11. Eleven
Eleven
Avery
I drop Roman off at the bar, his door is barely closed when I drive forward, eager to get away from him and his creepy friends. The smaller the neon lights of the dive bar shrink in my rear-view mirror, the more I relax.
I have no idea if I changed his mind.
Yesterday with Bane and Diego surpassed my wildest dreams. That’s why I called Roman last night and admitted that he’s the father. The cheap bastard was relieved we didn’t need to do a paternity test, but no matter what I said, he insisted on being in Bella’s life.
I cringe at the risk I took letting him in my car, of seeing him in person to talk sense into him. Sense. That’s a joke. I consider looking up a detailing center to have them fumigate it to remove every trace of him.
What if my plan didn’t work? Emotions well inside of me. I don’t want him to have any influence over Bella or to fuck up my new life. I pull into a parking lot to let my tears flow while I decompress.
Snatching my phone from the cup holder, I text Belova, my roller derby teammate who happens to be his sister. She stays as far away from him as possible, but I’m desperate.
Me: Need to talk. It’s urgent.
Seconds tick by like hours, but it gives me a chance to scream and get rid of some of my immediate anger. I need a confidante, someone who understands the mess I’m in. Belova’s been my rock, my derby sister, and the only person who knows how truly rotten Roman is.
I met Roman long before Belova joined the team. Why the fuck couldn’t that have happened in the opposite order? But then I wouldn’t have Bella, as Bane pointed out. At least now I understand that Roman was insistent about her name because it was close to a family name.
Belova: My place or yours?
Relief washes over me as I let her know I’m on my way.
I pull up to Belova’s house, barely remembering the drive. She meets me at the door and walks me to the couch where I collapse. The weight of the day crashes down on me as I look at her fancy home. She’s yet another of the derby girls who hooked up with guys from the good MC that Bane and Diego belong to.
“What happened, Avery?” Belova asks, sitting beside me, her voice soft but urgent .
I take a deep breath, the words tumbling out in a rush. “I confessed to Roman that he’s the father. I thought that being faced with actually having to accept responsibility, he’d back off.”
“And he didn’t?”
I shake my head.
“I’m so sorry, Avery. He’s never wanted a child.” Belova sighs, her grip on my hand tightening. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Let me know if you have any ideas to scare him off.” My laugh falls flat.
“Honestly, I can’t image him taking Bella. Or if he did, he’d bring her back the second she cried.”
“Or pooped.” My laugh is heartier this time, even though I hate the thought of leaving Bella with him for even a second.
She laughs with me then gets serious. “So how’s the nanny job going? I hear those guys are part of the MC. I’ve never met them though.”
I nod. “The nanny job is great. They’re doing an international expansion of their cigar shops so they haven’t been active in the MC lately.”
Belova throws her head back. “Ugh. Are you going to make me pry it out of you? The guy from the shop? Is that working out too?”
I nod. “I’ll tell you after I get home and explain Roman to them. ”
“They don’t know? Shit. We’ll all vouch for you, just say the word. If they’re worried at all, we’ll get them to come around.”
The drive home is a blur of anxiety and dread toward my own execution. I stop at my brothers’ house to nurse Bella, and they agree to keep her a little longer. I’ve never been away from her for so long. But I want to talk to Bane and Diego with as little distraction as possible.
Facing my moment of truth, I pause at the front door to the home I hope to call my own, my hand hovering over the knob. I can hear Bane’s voice inside, tense and angry.
If he’s already upset about something, I can’t bring up Roman. My heart pounds as I push the door open.
Bane stops mid-stride and abruptly ends a phone call as I enter. He crosses his arms and his eyes blaze with a mix of anger and hurt. “Where have you been, Avery?”
I told him I was running errands. I swallow hard, my mouth dry. “I had to take care of something. What’s wrong? Did something happen to Evie?”
He steps closer, his voice dropping to a low growl. “Evie’s fine because I go out of my way to curate who comes into her life.”
“I know.” This doesn’t feel right.
“So do you want to tell me what you had to take care of today? Why you met with that piece of shit?”
Guilt washes over me. How did he find out? “Bane, it’s not what—”
“Then what is it, Avery?” he snaps. “Because from the way I see it, you need to pack your bags and never set foot in this house again.”
Before I can respond, Bane is out the door. I rush to the nursery. Evie is gone. Her diaper bag is gone. I don’t even get to say goodbye.
Sinking onto the floor, I’m crushed. Has he completely closed me out?
The front door opens and closes. Pulling myself together, I stand and look down the hallway.
Diego spies me and says, “Get in here. I just got off the phone with Bane. We need to talk.”