This Is Forever (This Is, #4)

by Natasha Madison

“Yes, I have bumps and bruises and scrapes, and I have nothing in my retirement fund, and the only thing I can afford is the bare minimum, but”—she takes a deep breath—“I will never let Dylan live one day thinking that any of this is his fault. He asked about his grandparents once, and I said they lived too far. When he’s old enough, I’ll tell him the truth, but hopefully, his life is going to be filled with so much love in his heart that he won’t even care.”

family that people dream about. You love and support each other, and when push comes to shove, you guys go to war for each other, and well, then you have me. It’s just me and Dylan, just the two of us.” I cry now. “But I love him so, so much. I didn’t think I could love someone this much. I wanted to run and give him a chance to find someone better.” I look down. “You protect the ones you love. And I love him with everything I have to give, which isn’t much.”

“He’s stubborn,” I say, laughing. “And annoying.”

She laughs. “Let’s go.” She looks around. “I would take whatever you want to keep. You are never coming back here again, and that’s coming from me, and if I have to, I’ll tell Cooper.”

“So it’s the whole family that is like that.” “It’s a Stone thing,” she says, laughing, and for the first time in this apartment, I laugh with a full heart.

“Oh, shit,” Matthew says, and I look at what he’s looking at, and I see that Caroline is charging into the arena with my mother following her. “This doesn’t look good,” he says. “I know that walk,” he continues. “It’s not a good walk.” “I think she’s charging,” I say under my breath, and I see Caroline look around. When she finally spots me, I smile at her, but all she does is glare. “Oh, I definitely know that look,” Matthew says. “Just say you're sorry.”