Inked by Everly Drummond Read Free Book Online

wave crashing again st the shore. For two hours he’d sat in his car in front of Avery’s building trying to get up the nerve to ask her out for coffee, and now, less than a half an hour later, he, Brody Duncan, billiard player, country music lover, and collector of all things vintage, was a father. Brody placed a steadying hand on the back of the sofa as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
    “Are you okay?” Avery asked, suddenly noticing the gray pallor of his face. “You look a little pale.”
    “I’m fine, but I could use one of those.” He pointed to the empty beer bottle sitting on the coffee table.
    “Help yourself. I’m sure you can remember where the kitchen is?” Avery looked at him knowingly, remembering the initial panic and shock she’d felt when the doctor told her she was pregnant. She had nine months to get used to the idea of having a baby, but Brody had no advanced warning what-so-ever. Avery couldn’t even begin to imagine was he must be feeling, and for the first time in almost five years, she wished she’d told him sooner rather than having him find out this way.
    Brody made his way towards the kitchen in a daze, his feet dragging sluggishly across the linoleum floor, and feeling like a lifetime of uncertainty and responsibility had been placed on his shoulders. Opening the fridge door, he took a beer from the shelf and cracked it open but not before noticing how lacking the shelves were. Aside from a quart of milk, a half eaten salad, and a six pack of beer, the fridge was practically empty. Brody then gripped the handle for the freezer and opened it. Two frozen pizzas and a pack of hotdogs were the only items occupying the icebox. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair and shut the freezer door. What in the hell was she feeding the kid? Not kid, Brody reminded himself, my son. Snagging two more beers from the fridge, he made his way back into the living room just as there was a knock at the door.
    Avery peeked her head around the corner of the entrance to Parker’s bedroom and whispered, “Can you answer that? There’s a twenty in my wallet. You can use that to pay him.”
    “Alright,” Brody mumbled, but ignoring Avery’s request, he pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket and peeled off a twenty dollar bill. He opened the apartment door and was greeted by a scrawny looking teenager holding a large white box. “Pizza, of course.”
    “That’ll be fifteen bucks.”
    “Keep the change,” Brody growled, and handed him a crisp twenty dollar bill. Returning to the living room, he found Avery sitting cross legged on the sofa holding an iPad in one hand while motioning for him to take a seat beside her with the other.
    Brody set the pizza on the table and sat down beside her. They sat in silence, staring at each other and both wondering where to begin. Standing out in the hall, a million questions had come to mind, none of which he could remember as he sat there surrounded by toys and pictures in frames that depicted a happy family, one that didn’t involve him. Why had Avery never told him about Parker? God damnit! He had a right to know.
    “Brody...”
    “No, let me start.” He shifted sideways on the sofa, all the better to look her directly in the eyes when he demanded answers. “Why didn’t you tell me, Avery? I had a right to know that I have a son. Why didn’t you want me to know? Now, because of your serious lack of judgement, I’ve missed time with him that I can never get back thanks to you.”
    “I told you...” she began, but Brody’s harsh voice cut her off.
    “Don’t give me the same bullshit excuse that your life was complicated. Everybody’s life is complicated, Avery. That’s a piss poor excuse if I’ve ever heard one.”
    Brody was right. She had no right to keep him from Parker, but she had, and the very least he deserved was an honest explanation. Avery waited for his anger to dissolve and the redness to dissipate from his cheeks, and