Fighting a New World

26

Ryder's POV

Taxes.

How on fucking earth had I managed to forget about taxes?

Everything else was so perfect.

I had managed to find a job, get insurance, and make some decent money all before the hospital bill was even due but when I get my last pay check of the month my heart broke. It was a measly 75 dollars but it was enough to ruin my day.

All that planning and budgeting has gone to waste all because I forget you had to pay taxes with a real job. When I was on the street I didn't have to worry about them since I technically didn't work to begin with so they just slipped right past me while I was budgeting.

It was only 75 dollars, I'm sure most adults wouldn't bat an eye at that, hell I could have made that in one night before camp, but that meant everything to me.

The new problem was, I didn't know where I was going to get this last little bit of money.

Sure, I could ask any of my boyfriends for the money and they would be happy to give it to me, but after everything that happened with Liam, I know they would just take it the wrong way. They would think I had been lying to them when I really hadn't.

I wasn't lying to them, I was just wasn't ready to tell them about her until I knew if she would pull through or not. If she wouldn't then I didn't want them to feel the grief that would come by loosing her, and if she did pull through then none of this mattered because she would still be alive and that's all that mattered.

That and these past few days have still been tense. Carter was still kind of mad at Liam but it was really just frustration towards Jem. Liam was having 'secret' breakdowns until one of us figured out what was happening and talked him out of it. Jax and Callum were upset but were trying to get over it quickly for everyone's sake; clearly they were trying to be the mediators of this whole thing.

So if I couldn't turn to my boyfriends, and refused to go back to the street, what else was there to do?

I suppose I could give the hospital what I had and then beg for a bit of an extension on the rest but would that really work? We've never been late on a payment, even before camp so that would probably work, but would I do about next month?

I honestly didn't know what to do anymore.

"What's the matter babe," Callum asked as he sat down on the couch as pulled me into his lap. "You look like you're about to cry." Concern shone through his eyes as pulled me impossibly closer while a hand buried in my hair.

I only shook my head against his chest as I stared at the TV, which was on the nature network. Carter would never admit it but this was his favorite channel so if we were watching cable, this is where we were at.

"Well there's clearly something wrong," Callum demanded. "You've been home for an hour and we're still watching cable even though Jax bought you home some new movies yesterday."

"It's nothing," I mumbled with a shrug. Callum stiffened below me before a scowl worked it's way onto his face.

"Why is everyone lying this week," he grumbled as his arms loosened. "If you're going to lie to my face at least have the courteous to put effort into it."

"Nothing's wrong babe, I'm just really tired. The shop was really busy today so my social battery is pretty much shot." That wasn't a lie. It actually happened so it wasn't actually as lie.

Callum seemed to believe it at least a little bit since he sighed and eased back on the couch, his arms tightening around me again but he said nothing else for a while.

"Wasn't Jax supposed to be home a while ago," I asked after a few minutes of slightly awkward silence.

"Carter called me on the way home and said that Dayton was making him stay late. I don't know when he'll be home. I'll go ahead and give you a heads up though, when he and Liam finally get in, they are getting punished for yelling and making a scene the other day." I can't help but frown.