Not Us: Cash & Devin

Chapter 25

Cash's POV

It had been the craziest six weeks of my life. Devin and I went on dates at least twice a week, and I became Calen's temporary guardian while CPS worked with him and his mom to try to get him to be able to go home safely. That was the goal—the goal for CPS and Viviene. Calen had other ideas.

Calen made it clear, if I would take him in on a more permanent basis, that's what he would choose. I asked if he was sure he had no other family, and he swears that his mom said she had no one else in her family, other than him. I'm suspecting they either cut her off, or she cut them off. I had mentioned DNA testing to Calen to see if he wanted to find any potential other family, but he said he wanted to think about it.

I turned my office into his bedroom for the time being. Devin had been going through all her stuff in her apartment and decluttering, or purging, as she called it. She graciously offered some space for me to work in there, while Calen was staying with me if I needed it. It felt like a step forward. In the direction I wanted to go. Into something more permanent. Because that's what I wanted. Permanent. Forever. I want that with her.

It was a learning curve for both of us, but he had no family that we knew of and if I didn't take him in, he was going to go into foster care, and I'd heard horror stories about what happened in some of those places. I didn't want that for Calen. No way. So, I took him in. And we'd been getting along really well. He was coming out of his shell more. Doing a lot around the apartment. He asked Devin after staying with me for two weeks if she'd teach him how to cook. So, they made dinner every night and breakfast on the weekends. They would look on Pinterest or TikTok to find the newest, craziest, simplest, or tastiest recipes. The most recent one was a chicken alfredo garlic bread. It was so tasty, and Calen even said he thinks he could make it again by himself if we can maybe buy a rotisserie chicken and keep it in the fridge. Cooking was their thing. Devin loved it. And I did too. Seeing her patience with Calen and explaining things step by step with him. I could see her doing that with our children.

And I wanted them. If she wanted, then I did too. I want to give her as many as she'll let me give her. I want to see her belly swollen with my babies. Fuck. Why was I always turned around this woman?! I swear, she gave me a constant boner. I'm surprised I was able to stand up most days without showing everyone in the room just how attracted to her I am at any given moment. After a date night, we would try to be as quiet as we could when we'd fool around, but we waited until Calen was playing on the PlayStation most of the time. He couldn't hear too much with those headphones on. And we did it at her apartment. To minimize the noise. Because I couldn't get enough of her. And she wasn't exactly complaining.

We got a sitter for Calen until we cleared it with the CPS caseworker that he was okay to be left on his own for a little while in order for us to go out. He was mortified when one of the seniors from school turned out to be his babysitter. He said she was 'really cool about it' and even started to be friends with him at school and introduced him to her friend group. She told everyone they met in her building, which isn't wrong because she lives two floors up from us. I think he's got his first crush, personally.

Devin and I have a date tomorrow night, and Calen asked if he could invite his sitter over, as a friend this time. I wanna say yeah, but I also feel like this is something I should get Devin's opinion on. I was a teenage boy once, but it never hurts to get a second opinion.

Devin's POV

We were getting ready for movie night at my place tonight. It was our Thursday night tradition if we were going to be going out Friday night. We wanted to have time together, but we also wanted Calen to have time with us too. "Do you think it would be okay for Calen to invite, Drew over?"

When did we start to become so domesticated? And who would have thought Calen would have been the one to bring it out of us?

"Drew his sitter? To hang out as friends?" I asked. Because, I could see the crush in Calen's eyes, but I could also see the friendship in Drew's eyes. She saw him more as a little brother than a 'guy'.

"Yeah. He wants to invite her over while we're on our date." Cash was watching me, seeing what I thought about it.

"Well, I think it's fine as long as they stay in the main living areas. Like, no going into your room or his room with her. And you've got the security system."

He nodded, thoughtfully, "I just don't want to do anything that could come back to bite us with CPS or anything."

"Then maybe we have a stay date? We all go out and get take out? Or we order a bunch or take out and then do movies and shit in the living room and we all hang out?" That suggestion made him pause and he seemed to really think about it.

"I think that would be for the best. At least until we get the okay from his caseworker." I smiled at him. He really is thoughtful and thorough in all of his actions. Calen was setting up in the living room, making sure there were enough blankets, pillows, and his sleeping bag where he usually fell asleep halfway through the second movie.

"Do you think we could set up a popcorn bar if you guys do that?" He asked, startling Cash a little. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. "I want to ask her tomorrow. I know the varsity football game is tomorrow, but maybe she'll want to hang out with me?"

"I'm sure she would like that. You're welcome to invite her as long as Cash is okay with it." Calen looked at Cash hopeful that he'd say yes.

"Sure." Calen went running for his phone, easily jumping over the back of the couch, and snagging it off the coffee table.

"We should think about track or something for him. He'd be a great hurdler," Cash said as we watched this boy, who was slightly taller than me. Cash carried his bowl and Calen's bowl over to the table and I carried the drinks. Calen came back in to grab my bowl and we all settled in to watch whatever Calen picked.

"It's an action flick on Prime, called 'The Beekeeper'. It's supposed to be really good. It has Jason Statham in it too. He's so cool."

Cash pulled me in to snuggle and share a blanket with him on the couch. This was a good night. Hopefully, tomorrow will be just as fun.