I went still.
“She’s where?”
Red blurred my vision. My jaw clenched so hard it ached, and heat surged through my chest, mixing with something dark and territorial. My grip tightened on the wheel until my fingers cramped.
Josh.Fucking Josh. Really?
I knew they had history, knew they’d been together before, and now she was there—in his space, under his roof.
I swore under my breath, my whole body vibrating with the need to do something reckless. To find him and make sure he understood exactly who Melanie belonged to.
Colt sighed. “Relax. Josh is my half-brother. He’s not gonna do anything. Even if you guys aren’t, you know… really together.”
I ground my teeth. “We are together.”
Colt paused. “I thought you said?—”
“I know what I said.” My voice was low, edged with frustration. “It started out as fake. A damn arrangement. But now…”
I trailed off, staring at the dark road ahead. How the hell was I supposed to explain this? That what started as a convenient solution had somehow become something real? That I needed her now in ways I hadn’t expected?
I looked forward to our late-night talks, the easy comfort of just being around her. The way she challenged me, frustrated me, made me feel alive. And, yeah, the sex was mind-blowing—but it was more than that. She was becoming my best friend.
And I wasn’t sure I could let her go.
Colt let out a knowing hum. “So now you’ve caught feelings.”
I swallowed, my throat tight. “Yeah. I think I have.”
Colt was quiet for a second before I asked, “How did you feel when you found out Hannah was pregnant?”
I frowned at the shift in conversation but didn’t interrupt. Hannah—Bodie’s mom—had been a mistake Colt spent years making up for. She’d acted like she cared, but the truth? She saw Colt as a ticket to the NFL lifestyle. Nothing more.
Colt exhaled, and when he spoke again, his voice was lower, edged with something heavy. “Truthfully? I was scared shitless. Not because I was gonna be a dad, but because it was with her. I didn’t love her. I was trying to give Blake something he never had—a mother who actually gave a damn. And well…”
He trailed off, and I knew exactly what he wasn’t saying.
The death of his brother still weighed on him. He’d been young, but loss had a way of carving into you, making you wonder what more you could have done. I understood that feeling all too well. I’d felt it the night I found my sister lying lifeless on the floor.
If she hadn’t survived… I don’t know if I’d ever have forgiven myself.
Colt exhaled, the weight in his voice unmistakable. “Even though Blake is gone, Bodie’s here. And I can’t imagine my life without him. Yeah, it wasn’t an ideal situation, but I wouldn’tchange it for the world. And now… now that I’m having a baby with the woman I love—that’s something special, man.”
I turned onto my street, my stomach tightening. “Yeah… but what if I’m not cut out to be a dad?”
Colt didn’t hesitate. “Nick, being a dad isn’t about being perfect. It’s about showing up. Being there. Protecting the people you love.”
Love.
The word hit me harder than I expected. Was I in love with Melanie?
Colt must have sensed my hesitation because his voice softened. “You love her, don’t you?”
I swallowed, gripping the wheel. “I… I don’t know. We’ve never actually said it to each other.”
Colt let out a quiet laugh. “It’s not always about saying it. It’s about showing it. And man, I know Melanie can be a lot. Believe me, she scared the shit out of me when I was trying to win Abigail over. But I think it’s because she’s got a bigger heart than she lets on. Abigail told me a little—she might come from money, but her parents? Selfish as hell. Her mom didn’t even come over for Christmas? That’s cold, man. That’s her only daughter, and they hadn’t seen each other in months?”
I sighed, rubbing a hand down my face as exhaustion settled deep in my bones. “Yeah, it’s a long story. Another night. But let’s just say her stepdad’s a piece of shit, and her mom… she’s too blind to see it.”
