Page 30 of Rolling with the Single Daddies

“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…spermand 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 lethim 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?”

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