“And you don’t?” His voice rises. “Probably something you should’ve thought about before you fell in love with Aurora.”
The bedroom door creaks, and Jackson’s hurried pace echoes down the hall. He hustles into the kitchen wearing only black boxer briefs, his hair sticking up in places, marks and bruises on his skin, exhaustion darkening his eyes.
“What the fuck could you possibly be arguing about at six in the morning?” he whisper-yells. “Rocco and Big D must be jet-lagged if they’re sleeping through this.”
I stand. “Nothing. Never mind.” I wave him off and go to the coffeemaker for another cup.“I’m just agitated. Shit hasn’t been easy lately.”
“No, it’s not nothing,” Ethan hisses. “If you don’t want a baby, it’s a huge fucking deal.”
Jax glances between us. “What? Like any babies? Or your own?”
I set my mug on the counter and pinch the bridge of my nose. “That’s not what I meant.” I drop my arm to my side and spell it out for them. “All I’m saying is, Aurora needs quality time with the baby’s father. I’m not a substitute. It’s yours.Youshould be going to appointments, feeling the baby kick, putting together the nursery—shit like that. I can’t do it! Look at me!”
Fuck, I’m injured. I’m tired.I failed my partner.Who’s next?
They stare at each other, having some wordless conversation.
Ethan slumps in his chair. “Thank you…for telling me how you feel. I’m not asking you to assume my responsibilities. I didn’t know you drew a line between Aurora and the baby.We’llset up the nursery.” He gestures to the three of us. “This isn’t all on you. Does it make you uncomfortable to take her to appointments if needed? Or to care for my child?”
I clear my tight throat. “Not necessarily, but it doesn’t feel right either.”
Jax leans against the wall, arms crossed. “You have this picture-perfect, conventional idea of what having this baby should look like when we’re anything but. In aperfectworld, it’d be mine.I’dbe there for every milestone. But that’s not how it went.” He places a hand on his chest. “I relapsed—a few times—and got punished with you two.” He gestures to the man besidehim. “He used a decrepit wallet condom on his oversized dick to screw an escort in the back of a limo while still married.”
Ethan smacks Jackson’s ass cheek in retaliation and snarls, “Shut up.”
Jax motions to me. “You fell for Aurora, who was already pregnant—by said oversized dick—who you were pretending to protect, who wasn’t yours, who you watched with two other men.” He cocks his head and scoffs. “Andnowyou’re uncomfortable? Be for real.”
Well, when he puts it that way…it does sound ridiculous. Maybe I’m still holding on to some of my parents’ conservative views. Maybe I need to let that shit go. Maybe I’m shaken over the shitty month we’ve had. “I’m not uncomfortable. I feel like I’m trespassing, encroaching on another man’s territory.”
“Yes, because you’veneverdone that before,” he mocks, sarcasm dripping from every word.
I skewer him with a glare. “You were broken up, remember?”
His nostrils flare. “She never broke up with me!”
“Let’s not take a trip down memory lane,” Ethan cuts in. “Let’s figure this out. Reece,” his eyes lock with mine, “you won’t be injured forever. Shit won’t be this rough. Lucas wasn’t your fault. You rescued him and you kept Aurora safe. I appreciate you. We’re all in this together. Tell me what you need, and I’ll make it happen.”
Unable to speak, I swallow the lump in my throat and nod.
“Why don’t we drop the whole ‘whose kid is whose’ thing?” Jax suggests. “You wouldn’t want us to treat your kid any differently. I’m uncertain I want a biological child, and it would suck if we couldn’t share.” His voice strains with emotion, and his eyes glisten. He’s moody—all over the place—and he’s only been in LA a handful of hours. I’m not much better.
A frown contorts Ethan’s face, etching deep lines into his forehead. “Why?”
Jax taps his temple and gives a half-assed shrug. “Not sure I should pass along this DNA.”
Ethan pulls Jax between his legs until he’s partly on his lap and wrapped in his arms. “It’s not all DNA. Our life won’t be like yours or mine. It may not be perfect, but it’ll be pretty damn good. You’re okay, I promise.”
I return to my seat at the breakfast table. “I agree—with both sentiments. Our kids will have a much better life, and we shouldn’t focus on whose baby it is.” A crazy thought hits me, and I can’t suppress my smile. “After this one, we won’t know who it belongs to anyhow.”
Jackson’s gaze snaps to mine. “Is that a challenge? Are we playing Russian roulette, Viking?”
“I’m just saying.” I full-on grin. “There’s no guarantee who the father will be.”
Chapter 29
Aurora
The mattress dips, and I crack my eyelids to see Jax sneaking into bed. He cuddles close, and my gaze catches on a bite mark on his collarbone.
