Thanks for the reviews! Sorry for the lack of updates, the writings been slow lately lol Big thanks to Kupkake for betaing the chapter, even with being sick. You deserve a juice designed cookie lol or maybe some cherry pie. I do not own anything in this chapter, beside Savannah, everything else belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter 27

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Two months had passed since Juice moved in, and the two had finally settled in a routine. Living together was normal now. The couple was currently fast asleep in their bed. Juice had his arm wrapped around her middle, his hand holding her bare breast. His face was nuzzled into her neck, his snoring loud and obnoxious in her ear like it was every morning. She'd gotten use to it though.

She'd also gotten used to the feeling of morning wood pressed against her back every morning. The first couple weeks, their mornings had consisted of a round or two of morning sex, but the phase had passed after a month. Now that school was back in session, they both agreed they'd rather catch more sleep than tire themselves out with sex.

Being the morning person she was, Savannah awoke before the alarm clock and glanced back at the snoring man behind her. His grip around her was one she knew well. He had a late shift at the club the other night and she'd gone to bed without him. If she was gonna get herself out of this, she needed to distract him. How do you distract a sleeping man? Well, when said sleeping man was Juan Carlos Ortiz, it was simple.

Rubbing her ass into him, she felt him begin to stir. His hand on her chest moved to her hip, his bottom lip moving between his teeth. Rolling her eyes, Juice could be so predictable. Before he could start anything, she slipped out of bed, taking the sheet with her. Feeling the cold breeze on his ass, Juice stirred again, this time opening his eyes. "Such a fuckin' tease." He groaned, his voice laced with sleep.

Savannah couldn't help but laugh, wrapping the sheet around her as she grabbed her shower stuff. Living with Juice was a big difference from living with her parents and Jax. It felt . . . very grown up. She was living with her boyfriend. They worked and paid bills. Granted Clay paid for her housing, but Juice would give her his half for the groceries and everything else.

She was proud of herself. She was proving her mother wrong in a way. She could be something besides an old lady. She didn't have to marry a member if she didn't want to. Maybe she did have a future her in New York after all.

Looking over at the gorgeous, currently nude, man in her bed, she couldn't help but smile. She could picture a life with him. Juice would be graduating in just a few more months and soon they would be having a future together. It wouldn't be just school shit, they'd be dealing with real life problems too, as if they weren't already.

Grabbing a pair of her underwear, she shot him a wink before leaving to take her shower. "Don't you forget it, baby!" She called back, laughter filling the apartment soon after.

After her shower, she moved to the kitchen to start breakfast. Turning on the stove, Savannah prepared to make eggs like she did every other morning. It was a real breakfast kind of morning, where as some were just cereal mornings when both of them were too sleepy to actually bother to cook something. While she was waiting, she grabbed the little pill counter she'd gotten Juice and grabbed the right ones out of the Tuesday spot.

Once Juice was settled in the apartment, Savannah wanted to make sure he was healthy. He was fine, 'cept for his lack of medication for his ADD. No wonder he was a mess sometimes. She knew he forgot to take them easily, she found that out after the first week of the 'I forgots' and 'I'll do it in a minutes'. Now she had a glass of orange juice and his pills ready for him by the time he came out of the bedroom.

While she was working on the eggs, she heard the water from the shower turn on and knew Juice had finally gotten in to wash up after a long night at the club. By the time he got out, she had two plates of waffles and eggs ready. She knew their class started in an hour, and it'd take at least twenty minutes to get there. They had just enough time to eat before they had to leave.

Juice came out, wet but dressed for the day. Savannah looked up from the table and gave him a tired smile. Offering a cup of juice and his medication, she was hoping he didn't give her a long explanation of why he didn't need it again. Of course, she could only be so lucky. "You know, I don't really need these. I've lasted this long without them." He said, even if he swallowed them anyway.

He knew getting the prescription wasn't cheap, and he hated that she insisted on buying them for him. When he was on the streets, he could only spend money on the necessities, and his medication wasn't one of those.

She reached up, stroking his cheek. That didn't matter to Savannah. All she knew was that it would help him, that it made him feel better. That was what mattered to her. "Come on, we're gonna be late if we don't get going soon." She said, giving him a playful nudge as she started to eat her breakfast. Chuckling, he just shook his head as he started in on his food.

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Juice walked into the diner alone, Savannah was in her English class. He offered to pick up lunch for them and meet her back at the building by the time she was let out. He planned on taking her to Rockefeller for an actual date. He'd put away cash from his last two checks to be able to take her. He knew he could have spent it on better things, but he wanted to take his girl out for once.

She deserved to be showed off. Savannah Teller was beautiful, and she was all his. He should be able to take her out at least once.

Looking around the diner, he felt his insides twist with guilt when he noticed a familiar red head sitting at one of the booths. There was only one reason she'd ever come to this place, and it was because he'd called her. So maybe lunch hadn't been his only reason for coming, but that was the only one Savannah was going to know of.

Clearing his throat, he adjusted his coat and headed over. Glancing over at the counter, he hoped to god Mrs. P wasn't up front. She knew he was with Savannah. If she thought he was two timing her, which he wasn't, he was afraid of what she might do.

Mel caught sight of him and stood up, her red lips twisted in a smug smile. She had been ecstatic when he called, she knew he couldn't stay away for too long. He needed her, just like he always had and always would. No amount of new, young, tight pussy would take him from her. Not completely, at least.

"Juice, I was starting to think you'd stood me up." Mel said, holding her arms open for him.

The thought of touching her made him nervous. Not in the way one would think. With his luck, it'd be the moment someone would see and take in the wrong way. He couldn't refuse her embrace though, she was helping him. Even when she didn't have to.

Her arms slipped around him, pulling him against her chest. If he happened to let his eyes flicker down, he knew he'd be able to see right down her shirt. He stood tense when she inhaled him. She missed him, and he'd be lying if there wasn't just a tiny part of him that missed her too.

He loved her, he just wasn't in love with her like he was with Savannah. Something Mel didn't seem to want to believe.

Juice was taken by surprise when Mel's hands lowered to his ass and grabbed hold of both his cheeks. It wasn't even subtle, not that he expected her to be. From the smirk on her face, she was very pleased with herself. "Just as firm as I remember." She teased, giving him a wink as she finally pulled away from the embrace, being careful to leave the wad of cash in his pocket.

Just by the weight of it, he knew she'd given him too much. He opened his mouth to protest, demand she take some of it back, but she stopped him. "You need it more than I do. Besides, it's my ex's money. I don't mind spending it on something, someone, that's worth it." She said, giving him a sad smile.

It was times like now he remembered how heart broken she'd been after the split with her husband. He didn't know what to say. Usually when she gave him cash, he'd thank her in sexual favors, but that part of the relationship was finished. Done with, never to happen again. He wasn't going to touch that. Letting her still give him cash was bad enough, but he wasn't going to cheat on the girl he loved.

Knowing Mel, though, she'd push it as far as she could without crossing the line. Before he could say anything, she smiled and patted his cheek. "See you next month, Juicy boy." she teased, swatting his ass for good measure as she moved past him to leave the restaurant.

His eyes stared at the spot she'd just been for a long moment, his fists clenched at his sides as he fought the urge to just throw the money at her. He didn't want it, but he knew he needed it more than his pride would admit. Clearing his throat, he straightened and turned just in time to see the red head leave through the doors.

As if feeling eyes on him, his attention turned to the front counter to see Mr. P giving him a disapproving look. He hated disappointing the old man, but he had no choice in this matter. Letting out a heavy sign, he dragged his feet as he crossed the room to the counter. Sitting in one of the stools, he dropped his head into his folded arms. "I know what you're gonna say, and I know it's fucked up, but-but I have my reasons." He confessed, hoping to get this over with.

Mr. P let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head at the boy in front of him. He's seen this kid go from nothing to being on his way to amazing things over the last year. He was really focusing on his classes, he was working hard. Now he was eating well, sleeping just as good, and he knew that had to do with the little brunette waitress.

He didn't want to see it all go down the drain because of that damn devil woman. She'd done nothing for him but keep him from being great. "Listen to me, son. That woman, she's only going to drag you back down. I've seen how you've pulled yourself up this past year. You've started to become the man I know you can be. Don't throw it all away for-for her." He said, motioning to the door.

Running a hand through his hair, he didn't know what to do. He knew, deep down, Mr. P was right. He'd been on a good route lately. He'd managed to pull his grades up by the end of the semester last year, and his grades were already remarkably better this semester. He wasn't as tired, and he knew having his medication was helping.

But Mel was giving him the money he needed to survive. She gave him that extra kick to keep his head afloat. He could actually take Savannah out tonight because of Mel's money, as fucked up as that was. "You don't get it, Mr. P. I work here and at the club, and I still barely have enough to cover my half of everything with Sav. I want to be able to take her out, ya know? Be that guy that impresses her. I don't want her to think I'm a loser." He confessed to the older man.

He was hoping he understood, and by the knowing look, he did. He didn't like it, but he understood where Juice was coming from. He dropped a hand on Juice's shoulder, sighing as he met his eyes. "Juan, you don't seem to understand, you've already impressed her. You don't need that woman's anything. That girl loves you, that's all you need." He said, trying to get through to the stubborn boy.

"Then why hasn't she said it back?" He asked before he could stop himself.

He didn't mean to voice his worry, but he knew it was there. He'd said he loved her multiple times now. He understood her not saying anything that first night, he's kind of just dropped it on her, but it'd been weeks now and still nothing. "I told her I love her, Mr. P, a bunch of times, and-and nothing. She just ignores it. I don't get it, man." He said, the frustration clear in his voice as he ran a hand through his hair.

The old man didn't know what to tell him. Women were a mystery in how they thought. His wife was just as much a mystery to him as she was when they met. That was one of the many reasons he loved her. He could see this was bothering the boy he considered a son though. "I don't know, son." He said with a small smile. "But I do know that girl is crazy about you. When I look at the two of you, I see myself and my Maria when we were your age."

Juice didn't know what to say to that. He and Mrs. P had been together for years, they were still going strong too. That was something he wanted for himself. Was it going with to be with Savannah? He hoped so, but what did he know? Anything could happen. He was twenty four and she was nineteen turning twenty soon. They were kids, the thought of marriage for forty years wasn't even on their mind.

Giving the old man a small smile, he cleared his throat and shifted around. This conversation had taken a turn he wasn't expecting. "Well, uh, I'll keep that in mind, Mr. P." He said, clearing his throat again as he avoided looking at him. "I told Sav I'd pick us up some lunch to eat after her class. It-it was nice talkin' to you, Mr. P." He said, getting to his feet as he motioned Missy to come over so he could order.

The old man sighed, watching the younger one order his food. He was a mess, one that was just starting to get his life in order. He knew he thought he was doing the right thing, but he couldn't help but think this was going to blow up in the boy's face. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of Juice's shoulder again. The younger man tensed up, knowing he was going to get a lecture. "Son, just think this through. You don't need that woman. Savannah will be happy to just have you. Keep that in mind." He told him, hoping to get through to him before he left him to go back to the kitchen.

Juice stood there, not knowing what to do. He knew he was right. Taking the bags from Missy, he passed her the cash with a quick thank you. As he walked out of the restaurant, he held a heavy heart. He could do this. He could still accept Mel's help and keep Savannah.

Couldn't he?