Jazz laughs. “No worries, there, big guy. I’m under no delusions that will ever happen.”
“As long as we’re clear.” I wink, before adopting a more serious expression. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I will be.” Jazz nods then tugs on my hand. “C’mon, you Neanderthal. Let’s get this over with so we can move on with the rest of our lives.”
Sounds pretty fucking perfect to me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
JAZZ
“Jasmine, it’s so nice to meet you finally.”
I shake Sandra, my new attorney’s hand. “You, too. Thanks for meeting with us. I’m sorry we had to keep rescheduling the appointment. It’s been a crazy month.”
She gives me a sympathetic smile. “No worries, whatsoever. Please, both of you have a seat.”
Kingston pulls out a chair for me before taking a seat. It’s been two weeks since our fathers’ deaths, and those two weeks have been a nonstop whirlwind. When the news broke of the FBI bust, Kingston and I were bombarded with media attempts to book interviews. Once my boyfriend not-so-kindly told them all to fuck off and threatened to sue their asses if they didn’t leave him, me, and Ainsley alone, they backed off.
The three of us just moved into the Malibu house, and I finally feel like I can breathe. Ainsley took the whole thing pretty hard, but as Kingston and I had predicted, Reed has been incredibly supportive. I think being in the new place will help all of us because we no longer have to face reminders of our demons on a daily basis.
Sandra opens a file and retrieves a few documents. She sets them in front of me with a pen. “As we discussed over the phone, Mr. Davenport was quite clear on what you were looking to achieve, but I wanted to hear it from you as well.”
I bite back a smile as I see Kingston frowning out of the corner of my eye. The boy doesn’t like it when someone questions him. When I take his hand and begin rubbing my thumb over his knuckles, his expression softens.
“Of course.”
“So, the paperwork you have in front of you is for the legal name change. I just need your signature by each marker, and I’ll file those with the court first thing in the morning. Since you’re a legal adult, there should be no reason it isn’t approved and processed in an expedited manner. Rivera will once again be your legal surname in no time.”
“Thank you.” I grab the pen and start signing my name by each tab. “And the other matter we discussed?”
“Yes, of course.” Sandra removes some more paperwork. “As I was telling Mr. Davenport, we will file a petition for partial custody, but I can’t make any promises, since there hasn’t been any proven abuse or neglect. The first thing the court will do is appoint a minor’s counsel. They serve as a neutral voice for the child, without compromising their rights, emotional well-being, or forcing the child to side with one parent or another. Or, in this case, parent over a sibling. Their mission is to find facts and keep the emotional component out of it. Whoever the court appoints to your sister’s case will make sure Belle’s health, safety, and welfare are a top priority when making their recommendations to the courts.”
“Good,” I tell her. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“That’s good to hear,” she s
ays. “Now, I like to be upfront with my clients and forewarn you that custody battles can get messy, take a lot of time, and the costs will undoubtedly add up. There are no promises that you’ll be granted legal custody or visitation. You’ll be fighting an uphill battle from the start considering you’re still in high school and don’t make enough money from your part-time job to support yourself financially. With that said, would you still like to proceed?”
“Absolutely.” I nod. “I need to try.”
Sandra smiles. “Okay, then. If—”
“I have a question,” Kingston interrupts.
“Go ahead, Mr. Davenport.”
“Would it help her case if we got married? California is a community property state, right? So, if we were married, she’d automatically be entitled to half my estate.”
My jaw drops. “Kingston! I can’t exp—”
Kingston raises his eyebrows expectantly at my attorney. “Well?”
She clears her throat. “Well, yes, that would certainly help. The courts like to see stability—both financial and within the family dynamic—when deciding whether to award custody. Although, community property only applies to assets you acquire during the marriage. Anything beforehand would be exempt.”
“But if we open a joint bank account, those are considered Jazz’s assets, correct?”
Sandra nods. “Correct.”