Page 170 of Twins for Three Bad Boys

She has no idea how wrong she is.

I’ve watched her with Evan. The way she kneels so that she’s eye level with him. The way she doesn’t dismiss his nonsense questions. The way she listens because he’s the most important person in the room.

The first night she was here, I stood outside his bedroom longer than I’ll ever admit, just listening.

She read to him softly, and Evan laughed.

He hadn’t laughed that way in a while.

And now this.

A pregnancy that could belong to any of us.

I’m not angry at her.

I’m not even angry at them.

I’m scared.

I drag a hand over my face and force myself to breathe.

Pregnant.

It’s not the same as last time.

It’s early.

It’s uncertain.

But my body doesn’t care about logic. It remembers the helplessness, the way love can turn into loss without asking permission.

I pick up my phone before I can spiral any further and call Rex.

He answers on the second ring. “You good?”

“No.” I gasp. “Come over. Bring Fletcher.”

A pause.

“Okay,” he says.

They’re at my kitchen table twenty minutes later.

Rex drops into a chair casually, but he’s too still. Fletcher remains upright before sitting, eyes tracking everything, assessing damage.

“She tell you?” Rex asks.

“Yes.”

“Tell you what?” Fletcher asks, darting his eyes between us both. “I feel so left out right now.”

I guess Rex hasn’t let slip yet. Shit.

Rex shifts in his chair and glances at me, hinting this is yours to say.

Fletcher’s looking between us now, jaw tight, reading the room the way he reads an engine that’s about to seize.

“Wayne,” he says, slower. “Tell you what?”