Page 57 of Protecting Addison
Addison’s belly rolled. This wasn’t starting out well. “Puberty happens at different times for different people, Brady. She’s only twelve, lots of time for her to grow.”
“Right. So…tell me about you? What do you like to do? Where do you go to school? Are you in any activities?”
Ellory was hesitant at first, but she slowly relaxed, especially since she had her father’s undivided attention. He’d turned toward her and was nodding and offering the appropriate responses to everything she said. He genuinely seemed interested in what she was telling him, which made Addison relax a fraction.
But Ricky was still as tense as ever next to her. Addison put her hand on his leg, trying to reassure him. That didn’t seem to help at all. He was sitting ramrod straight, staring at Brady.
“Have you lived in Riverton long?” Ellory asked after a while.
“Been back here about a year or so. I’ve lived in New York City, Chicago, DC, Atlanta…but always missed the West Coast. There’s nothing like being back in California. It just has a different vibe, you know?”
Ellory nodded eagerly. “I love it here.”
“But it’s good to get away, to see more of the world than one little corner. You ever been to LA? Or out of the state?”
Ellory shook her head.
“Pity. I’d love to take you to New York. Now that’s a city that never sleeps. We could go to a Broadway play, eat some authentic New York bagels, see Times Square…you know, all the good stuff.”
Ellory’s eyes were huge in her face. “Really?”
“Yeah, really. And every kid should see our nation’s capital. We could rent scooters and see all the monuments.”
With every word out of his mouth, Addison tensed. For one, she wasn’t yet willing to let Ellory go on trips so far away without her. But two, she had no idea if Brady really meant what he was saying or if he was blowing smoke up his daughter’s ass. He’d been full of promises back when they were together. Promises he could never keep.
“Should we order?” Brady asked no one in particular. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers at a waitress who was across the room.
Addison winced. She’d forgotten that about him. He used to do that all the time, and it always embarrassed her. It was a rude thing to do and extremely disrespectful. Ricky’s thigh muscle tensed under her hand. She gripped him tightly, hoping he wouldn’t lose his cool.
The waitress came over to their table.
“We’d like to order. I’d like a bloody Mary, a double hamburger with cheese, and fries.”
“I’m sorry, sir, we don’t serve alcohol.”
“Well, shit. Fine. A large soda then. Ellory, what do you want? Get anything. It’s on me.”
“Oh, I’m not hungry,” she said with a shrug.
“Not hungry? How can you not be hungry? I was always starving after school. And you’re skinny as a rail. You should eat something. If you ever want to get curves, you have to eat.”
“It’s okay,” Ellory said.
Brady opened his mouth to protest some more, but Addison intervened. “I’ll have a small salad with ranch on the side, please.”
“Nothing for me,” Ricky said tersely.
“Great, so now there are two of you not eating. Whatever,” Brady said.
The waitress left to put their order in, and Brady started talking about some of the people he’d met while he lived in New York. Addison hadn’t heard of any of them, though he swore they were all famous movie stars. Ellory didn’t take her gaze from her father. She seemed star-struck.
When their food was served, Brady couldn’t keep from commenting once more on the fact that Ellory wasn’t eating. He spoke with his mouth full, something else Addison had forgotten about the man.
“Seriously, why aren’t you eating? Something wrong with you?”
Addison could see the moment Ellory decided to tell her father about her condition. She wanted to stop her, tell her to leave the explanation for another time, but it was her decision.
“I have Crohn’s disease.”
