Page 23
Story: Inked Soul
“There’s a man here,” Luke says as he walks back toward me. “Says his name is Darren.”
He is frowning and I can feel the dark emotions rolling off him. I want to comfort him, reassure him of everything that has happened between us in the last hour, but my heart is already racing.
That’s where the feeling came from. I haven’t even seen him and already my soul knew he was here. I want Luke to tell him to fuck off, but I know he won’t leave. Luckily, Tyler has already fallen asleep, with my nipple still in his mouth, might I add.
“I’ll put Tyler in his crib. Will you let him in?”
Luke nods but I can see he isn’t happy. In front of my eyes, I have seen him go from happy and carefree to shut down. My chest aches as he turns away from me. He grabs his shirt from the floor before heading back down the hallway toward the door and my waiting ex. How does he always know when to show up? The moment I start to move on or find any kind of joy, he’s there to ruin it for me.
Taking my time, I lay my son in his crib and watch him sleep. I don’t know what my ex wants but I know I want him out of my home as soon as possible. He is ruining this perfect day.
Walking out of Tyler’s room, I see Darren in the middle of the lounge looking around with a frown, assessing everything. He sees me watching him and smiles.
“Abigail.” The sound of his voice grates on my nerves, and I want to plug my ears.
“Where’s Luke?” I ask.
“He left,” Darren says with a frown. “I told him we need to spend some time together as a family.”
My eyebrows shoot into my hairline. “Family?” My voice is incredulous.
“Yes, family.” He seems confused by my reaction. “You are my wife and that child in there is part of my DNA.”
A harsh laugh falls from my lips. “You don’t even know his name.” My voice is rising with every word I speak. But Darren has always pushed my buttons and now that I see him for the user asshole he really is, I can’t hold back my reactions. “And according to the state of Louisiana, I am no longer your wife. Or did you somehow forget what the judge said?”
“A boy?” A small smile tugs at his lips. He ignores everything else I said. He’s always been good at only focusing on what serves him.
“Don’t act like you care,” I snap, anger already firing through my veins. “You wanted me to get a fucking abortion. That boy is mine, not yours.”
“Can we just talk about this?” he asks, trying to placate me.
“There is nothing to talk about, Darren. You were fucking another woman behind my back!” I’m yelling now but I can’t just remain calm anymore. He fucked up my life and deserves to know it. “You treated me like shit, bad-mouthed me to our friends, and asked me to kill my fucking son! You pushed me out of my home to replace me with a younger model.”
I’m shaking with rage. What I’m not expecting is the hand on my shoulder.
“Tyler is crying,” Luke says in my ear. I have no idea where he came from, but I want to cry I’m so happy. “Go to him. I’ll sort this out.”
He is frowning and I can feel the dark emotions rolling off him. I want to comfort him, reassure him of everything that has happened between us in the last hour, but my heart is already racing.
That’s where the feeling came from. I haven’t even seen him and already my soul knew he was here. I want Luke to tell him to fuck off, but I know he won’t leave. Luckily, Tyler has already fallen asleep, with my nipple still in his mouth, might I add.
“I’ll put Tyler in his crib. Will you let him in?”
Luke nods but I can see he isn’t happy. In front of my eyes, I have seen him go from happy and carefree to shut down. My chest aches as he turns away from me. He grabs his shirt from the floor before heading back down the hallway toward the door and my waiting ex. How does he always know when to show up? The moment I start to move on or find any kind of joy, he’s there to ruin it for me.
Taking my time, I lay my son in his crib and watch him sleep. I don’t know what my ex wants but I know I want him out of my home as soon as possible. He is ruining this perfect day.
Walking out of Tyler’s room, I see Darren in the middle of the lounge looking around with a frown, assessing everything. He sees me watching him and smiles.
“Abigail.” The sound of his voice grates on my nerves, and I want to plug my ears.
“Where’s Luke?” I ask.
“He left,” Darren says with a frown. “I told him we need to spend some time together as a family.”
My eyebrows shoot into my hairline. “Family?” My voice is incredulous.
“Yes, family.” He seems confused by my reaction. “You are my wife and that child in there is part of my DNA.”
A harsh laugh falls from my lips. “You don’t even know his name.” My voice is rising with every word I speak. But Darren has always pushed my buttons and now that I see him for the user asshole he really is, I can’t hold back my reactions. “And according to the state of Louisiana, I am no longer your wife. Or did you somehow forget what the judge said?”
“A boy?” A small smile tugs at his lips. He ignores everything else I said. He’s always been good at only focusing on what serves him.
“Don’t act like you care,” I snap, anger already firing through my veins. “You wanted me to get a fucking abortion. That boy is mine, not yours.”
“Can we just talk about this?” he asks, trying to placate me.
“There is nothing to talk about, Darren. You were fucking another woman behind my back!” I’m yelling now but I can’t just remain calm anymore. He fucked up my life and deserves to know it. “You treated me like shit, bad-mouthed me to our friends, and asked me to kill my fucking son! You pushed me out of my home to replace me with a younger model.”
I’m shaking with rage. What I’m not expecting is the hand on my shoulder.
“Tyler is crying,” Luke says in my ear. I have no idea where he came from, but I want to cry I’m so happy. “Go to him. I’ll sort this out.”