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The gym doors open and all three men walk in looking like they are still half asleep.
Gage places the blender on the side table before grabbing some paper water cups from the cabinet. Rhett heads over to thesurround sound and turns the volume down while Spencer hops on a treadmill.
Rhett runs a hand through his hair. “So, what’s going on?”
Where to start?
I open my mouth and blurt out, “I’m going to be a dad.”
That seems to get their attention.
Rhett’s mouth falls open, and Spencer’s eyes widen to the size of plates. The only guy that shows very little emotion is Gage, and that’s because he’s the only one beside me that knew.
After AJ left, I opened the bag from Alexandra. Gage was sitting beside me and saw the gifts.
“That’s amazing.” Rhett says before coming over to me to give me a clap on the back.
Spencer narrows his eyes for a second. “So, how did you fuck it up? I’m assuming it’s related to becoming a father, since that’s the first thing you said.”
I lay my dumbbells down and glance at Gage as he pours us all a shake.
He’s the only one that knew, and he didn’t say anything. I didn’t even ask him to keep it to himself. He just did.
“Before I tell you what I did, I need to tell you who it is so you can understand why I did what I did.”
The three men stare at me like they are waiting for me to confess to my sins.
“The mother of my baby is Alexandra.” Someone gasps, but I continue. “I hired a private investigator to dig into her past and what she’s been up to because she changed so suddenly. She started acting weird, so I went with my gut.”
I pick up my weights and continue my workout, needing the distraction.
Rhett sits on the weight bench across from me and asks, “How was she acting weird? Like she was hiding something?”
“She started attending every meeting my dad and I had, regardless if she was needed, and she took notes all the time and then would immediately get on her phone. It was almost like she was texting someone.”
Spencer interrupts. “And you were jealous, thinking she was messaging another man?”
I glare at him. “That thought wasn’t the deciding factor. She wanted more with me and I said no. Then, when I realized she was the woman I wanted, she immediately said no.”
Spencer shakes his head and turns up the speed on the treadmill. “Hell hath no fury.”
Gage and Rhett laugh as I flip them off.
Rhett drops his dumbbells and downs his shake. “I still don’t see where you fucked up.”
I sigh. “The detective found out Alexandra was busy calling, texting, and meeting with Giuseppe Rossi. I confronted her and promptly fired her before giving her a bag of cash and telling her I never wanted to see her or the baby ever again.”
Rhett gapes at me. “Yikes.”
Spencer whistles. “Damn, dude. Are you sure she was meeting with Rossi? She was your dad’s assistant.”
I place my dumbbells back on the rack and stretch out my muscles. “Yeah, she even admitted to it, but I was an asshole who wouldn’t listen to her reasoning. Come to find out, she was kidnapped and was forced to work with Rossi, but my dad knew the entire time.”
I shake my head. “My dad knew she was being framed. He knew she changed her name and was emancipated at seventeen. He knew her father was an alcoholic and a habitual gambler who had anger issues. He knew everything about her, and I didn’t. She didn’t share anything with me, but never hesitated to let me fuck her.”
Now that I know the truth, I feel hurt and confused. Why wouldn’t she share her past with me? What was she afraid of?
Gage chimes in as he starts the treadmill. “Maybe look at this situation in a different light. That is a lot of personal stuff you don’t share with someone right away. That’s something you wait to share until you have been dating for a few months. You two weren’t dating.”