“Got jokes, huh?” I chuckle.
“I mean, you do resemble a pregnant woman,” she quips. “Eating three humongous helpings will do that to a person. Luckily, you didn’t keel over.”
“Well, you had two,” I remind her.
“One and a half,” she counters, huffing indignantly.
“Ha, whatever you say.”
“I barely had any food on my second plate.”
I snort. “So much food was piled on your plate, you needed both hands to carry it.”
She slaps my distended belly. “You’re overexaggerating.”
“Hey, come on.” I flinch, groaning. “Have mercy on me.”
“No desserts for you, huh?”
“Give me one more hour, then I’ll be ready for round four.”
Her nose wrinkles. “You’re going to puke.”
“Go big or go home, that’s my motto.”
“You better make it to the toilet, because I’m not cleaning up your vomit.”
I yawn loudly and stretch my limbs, suddenly a bit lethargic. No doubt due to my full stomach.
“Sleepy?” Cocoa asks.
“A little.”
She starts humming softly, drawing circles on my chest. I sigh contently and close my eyes.
“Maverick?”
“Mmm?” I respond, kissing the crown of her head.
“Have you ever told an adult what your father was doing to you?”
“Don’t refer to him as my father,” I say sharply.
“Sorry.”
“Didn’t mean to snap at you.” I sigh. “I did, but he quickly had me labeled as a problem kid acting out because my mother killed herself. No one believed a word I said.”
“Did your mother ever try to leave?”
“Once I can recall, but John brought us back. He locked her in a room and wouldn’t allow me to see her for a long time after that.”
“What about family? Couldn’t they help?”
“John is an only child. My mom has a sister, but I haven’t seen her since the funeral. Obviously, she doesn’t give a fuck about me,” I say bitterly.
“We have a lot more in common than I initially thought.”
The sad note in her tone raises my hackles. Anyone who messes with her will have me on their ass.
