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Hell, there could be another man that Matteo views as a father figure.

My fingers tighten as I grip the back of my head harder. I can’t let my mind spiral like this when I don’t know. I don’t have all the information and the first step is getting the results of the paternity test.

After that is when I can worry about what comes next and what Andi’s relationship status is.

On a ragged exhale, I slowly remove my hands from the back of my head, lifting my forehead away from the steering wheel as I open my eyes. It’s well into the evening now and the sun is slowly beginning its descent beyond the horizon. Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, I let out a curse and grab my phone.

I was supposed to be at Lincoln’s house twenty minutes ago for dinner. I’m sure they expected me to be fashionably late like I normally am, but the girl’s wanted to eat early enough so we could all get some rest tonight. They know the life of playoffs and the importance of sleep and making sure there are no outside distractions.

So much for my life aligning with that right now.

I open the group chat with the boys and immediately wince when I see the string of messages I’ve missed from Rowan, Nash,and Lincoln. Caleb passed on the monthly dinner tonight, but there’s still a message from him.

I open his first.

Caleb

How did it go?

Carson

As well as expected. She agreed to the paternity test and I’ll have the results sometime next week.

Caleb

Good. You’ll be glad you had it done, regardless of what the outcome is.

Carson

I know. I just don’t know what I’m going to do after I know for sure.

Caleb

Worry about that when the time comes. There’s nothing you can do about it right now, so you need to focus on what you can control.

Carson

Like how I play.

Caleb

Right.

Just let that be your distraction right now. We’ll figure out the rest of the shit after we get through this.

Carson

To war and back.

It’s a phrase my brother and I have always said to one another since we were kids playing hockey together. We’re not necessarily going to war, but when we all step on the ice together, we’re all fighting the same fight. The guys are more than just teammates. They’re like brothers and we all have each other’s backs.

We win together and we lose together. We give everything we have and battle against the other team as if they are our enemy. Together we fight and together we protect.

Caleb

Always

Closing out the message thread with my brother, I open up the group chat and see a dozen messages from the three other guys. Caleb is in the chat, but he has it muted on his phone. I know he checks in periodically, but I think he’d rather not be bothered by the shenanigans going on in there.