJ, and you?”

“Busy with the school, home and my family,” she says, looking at her children again.

“Following your dreams?” She nods. “Having your music school, planning on a big family with five to seven kids?”

“No. That’s it for us, I can’t have any more without risking my health,” she explains. “Maybe we’ll adopt, hire a surrogate, or just be happy with those two. I’m sure my brothers will fill their houses with more. Then again, people change. Life changes and they might not want to have more than they do right now. How about you? Career? Family?”

“If I hadn’t fucked up you’d have James,” I let it out of my chest. I place a hand right over my heart. “I’m so fucking sorry for every single thing I did to you that hurt you and for the things you never found out about. The moment I began using was the moment I began living a double life. You were what kept me grounded, but then I didn’t want to be grounded and my mind just wanted one thing. Drugs. Everything I did had one purpose—feed the need to consume them.”

“You were sick,” she says, I nod agreeing with her.

“That doesn’t make it right,” I tell her. “Nothing that I did was right just because I was sick. It explains the behavior, but I should still be accountable for everything. The way I treated you when you told me about James. Fuck. I wish I could bring him back to you, that you could hold him at least once.”

“It wasn’t you or your reaction towards him that caused me to lose him,” she sniffs, pulling the sleeve of her sweater up to clear her tears. “My body needs a lot of prenatal care before I’m able to get pregnant and carry a baby to term. Yes, your behavior was shitty and fucked up and I hated you for a long time, but one thing had nothing to do with the other.”

“I was a prick and the worst boyfriend,” I accept my faults. “In my head, everything made sense. What happened on the tour stayed there, therefore, I had a hall pass. Once l looked deeper into my behavior, I wanted to punch the hell out of myself. It was a lot of monkey-see, monkey-do.”

“Peer pressure,” she concludes, I nod. “The past doesn’t matter as much as the present and the future. Apply what you learned and find the right way for you. Are you finding that way?”

I nod. “Yes, and thank you for helping me with it. Thank you for being the amazing person you are and opening the doors of your school to begin my journey.

AJ smiles that smile that she shows when she’s about to learn something new. The woman in front of me looks different, but I see so many traces of the girl I met long ago. My friend. The person who held my hand and helped me discover who I was.

“What can I do to repay everything that you did for me back then?” I ask instead of sharing Mac with her. “To fix everything I fucked up.”

“You’re making my parents proud, that’s a good start,” she responds. “They love you and they want to see you succeed. Help the foundation, find a way to catch the future Porters and make sure they don’t stray. Find happiness, your own little family. My parents found that grandchildren are the best; give them some more. That’ll make up for a lot, Porter. It’ll prove me right.”

She thoroughly confused me and I cross my arms waiting for her to explain. “That you’re a good person, that you’re smart and a hard worker. That you’re a Decker.”

Oh fuck, that last part makes me cry. Shit, it shouldn’t because I’m supposed to be a man and be strong but being called a Decker is fucking huge. More praise coming from AJ. Because out of anyone in this world, I have hurt her the most and still she’s opening her heart and her family to me, and even if it’s only to exchange holiday greetings, I can die tomorrow in peace. But I hope not, because there’s a little family I’m in love with and want to spend the rest of my life with.

“Stop crying because you’re going to make me cry, Port,” her raspy voice claims, and when I look at her she’s already crying. Fuck. “Why don’t you tell me about the girl, is she nice?”

We spend some of the time discussing Mac, but I don’t go in too deep. Instead, I start talking about the school and her plans for me. Of course, I can only change the conversation for so long before Mac comes back to take the front seat. Once I’m finished, AJ is frowning.

“Bring him. Bring Finn in,” she says. “We can help him here.”

“You know what he has?”

She shakes her head. “No, but I have people to diagnose him and therapists to help him. Maybe it’s only the trauma of losing his father, but it can be something else. Early intervention is what will help him. You’ve done great, Porter” she praises me and smiles. “Bringing him back with music was an excellent idea.” She pulls out her phone, taps it and Mason enters the room.

“You okay?”

“The family. He has a family, that’s why you agreed, wasn’t it?” AJ asks Mason who nodded.

“Part of the reason why, yes. The lady he lived with talked about some man who was part saint, part Channing Tatum.” He laughs. “That’s how she described him. But yes, Dad and I realized that maybe, maybe he had changed. I still had my doubts.”

“You talked to Molly?” I question as Mason shakes his head.

“I sent people to run surveillance and a thorough background check,” he says. “Sorry, but as I said, I couldn’t let you near us if you posed a threat.”

He makes sense and I understand his role within the family. Just like I get that Matt and his husband make sure everything works in order. Jacob and Pria do the administrative stuff. Thea and AJ, along with Chris and Gabe, do the nurturing. The family works like a well-oiled machine filled with love. I don’t know if I’ll be able to fit in, but I’m glad that in some way I’m a part of them.

“Well then, I know I have to start working, so do you have a schedule for me?” I want to see if I can go to Portland before I start working, but I don’t want to push my luck.

“Yes, you start next Monday afternoon, but I’m hoping you’ll shadow this week.” AJ takes out a sheet from a folder. “Your paperwork has been filed. I outsource that part to Tristan’s HR company. They have all your information already. Encrypted, I swear. No one will come and ask you for a boob-tograph?”

“A what?”

“That’s what Mattie calls when a woman wants you to sign their breast, boob-tograph.” I shake my head thinking about that woman that wanted her boob signed and then look at my schedule.

“I want to go back to Portland this week. Try to work shit out with Mac.” I scratch my head. “Find oud if I need to lease a bigger house.”

“Call us,” Mason responds. “I’ll hook you up with something and send a moving truck.”

“Careful, I might think that you like me.”

He shakes his head, “I tolerate you, maybe in a few years I might like you.”

AJ raises her hand and I narrow my gaze at her because the gears inside her head are spinning fast, I can hear them. “Springing shit on Mac like
I’m buying a bigger house, live with me, etc.
might not be the best move. Romantic in a sense, but not if she isn’t ready. Can I make a suggestion?”

I smirk at her. “Sounds like experience is taking over.”

“Yes, there’s some life experience attached to my suggestion,” she agrees, and it’s clear to me that she’s talking about the time I picked her up from her dorm after freshman year and moved her into a big ass house without asking for her input. “Let her finish her journey, find the closure she needs. Fuck, after everything that happened to me I didn’t get into any serious relationships for five years.”

“That’s a long time.” I whistle falling deeper into the chair, then straightening up. “Your suggestion sucks.”

Turning to look at Mason, I dare to ask, “Any wisdom coming from you, Mason?”

“Shut up and listen to the wife,” he orders. “If you want to catch the girl, you have to join forces with the Deckers. They’re devious. I’ve seen them work magic. How do you think I got
my
girl?”

I’m sure there’s a story behind his statement and maybe someday it’ll be fun to learn how Mason Bradley had to find a way to get AJ over a beer, but for now, I listen to her suggestions.