Jodee

Chapter 23 - Responsibility

But there was one person who recently showed up in her life who I know damn well would do anything to fuck me up.

I shrugged. "Not exactly,"

"You think fuckingTobias went to Cairo?!" Caleb exclaimed. "You have got to be fucking kidding me. He would never have the balls to go that far. And he doesn't have the connections to know about Soltani either way,"

I shrugged, making a small noise with my mouth. "He's willing to go far."

Tobias Chambers

My deadbeat father who thinks he can come back into Jodee's life. I've been dealing with him for the past couple of months since he filed an FL-300. And he was really starting to make me pissed off. 

An FL-300 is a Request for Order Form which basically asks for a judge to make a different decision regarding the custody of a child.

My father didn't really put up that much of a fight when I filed for custody of my little sister just as I turned eighteen. This was because he pretty much hates her — or did when we were younger — so he wanted her gone as soon as possible. I wanted both of us gone as well so it worked out. Due to this the courts gave me full custody pretty much right away and he's been fine with it ever since. 

Or so I think. 

He hasn't made any actions against my custody or even reached out to contact my sister or me since we left seven whole years ago.  

But now he's attempting to gain custody back. Steal custody from me. I'm not sure if he wanted full or willing to settle for partial. But I guess it doesn't matter because I'm not fucking okay with him even being able to look at her. 

That's why I've been meeting with Richard Stephens who was a child custody lawyer. He is one of the best out there and would insure I would keep Jodee under my guardianship. I had known him for a few years now and kept him as a back up just in case. But now was the time for him to prove his reputation to be true. 

There was no way in hell I was going to make my little sister go to foster care or stay with our father for even a second.

I knew that sometimes kids had to change homes or be taken away from their guardian while the court was battling the case. But for me and my little sister ... That wasn't an option. I wouldn't let that happen. No way in hell! 

Realistically I didn't even want to go to court for this, I hoped to settle it outside of court with my father — which is what Stephens was trying to do right now. But Tobias is being difficult as he always is and doesn't want to back down from this fight. I'm not going to either. I'm not afraid to go to court because I know I would win. I always won.

"Yeah, but you know Tobias doesn't have the balls for that," Caleb shrugged. "Besides Stephens on it. We probably won't even have to go to court.

"He's pushing back," I growled.

My father wasn't giving up. No amount of money I had offered him has gotten him to back down and pull back his request.

I don't know why he is doing this but I have a hunch it's just to punish me for whatever I did this time. Or maybe for what I did a long time ago. He knows that I love my little sister a lot and that I would do anything for her. And I absolutely hate him for abusing that part of me. I didn't think I could hate him more than I did seven years ago when I left, but here we are.

"It's gonna be alright, Ace." My best friend consoled me, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "No jury in the world will think that sorry excuse for a father deserves custody again. No one — besides he's too damn poor to afford trial,"

I grunted, nodding my head and finishing the last of my whiskey in one big gulp.

"We should go to bed. It's been a long day," Caleb declared, whipping his hands on his jeans and standing up. "Don't worry too much. It'll all turn out okay." 

I nodded my head, placing the glass back on the table. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Caleb pulled a face, whirling around to see if I was joking or not.

"I'm sorry," I repeated, sincerely, looking him dead in the eye. "I shouldn't have blamed you ... for what happened ... with Jodee,"

"Oh!" Realization dawned on his face, changing his features completely. "It's okay. I get it, you're protective. We're good now, remember?"

Caleb and I stared at each other a minute longer before he grinned in reassurance and made his way to the door, pushing past me and walking in the direction of the stairs. It was midnight already so I wasn't going to be far behind him. 

A/N - Now we finally know why that custody lawyer was at the Chambers house! Do you think Tobias will get custody? Why does Ace hate his father so much? But Caleb and Ace finally settled their argument (that has been going on forever). 

Fast update because you guys are the best and I was feeling super motivated! :)