14. Fourteen
Fourteen
Bane
Avery fiddles with her purse while staring out the passenger window. Bella coos from the backseat. The weight of responsibility settles on my shoulders, a burden I’m grateful she’s letting me take on. My heart swells with a level of love and protectiveness I never thought I’d feel again.
I pat my hand on hers, wishing that she’d worn the engagement ring we took her to pick out, but she didn’t want to do anything that might provoke Roman. One step at a time. I get it. But Diego and I also came up with a backup plan in case Roman needs more incentive to walk away.
“You okay, Baby?”
Avery nods. “But if our plan doesn’t work, then what?”
“I’ll be by your side the whole time. I won’t let anything happen.” Checking the rear-view mirror, needlessly confirming that Diego’s right behind us, I add, “Diego will be out of sight, as you requested, just in case Roman tries anything.”
Avery glances over her shoulder .
“And regardless of whether he wants to stay Bella’s father legally, we’re both committed to protecting you and Bella.”
The car falls silent, save for Bella’s soft coos. My mind wanders to the memory of how mad I was at Diego for hiring a nanny without talking to me first. To the moment Avery walked in and everything I thought I understood about life become unclear. To being able to realize that in order to honor my late wife and give our daughter the life she deserves, I had to open my heart again.
As we turn into the parking lot for the park where Roman agreed to meet us, I clear my throat. “No matter what, we’ll make this work.”
Avery puts her hand on the door handle, then turns to me. “Remember, we have to get him to admit he doesn’t want parental responsibilities first. If we bring up adoption before that, Roman’s ego might get in the way.”
“I’ll do everything according to the plan. That’s why I’m facing Roman with you, not Diego.”
“He’s definitely better suited for backup.”
We share a laugh and get out of the car. As I take Bella out of the car seat, she starts to fuss.
“She’s probably hungry,” Avery murmurs, settling onto a nearby bench to nurse.
I stand guard, scanning the area for Roman’s arrival. When he finally shows up, his eyes narrow at the sight of me. Avery was right that I couldn’t wear anything tied to my MC. My presence in a t-shirt and jeans is enough to piss him off.
“Who the hell are you?” he demands.
“I’m here to support Avery and Bella.” I keep my voice level.
Roman’s gaze flicks to Avery and the nursing baby. “That’s my job, but she’s been a bitch about it. Has she mentioned that she hasn’t even let me see the kid?”
Diego would come unhinged about now. I stick to the plan. “She’s gotten me up to speed. You want to play a role in Bella’s life. We’re here to sort out exactly what that means.”
“It means I’m her fucking father. Avery needs to come to grips with that and move in so we can be a family.” He motions to Avery. “What’s with the bullshit of hiding the kid under that blanket?”
Roman reaches for the blanket but I shove his hand away. If he refers to Bella as the kid one more time and keeps cussing, it’ll be hard to stick to the plan. Avery warned me I’d have to bite my tongue.
“I’m not hiding her. I’m feeding her. And stop cussing.”
As if on cue, Bella finishes nursing.
Instinctively, I reach for Bella while Avery regroups. The milk-drunk baby settles into my arms, and I turn to Roman. As much as Avery and I hate to let Roman touch Bella, even for a second, we agreed that we have to. I seize the moment. “Maybe you should hold her.”
“Give me my damn kid. ”
“Language.” Avery nods, confirming she’s still on track with our plan.
He steps forward, arms outstretched awkwardly. The moment Bella’s in his arms, she starts wailing. Roman panics, slinging a string of cuss words.
“What did you do to her?” he accuses Avery. “She hates me!”
“She doesn’t hate you.” Avery hands him a burp cloth. “Babies cry. She needs to be burped. Put this on your shoulder, then pat her back.”
Roman shoves the baby back at Avery. “I ain’t doin’ that shit.”
Avery and I relax a little.
“Fine.” She settles Avery on her shoulder, patting her back.
“That’s why you gotta move in, do all the mom things.”
As if Bella understood our plan, she poops.
Avery deftly pulls a pad out of the diaper bag, sets it on the table, lays Bella on it, and hands Roman a diaper.
“That’s the mom shit I ain’t doin’.”
Avery makes quick work of the diaper change. “Roman, I’m not moving in with you.”
“I’ll take you to court, force you to bring Bella to my house.”
“You have every right to do that, but I’m still not moving in. Did you listen to anything I said the other day? Did you buy any of the baby stuff I showed you at the store?”
“Fuck no, that shit’s expensive. Just bring yours.”
It’s killing me to stay on the sidelines, but Avery’s got this. She’s the fiercest Mama Bear ever.
“It doesn’t work like that. The court won’t give you time with her if you don’t step up.”
“You’re the bitch not steppin’ up, not even telling me you got pregnant.”
“I won’t the be the first parent to raise a baby alone. Besides, I didn’t think you wanted a baby.”
“Not a baby, a family.”
I’m not sure what fucked-up reality he lives in that he can separate the two.
“Sometimes a baby’s the extent of the family. Do you really want to do this?”
“Come on, baby. We were good together. You looked good riding bitch, parading around as my arm candy.”
My fists ball for roughly a million reasons. But Avery was right. One step at a time. She knows him all too well, and is whittling him down.
“Can’t really do that with a car seat.”
Roman paces, dragging a hand through his hair. In a wildly strange way, I feel sorry for the guy. Avery was his. He made a baby with her. And he lost her. That has to hurt. But it’s a hundred percent on him as to why he lost her. If he’d made any effort to be a better man, Diego and I might not be engaged to her .
“Look, I’m not asking much of you, Roman. I just want you to leave us alone. It’s the simplest role ever.”
“What the fuck. You just used me as a sperm donor?”
“What—”
“Not on purpose.” Avery cuts me off. “Neither of us wanted this to happen, which is why I’m asking you to walk away.” She finishes with Bella’s diaper, expertly using the tapes to package it into a tidy ball.
“Nah, I seen that shit. You’ll be hittin’ me up for child support. Rob me blind and I don’t even get the perks of tappin’ you.”
I lose it, squaring up with Roman, but quickly lower my voice. “Get it through your fu—freaking skull that Avery doesn’t want anything to do with you.”
“Let’s take it down a notch.” Avery throws the dirty diaper at us. Roman bobbles it, but the second he realizes what’s in his hands, he drops it and jumps back. I grab the diaper and toss it into a trash can.
Avery continues, “You don’t have to worry about me ever asking for child support. What I want is for you to give up your paternal rights. You’ll be free from any legal commitment to Bella ever.”
“What, so this fuck can raise my kid? And I bet he’s fucking you, that’s why he’s here. You roped him in to scare me. But you know what, I’m not scared. ”
Shit. Avery was right about his ego, and his lack of intelligence.
Roman keeps ranting. “And I’m not that easy. Sperm donors get paid. What’s my sperm worth to you?”
Avery’s mouth drops open, but I touch her shoulder gently. “I’ve got this.”
I pull a thick envelope out of my back pocket and extend it to him.
“What’s that?” Roman asks.
Avery looks at me with equal curiosity.
“Take a look. I hope you’ll agree it’s a fair price for your… sperm and your signature to give up legal rights.”
Roman rips the envelope from my hands and thumbs through the hundred-dollar bills.
“It’s ten thousand dollars.”
He holds up one bill after another, as if confirming they’re real. “Is this a scam?”
“Money’s yours. Either use it to outfit your house with proper baby items, or use it to walk away.”
Roman lets out an evil laugh. “Suckers, you played right into my hand. You got the paperwork? I’ll sign it right now.”
Avery looks at me as if she can’t believe what just happened. Honestly, I can’t believe he went for it so easily either. And there’s not a brain cell in my head that thinks this was his plan, but I let him have it.
Avery flusters, then says, “I don’t have it drawn up yet, but I’ll get it to you.”
“Deal. You dumbass motherfuckers. Let me know if you need me to shoot any more dollars outta my dick.”
Avery cringes. “I’m good for now.”
Without another word, Roman strolls to his bike. We wait for him to ride away before meeting Diego at the car.
Diego rushes to hug Avery and Bella. “That went well.”
“You should have told me you were going to do that. But thank you.”
I join their hug. “Anything to get him out of your life.”
Diego adds, “We were prepared to give him a lot more.”
“Seriously?”
I step away, open the car door, then the glove box, revealing more envelopes.
Avery hands Bella to Diego, motions for me to get out of the way, and grabs one of the envelopes, flipping through the hundred-dollar bills. “How much were you prepared to give him?”
“Whatever it took. He may be able to put a dollar amount on his sperm, but you’re the real prize. You’re priceless.”
Avery smirks and hands me the envelop. “That makes me two P things?”
“What?” Diego and I ask simultaneously.
“Priceless and pregnant. ”
As Diego quickly pulls the two of us into an embrace, careful not to squish Bella, he plants the shortest kiss ever on Avery’s cheek, then keeps his face turned away. I’m sure he’d deny it, but I saw his eyes get a little shiny.
“Best feeling ever, isn’t it Diego?” I kiss Avery’s cheek and rest my forehead against hers.
“I’m officially a dad, hell yeah!” His voice cracks. “I love you so much, Baby—as in you, Avery, but also you, baby.” Diego sniffs as he pulls back and rubs the back of his hand over his eyes before lowering it to Avery’s belly.
“You’re the dad? How do you know you did it?” she asks.
“I just know. And even if I’m wrong, nobody’s going to tell me this baby isn’t mine.”
I can live with that. “Agreed, no matter who the father is, we’re all in this together. I love you, Avery. Let’s go home to celebrate.”
A mischievous grin crosses Avery’s face. “Or, we can drop Bella off with my brothers since they’re already watching Evie, and we can head to the shop and try out some cigars.”
Why would she suggest that? “That’s too much like work besides, you’re pregnant—”
Diego stands from putting Bella in her baby seat. “Trust me, she’s going to show you the fun side of cigars.”