Choosing Happy

Chapter Sixteen

By the time the police are done with their questioning and I'm allowed to leave the hospital, Joey is like the walking dead. The anxiety of waiting for everything to happen, and then the fear of watching Dylan get shot was bad enough. But the added hours of wondering if I'd be arrested for attempted murder or forging art or any of the other crimes we committed this afternoon was too much for him.

It's after midnight when we climb into the back of a cab and head home. I pull Joey into my lap, holding him against me while I check my phone. I turned it off when the police first started asking me questions but now I need to know what's happening with everyone else.

Allen sent one text. Phil says thanks for the paintings. He's gonna enjoy looking at them while he fucks me.

Douche.

Matty sent two texts. Spencer said Dylan is being released tonight. What about you?

The next text was sent an hour later. Seriously. Should we bring bail money?

I quickly respond. On my way home. We'll talk tomorrow.

I want to write a more heartfelt message but anything else could end up as evidence at some point so I keep it light.

Then I see the text I've been waiting for all week. Bobby sent it around nine thirty. All debts are cleared. Take care of yourself and your boy.

Joey is asleep in my arms as the tears I'd been holding back finally fall. It's over. His nightmare has ended and maybe we can begin to live our dream... together.

The cab driver clears his throat and I realize we've stopped in front of my house. Without moving Joey from my lap, I lift my ass from the seat and pull my wallet out of my pocket.

When I open the door, Joey wakes up and climbs off my lap. He leans heavily on me as we walk in the front door and straight up to the bedroom. For the second night in a row, we don't have sex. We just fall into bed and hold each other until the warmth of morning shines in and wakes us up.

"Is it over?" Joey's voice is quiet but even as the first words of the morning leave his lips.

My body is curled possessively around him. "It's over."

He locks his fingers between mine and rubs a circle on my wrist with his thumb. "How do you know for sure?"

"I got confirmation last night. You are a free man." I give him a squeeze. "You can go anywhere. Do anything. You don't owe anyone anything. It's your choice. You can choose anything."

I don't let the fear that he'll leave me crack my voice. He truly is free and if he wants to leave the area or just leave me, I'll support him in every way.

"I can do anything?" He rolls over, still locked in my arms. He's got a devilish smile on his face that makes my morning wood grow even harder.

I have to grin at his expression. "Yes, anything."

"Does that mean..." He tilts his head up and softly bites my scruffy chin, pulling back slowly so we can hear the scratching sounds. "You'll do anything I ask?"

Oh shit. My mind immediately goes to the swing. As hot as that thought is, I don't want our first time to be in a fucking swing. Pun intended.

"Maybe." I take his lower lip into my mouth, sucking and licking it before dragging my tongue across his teeth and releasing. "Depends on what you ask for."

Joey moves so he's straddling me. His perfect ass cheeks snuggling my hard cock. "What if I asked you to..." He rocks his hips forward and back across my shaft as he tugs one of my nipple rings with his teeth. "Make love to me."