Page 58 of Protecting Addison
“What’s that?” Brady asked, his burger halfway to his mouth.
“It’s where my intestinal tract becomes inflamed and painful.”
Brady frowned. “So what does that mean? You can’t eat?”
“I can,” Ellory explained patiently. “But sometimes it hurts. Right now, I’m doing a new kind of treatment where I fast for a few days, then eat a little before fasting again. It’s a way to empty out my system so I don’t get cramps or any other symptoms.”
Brady put down his burger. “So you’re starving yourself?”
“No. I have these shake things I drink to get nutrients.”
“No wonder you’re so small and puny. You have to eat to grow, Ellory.”
“Brady,” Addison warned, not liking her ex’s attitude. He hadn’t been any kind of father to their daughter for even one day in the last twelve years, and why he thought it was appropriate to share his offensive opinions now was infuriating.
“What? I’m just saying,” Brady said defensively.
Addison watched her daughter flush. She was sensitive about the fact that she had delayed puberty as a result of her Crohn’s. She didn’t need her father pointing it out. “Until you get to know Ellory better, you have no right to give her advice aboutanythinggoing on in her life. But so you know, she’s doing really well on this new treatment. Eventually, we’ll reduce the days she rests her bowels in the hopes that her intestines will adjust.”
Brady stared at Ellory. His gaze flicked from her face, to her torso, then back to her face. “Well, sucks that you can’t enjoy things like this amazing burger and fries. They’re delicious.”
Addison gaped at the man. Ellory was used to not eating what others around her enjoyed, but to rub it in her face that she was missing out was just plain cruel.
“So, you’re a janitor,” Ricky said out of the blue. “You a contractor for the Navy then?”
Brady shrugged and took another large bite of his burger. “Yeah. Decided to try something new.”
“What did you do before?” Ricky pressed.
“This and that.”
“This and that meaning what?” He obviously wasn’t going to let it go.
As if just realizing that Ricky was interrogating him, Brady put down his burger and wiped his fingers on a napkin. “Sorry, man. I don’t feel like I need to tell you my life history.”
“If you want to keep seeing your daughter, you will,” Ricky said, his voice low and harsh. “Because if you think we’re ever going to let her be around a complete stranger without us accompanying her every single time, you’re dreaming.”
“I’m not a stranger,” Brady insisted. “I’m her father. Tell this Neanderthal he’s being unreasonable, Addison.”
Taking a deep breath, Addison said, “Actually, I’m interested in what you’ve been doing these last twelve years myself. I tried to find you after you left. You said you’d help with Ellory, then you disappeared as if into thin air.”
Brady stared at her, then scowled. “I don’t need this shit. Ellory, it was great to meet you. I hope we can talk again. But until your mom stops jumping down my throat and being unreasonable, I’m not sure that will happen. Maybe we can text or something.Ifshe’ll give you my number, seeing as I’m obviously a serial killer and all that.” Brady sounded disgusted. He stood up abruptly and stormed toward the door.
Addison stared after him with a sigh. Yup, that was a pure Brady reaction. Twisting things so nothing was his fault. Blamingher.
Worried about what Ellory was thinking, Addison looked at her daughter. She’d turned in her chair to watch Brady storm out of the café, and now she slowly turned back around to face the table. She looked at his half-eaten meal, then up at Addison.
“Guess the food wasn’t on him, was it?”
Addison practically sagged in her seat. There was disappointment in her daughter’s face, but not anger ather. It was a huge relief.
“Guess not,” Addison agreed.
“Ricky? Are you okay?” Ellory asked.
Looking at her husband, Addison saw that his lips were pressed together, and he was sitting stock still. “Ricky?”
He took a long, slow breath in through his nose, then let it out. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” he said, then stood and headed for the door.
