Page 19 of Wreckage of My Life
“Fuck,” I mutter when I see the number on the screen.
“You don’t wanna talk to them?” Becca elbows me jokingly.
“Not really.” But I answer anyway. “Yeah,” I growl into the phone.
“Wrecker,” Mia’s whiny voice comes over the line. “I just met with your brother like you told me to. He wants me to sign all these papers before he transfers any money.”
The last six months have been hellish. After I found out about my kid, Ethan is his name, and the DNA test came back with the confirmation, I traveled to Illinois to meet him. He looked small and scared, and I don’t think he understood anything that was going on around him.
After that meeting, I contacted Wyatt and asked him to help me with this mess. It was supposed to be a financial arrangement at first. I would’ve been okay with it had I not thought that Mia was an idiot and that she was abusing my kid.
Wyatt came up with the idea of offering her a large lump sum in exchange of not just full custody, but also her giving up all her parental rights. That way we’d know for sure that she’d be going away for good. Or so Wyatt promised. He’s been working on all this for me from his end since he practices law in Illinois, and he also lives close to where this bitch is.
“So what’s the problem?” I grunt at Mia now. “Wasn’t that what the deal was?”
“But, Wreck,” she starts again. “I need money for the baby before then.”
“He’s not a baby, so stop calling him that,” I bark. “Also, sign the fucking papers, and he won’t be your problem anymore. I’ll be there to pick him up as soon as all paperwork goes through.”
I hang up on her because I cannot stand listening to her fuckin’ voice one second longer. I shoot Wyatt a quick message to let him know of what she’s up to, then stick my phone back in my pocket. I am fucking pissed now, and my jaw hurts from how hard I’m clenching it.
“You have a baby?” Becca’s surprised voice pulls me out of the red haze of anger my brain is currently coated in.
“He’s not a fuckin’ baby,” I snap, then regret it when she pulls back at hearing the tone of my voice. “He’s four years old,” I force myself to sound more human.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry…” Becca’s voice sounds small, unlike the confident and funny person she was only a few minutes ago.
“His mother is someone I fucked a few years ago. A club whore,” I lean down as I try explaining her the fucked up situation I found myself in. I rest my elbows on my knees and completely ignore Becca’s shocked gasp to my side.
“That’s so, so…” It’s like she can’t find her words. “What’s a club whore? Andwhyare you calling her a whore?” I am amused by her questions, but I don’t have it in me to smile.
“The motorcycle club I belong to takes care of all the girls who just want to hang out there. It’s usually because they have nowhere to go. In turn, they become club whores that members can fuck whenever they feel like,” I explain like it’s the most normal thing in the world. I turn my head to look at her, and now I am laughing when I see her horrified expression.
“And you got one pregnant?” She tries to regroup and bring us to the subject at hand.
“I got one pregnant,” I nod, running my hands over my face. What a cluster fuck that’s been.
“So, uh, what’s your son’s name?”
“Ethan,” I mumble, staring at the dirt under my boots.
“I like that,” her tone sounds kind now, taking me by surprise. “What’s your last name?”
My head snaps to the side to look at her suspiciously when she asks that. What the fuck does she need my last name for?
“I just wanted to see how his first name goes with your last,” she explains like a smartass. “I’m assuming you’re not just Wrecker. Like Madonna or Cher.”
The laughter bubbling out of my chest escapes before I can stop it. This girl is hilarious. I don’t know if it’s just a talent of hers or she’s doing it on purpose, but I dig it.
“Knight,” I finally gasp out, wiping the tears of laughter from the corners of my eyes.
“What?” Becca shakes her head in confusion.
“Knight,” I repeat. “That’s my last name,” I explain. “How do they go together?”
“Ethan Knight,” she murmurs in a soft voice. “I like it.”
This is the first time I actually hear it like that. It stops me in my tracks.
