Page 79 of Vegas with my Brother’s Best Friends

Tyler hurries out of the room without another word.

My shoulders sink. “Damn it…”

“I did this. It’s my fault.”

I turn around to see more tears pouring out of Cassidy’s eyes. “Nothing is your fault. He just needs some time.”

“He’ll come back,” Jackson assures her.

Cassidy sighs. “Don’t force him to come back. If he doesn’t want to be involved, he doesn’t want to be involved.”

“And if he’s the father?” Jackson questions her.

Her eyes glisten even more. “I’ll raise the baby alone if I have to.”

“You won’t have to,” I tell her. “You’re not alone in this. I’ll say that to you until I’m blue in the face because it’s true.”

Cassidy chews on her bottom lip, wrapping her arms around herself. “I don’t want to force anyone to do anything. Don’t stick around just because you pity me or whatever.”

“It’s not pity,” Jackson says, walking closer to her. “This happened because of the four of us. Not just one. Not just you. So, we’re going to figure this out together.”

“So, what do we do now? Derek knows I’m pregnant. I just know that he’s going to run his mouth to Ryan,” she asks, her voice shaking.

“He doesn’t know you were with us,” Jackson tells her. “If Ryan asks who the dad is, you don’t have to give him an answer yet.”

Cassidy buries her face in her hands. “This is going to ruin the whole week. Their wedding! I can’t believe this is happening.”

I share an uneasy look with Jackson. Things are really about to start falling apart once Derek starts talking. We’ll have to be prepared for the aftermath.

“Maybe we can talk to Derek and convince him not to say anything,” Jackson replies. “I can make him scared of me.”

Cassidy narrows her eyes. “No, Jax. No threatening people. Don’t antagonize Derek.”

“I’m not scared of him, Cass. The asshole needs to be knocked down a peg for what he’s done to you,” Jackson says.

“I said no,” she tells him. “It’s too late. He’s going to say something regardless of what you do.”

“She’s right. We’ll just have to be ready for what’s coming,” I say before placing my hand on Cassidy’s back. “And we’ll handle it. All of it.”

Fear flashes in her eyes. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” I tell her, willing my voice to be strong and steady.

She needs our support. She’s carrying a baby. Our baby.

I knew things were going to change the moment we got involved with her, but I didn’t expect it to reach this level. This will affect the rest of our lives. The relationships we have. The way we navigate the future.

Maybe I should be a little more scared than how I feel, but there’s a part of me that’s so full of joy that I can barely breathe.

Chapter twenty-eight

Chapter 28: Tyler

The hallways of the resort blur together as I pace up and down them, roaming aimlessly.

I just need to move and breathe and think. Maybe I can calm myself. Maybe I can figure out how I don’t mess up and ruin everything.

Heat claws its way up my neck and through my face, my heart pounding restlessly. I can’t believe this is actually happening. Cassidy is pregnant, and I might be the father.