Page 39 of Irons

“Daddy said that during their private time and you shouldn’t have heard it. It’s like a secret you’re not supposed to know, let alone repeat. Okay?”

She rolled her eyes then nodded yes. When he let go, she looked up at me. “You pwetty, but not as pwetty as my mommy.”

Travis sighed then pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath then looked down at her. “Addie, you’re on a roll tonight aren’t you?”

Addie stood with her hands clasped behind her back and nodded real big.

“Oh, thank God, there you are.” Drakos walked into the room as he looked down at Addie.

Addie giggled as she pointed at him. “You taught dat girl was reawy looking at you. You too easy to twick.”

Drakos reached for her hand. “Come on, the other kids just arrived so I’m supposed to take you to the bowling alley.”

I looked at Travis as they disappeared out of sight. “I’m not sure if she’s a phenomenon or an anomaly.”

He chuckled. “Both.”

Better

Travis

It felt nothing like I expected. The moment my eyes met hers was too intense to feel anything but excitement and pure joy. I wasn’t sure if the way she looked at me gave me the greenlight to go to her, or if it was those same overwhelming feelings I had for her as a kid. All I knew was the Wrenly I saw didn’t hold an ounce of pity in her eyes the way they did the last time I saw her. All I saw was the way she used to look at me when she reminded me she loved me all those years ago.

If someone asked me how it felt to wrap her in my arms, I’d have a hard time trying to explain it in a way that made sense. We were just babies when we last saw each other, but in those days I was a glutton for punishment. Each and every time I disappointed her, hurt her feelings, or took our friendship for granted killed something inside me, but today one touch brought those parts of me back to life. The longer she let me hold her in my arms the more healed I felt. I spent over a decade trying to heal myself. It took a long time to realize what happened to Bobby wasn’t my fault. I also had to let go of the anger toward my parents and I had to accept Tony’s death wasn’t my fault. I was in the process of trying to do that when I saw what happened to Bolton. Something else inside me died that day, and after over seven years I was still trying to work through those feelings. Most of the anger left inside me wasn’t toward my parents and grandparents, it was the residual effectof what happened to Bolton. I faced a lot of trauma in my life, but nothing compared to that day.

I let go of her and gave her another quick once over, trying my best not to let my eyes linger on her curves or the swells of her gorgeous breasts. I opened my mouth to speak, but was cut short when Steph walked in with the prospects who were all carrying food.

“Let me help.” Wrenly jumped in and took an aluminum pan from Steph, ending the few moments we had to ourselves. It was probably for the best because I was about to tell her how absolutely fucking gorgeous she was, and likely would have made a fool of myself. It took me a moment to shake myself out of whatever trance she put me in because it didn’t feel like I had the strength to jump in and help.

I couldn’t help but glance at Wrenly every ten seconds as she helped lay the food out. I made myself busy by helping the prospects carry in the food. As time went on, more people arrived, and fucking Axton walked her and her old partner around to introduce her to the people she hadn’t met yet. I was being a selfish and jealous prick because I didn’t want Axton near her. There was no warning that seeing her again would feel that way. I wanted every second of her time as mine, and if I would have known years ago how seeing her again felt, I probably would have went back home. I spent years and years trying to forget my best friend, but it never worked. I thought of her every single day I was away from her. I went as far as to convince myself that she only pitied me and moved on with her life like I was barely a thought from her childhood. I always dreaded the day I had to come face to face with my childhood. Maybe I didn’t have faith that my healing was as complete as I thought. I was wrong, looking at Wrenly only brought back the best feelings I knew from the past.

I caught her glancing at me a few times, and every damn time I went to talk to her, Axton was right fucking there, like he was trying to cock block me. He had no fucking clue about our past. I knew Magnus all too well to think he told my story. If only Axton would stop and think about the things I shared about my past, he would remember who she was and what she meant to me. We obviously knew one another, so why the hell was he hovering so damn much? It wasn’t like I was claiming her as mine, but it sure as hell felt like he was claiming her as his. Being the person I am, I just let it go. Wrenly was my friend, and I was not going to play his game. I never competed for a woman, and that wasn’t going to start today. I was a soldier, and I never let my feelings determine my actions. My friends didn’t know Wrenly and Bolton were the reasons I didn’t have casual sex anymore. I already struggled as a young man when I looked at a woman and saw my young friend in her eyes. I knew she was someone’s little girl and remembered how hard Clint had to fight for his daughter. Then after what happened to Bolton, I really struggled. Drakos always fucked with me about my sex life, and I never had the balls to outright state my problem. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t get hard for a woman I didn’t know. I needed that emotional connection to have the physical ability to have sex. Between Wrenly being on my mind every single fucking day and the memories of all that blood coming from Bolton, I was incapable of it. I might have gotten lucky on a few occasions, but the woman was never able to get me off. I gave up and only had sex while in a relationship. Unfortunately, my job made it hard to stay in those relationships.

I went to the bar and asked the prospect for another scotch. I felt a slap on my shoulder then looked over to see Magnus. He gave the bartender a nod as he set his empty beer cup on the bar.

“I didn’t tell them anything. It’s your story to tell, but it’s not like they couldn’t figure it out if they put the puzzle pieces together.”

I gave him a nod then glanced at Wrenly. She was talking to Bolton, but then I saw Morgan waddle in carrying two pies with Melissa hot on her tail. “Here we go.” I warned Magnus just as the prospect put my drink in front of me.

He shook his head. “Dammit, I told her no more pies until after the babies. That is the most stubborn woman alive, I swear. Don’t ask me how she found the time to bake them, I thought we weren’t telling her until the last minute.”

“We’ve got what, six weeks left until it’s over?”

He took a swig of his beer then swallowed. “Five weeks and three days if she goes full term. Yes, I’m counting down. This morning, she sneezed and pissed herself.” He chuckled. “I never saw someone so disappointed in themselves.”

I laughed. “One of these days she’s going to trust one of those weaponized farts a little too much.”

We both chuckled.

Magnus shook his head before he spoke. “I don’t know who I feel sorry for more, her or us. Sure, growing two kids is hard work, but I know more than I deserve to know about a woman’s body. I knew her since she was in pigtails and never dreamed I’d be forced to hear her complain about hemorrhoids, constipation, and being so horny while as big as a house. She acts like confiding in me is some sort of gift or something. She says I should be flattered to have such a good friendship with her. That ain’t friendship, that’s torture. I’d rather have my toenails pulled out than hear a beautiful woman tell me that shit. Yesterday she said mucus plug. What fucking man wants tohear that shit? Those are two words that should never be spoken together.”

I glanced at him then chuckled. “She only does it because you get creeped out and she thinks it’s funny. Hell, we all think it's funny.”

He shook his head in disgust. “Fucking bastards. Do you know how long it’s been since I ate pussy? Like, who could put their mouth on that after learning all the shit I’ve learned lately? Its not just that, ever since she started purposely making me puke with those Rossi bombs I can’t enjoy bending a woman over. Now I look down at that little balloon knot and gag when it winks at me. I imagine it’s about to explode.”

I burst into laughter. I even had to set my drink down so I wouldn’t spill it. “I can’t…” I couldn’t stop laughing because the prospect behind the bar just gagged.

“You set yourself up when you didn’t know she was pregnant and assumed her baby bump was constipation. You fucking asked when she last took a shit.” I was still laughing as Granger approached.

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