TWO’S AND SEVEN’S
Chapter One
Ruin
Avery was going to kill me. I knew it how late I was to pick her up. I was just hoping that she would understand my reason why. Club business sometimes ran over. Surely she of all people would understand that. She had been born into the club after all.
So I was hoping she wouldn’t be too mad at me. I wanted tonight to be special. It was our first valentines night together after all. It was still crazy to me, this was our first Valentine’s Day together and yet we had a teenage son together.
I had missed out on so much of their lives and it was something I had to deal with every single day. The fact that I was an outsider in their lives.
I tried to get us to become a family. Because that’s exactly what I wanted us to be. A normal non-dysfunctional family. The opposite to what she had had with her psychotic but now dead ex-husband and different to the hell hole family life I had grown up with. But so far she was dragging her feet.
Part of me could understand her hesitation, even if I didn’t like it. She had been hurt so much, mostly by me. So she was understandably wary of taking that final step and committing.
I wanted the commitment. Jesus, I wanted it all. The woman, the family and my club and I was going to get it. Even if it meant I had to spend my life making it up to her for every shitty little thing I had ever done to her.
Being late was just another small mark against my name. No biggie.
I hoped.
The door opened before I had even lifted my hand to knock and I dropped it to my side. It always felt strange to me that I had to knock on my own damn front door but Avery lived here with Parker now. And I had to respect their privacy.
“Hey, champ.” I ruffled his hair with my hand as I slipped past. “Your mum about? Or is she still getting ready?”
Parker was a teen but I had only met him last year. It had been a shock when Avery had rocked back into town to care for her ailing father with an almost teenage boy in tow. But I had suspected pretty quickly that he was mine.
He was a good lad, fiercely devoted to his mother which was good. I liked him which was saying something because I really didn’t like many people. I had no doubt Parker would grow up into a great young man.
“She’s pretty pissed at you.” He said it bluntly, apprehension filled his face as he waited for me to tell him off for swearing.
I wasn’t about to do that. I would leave the scolding to his mother.
“Yeah, I just bet she is…” I winked at him. “Women huh?”
He laughed loudly. “I hope you have a diamond ring or something Ruin because she is majorly mad at you. I don’t think flowers are going to do it.” He eyed the flowers in my hand with a frown.
Had Avery said something to him? Had she hinted that she might like a ring. Legally we couldn’t get married because her husband was officially missing and not dead. Even though we all knew better. But did she was an engagement ring? Was she dragging her heels because she was waiting for a promise?
If that’s what she wanted. I would give it to her.
I would give her the whole damn world.
“Go order a pizza son.”
He didn’t even blink at the word son. I had called him that before I had even realised he was in fact, my son. He didn’t mind it. Just like I didn’t mind the fact he didn’t and would never call me dad.
As long as he knew I would always be there for him it was all good.
“Baby?” Taking the steps two at a time I bounded up the stairs, coming to a halt as she came into view in the bedroom doorway. The breath left my lungs in a rush. “Fuck.”
“What.” Her hand fluttered to her throat nervously. Sometimes she was so insecure it hurt to watch. Especially when she was so god damn gorgeous.
“Is it not ok? Do I need to change?”
Change? I let my eyes drift over her slowly. Was she for real?
“God Ruin…” she squealed as I walked towards her. My stride urgent and I forced her backwards into the bedroom and kicked the door shut behind me.