Devoured by Alycia Taylor

Author:Alycia Taylor [Taylor, Alycia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

EMMI

I didn’t know what I had walked in on exactly, but even when he was in the octagon I had never seen such a look of pure rage on Braxton’s face. When the man pushed past me and headed out the door I thought for a second Braxton was going to go after him. Instead, he turned around and punched the wall. I flinched when I heard the thud, then I just stood there, kind of stupidly. I didn’t know what to say, but I didn’t want to just walk away and leave him alone either. Finally he turned and looked at me.

“I’m sorry,” he told me. “I’m really sorry you had to walk in on that.”

Now I felt like I was the one who should apologize for the intrusion. I went over to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” I asked him.

He was rubbing his knuckles.

“Yeah, it hurts a little but I’m fine.”

“I wasn’t talking about the hand,” I said softly. “But I’m glad that your hand is okay too. Do you want to talk about that?”

If the guy hadn’t looked so much like an older version of Braxton, I wouldn’t have even known who he was.

“You want to go for a walk? I need to get the fuck out of here. It’s suffocating,”

“Okay, sure.”

I followed him outside and he strode ahead. I could tell at the outset that this wasn’t going to be a leisurely stroll. I struggled to keep up with him for about half a mile and then he abruptly stopped.

“That’s really embarrassing. My dad… he’s a drunk and a gambler. He’s pretty much an all- around loser.”

“I’m sorry,” I said since I didn’t know what else to say.

My heart was breaking for him, he looked so distraught. He managed a smile.

“You don’t have to be sorry. I’m used to it. I think I’m just more embarrassed than anything.”

He stomped ahead again and I followed along.

“You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about,” I told him. “You’re not a drunk and a gambler, and you’re not your father’s keeper.”

“Thanks.”

He stopped walking for a minute and bent down and picked up a rock. He threw it off into the distance and confessed, “Nobody can make me as mad as he does.”

“Parent/child relationships can be complicated sometimes,” I informed him.

I knew that sounded so cliché even before he kind of said so.

He smiled a real drop-dead gorgeous Braxton smile and he puffed out a weak laugh.

“Maybe you should go into counseling instead of business.”

At first I thought he was being sarcastic, but I realized he was being genuine when he said, “It makes me feel calmer to talk to you. Thanks.”

“Sure… Where’s your mom, Braxton?”

“She died when I was fourteen. She had breast cancer. That was when he started drinking heavily and it only got worse from there. He hardly ever goes to work anymore. Hell, I don’t even know if he still has a job. He’s lost about four of them since Mom died.

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