Wicked Things We Crave

Chapter Thirty-One

"So, this is it, huh?" Scott asked in an even tone as he looked around the currently empty house.

Jonah nodded as he stood by his former friend, arms crossed and surveying the house he hadn't seen since putting in the offer. "Yup."

"Never thought I'd see you live in the suburbs."

That was fair. Jonah wouldn't call himself a redneck, but he had lived what many would consider a more rustic sort of existence. A simple one. Still, this house was one that looked to the future when he'd more or less treaded water for the last how many years. "Never say never. Astrid loves it, and it isn't a shit hole, so I'm happy."

Scott kept his eyes forward, seeming to look at nothing in particular. "This relationship the two of you have... I don't get it, and I ain't okay with it."

"I'm well aware," Jonah told him dryly.

Scott let out a sarcastic sort of laugh. "Just let me get this out, you little shit." When Jonah nodded and remained quiet, Scott continued. "I haven't been able to think of much else since this whole thing started. I keep wondering if I should have seen it coming, or if I let the two of you get closer than you should have or needed to be. 

"After Rachel left, I needed help and you were there in a way most friends wouldn't be. Maybe that was the wrong move, and I should have just raised her myself and kept you in the background of her life."

Would that have changed things? Probably. On the other hand, if he'd only been in the background of her life for all this time, being just a regular godfather who sent her cards on holidays and babysat a few times, mostly being known as her father's best friend rather than hers, maybe he would have been able to accept the attraction to her sooner rather than forcing it in the back of his mind. 

"Then I wonder if all this shit was just meant to be. The universe put you in my path so you can find your way to her."

Jonah's head jerked in the direction of Scott, who's expression hadn't changed an ounce since the last time he looked. He never pegged Scott for a romantic; at the very least not where Astrid and Jonah were involved. 

"I'm going to love your daughter until my last breath, Scott. That's a promise. You might never be okay with us, and I can accept that. But I will take care of her."

"I know you will," Scott admitted. "You've always taken care of her and put her first. I ain't stupid. You've always had something special. You weren't just intelligent, you were street smart. Even my pop's said you were meant for bigger things than that shop, if only you'd stop sabotaging yourself. Once you started focusing on Astrid, you set out to fix your life. You could have done great things after that, but instead you stuck around and kept on living a simple life. 

"You gave up on a lot of opportunities in life to make sure she had more. Since you've always put her first, I know I don't have to be worried about you not loving her enough or taking care of her. But love isn't all it takes to make a relationship work. Just hope you know that moving here isn't going to make all your problems disappear."

Jonah knew that no matter where they went, their relationship wouldn't always be as perfect as it was now. All the big stages they were heading toward didn't erase the fact that the relationship was still new and in the honeymoon period. 

But he wasn't with Astrid because she was young, or because she made him feel young. He wasn't with her because she was perfect, or because the sex was second to none, which it was. He'd loved her since the moment she was born, and knew that sort of love lasted a lifetime. He also knew he was very much in love with her and all her imperfections. 

Jonah knew they'd face more challenges down the line. The thing of it was, they'd faced challenges side by side for years. Whatever life through at them, they would handle it together just as they always had. 

"Astrid and I are stronger together than we are apart. Whatever problems life throws at us, we'll get through them because we have each other."

Scott just shook his head and took an envelope out of his pocket. "Well, if you're done with the hallmark shit, this is for your half of the business. It's all I could scrounge up."

Jonah didn't bother opening the envelope, but did try to give it back, only for Scott to refuse. "I told you I didn't want a buyout."

"Well tough shit. Me not giving you something for it feels like you traded me the business for my daughter, and it's been bugging the crap out of me. Just because I don't like you right now and want to punch you in the face whenever I look at you, doesn't mean you didn't help build that business. You deserve something for that, even if you stole my daughter."

With great hesitance, Jonah nodded and shoved the envelope in his back pocket just as Astrid showed up at the top of the steps. "Aren't you going to come upstairs and see the master bedroom?"

Scott shook his head and began walking toward the kitchen. "I don't even wanna fucking think about the master bedroom."

Jonah couldn't blame the guy, since he fully intended on christening it, along with every other room in the house, as soon as Scott left.