Page 20

I stomp through the house, finding Alex stepping into the shower in my bedroom withall of her naked, creamy skin on display.

I groan internally and look away before I get sidetracked.

“Hey… I’m heading out for a few hours. I ordered dinner, help yourself.

” I turn and leave before she can respond and work on calling Landon and Nolan until one of them answers.

“Jesus fuck, what?” Landon growls as he answers, sounding groggy.

“What the fuck! Why didn’t anyone tell me that Marie’s pregnant?”

He groans and hangs up on me, so I call Nolan until he answers.

“I’m busy.”

“That’s nice… why didn’t anyone tell me that Marie’s pregnant?”

He snorts. “Because it’s not any of your business, asshole.”

I drive straight to his house and barely pay attention to the road. “Is this why she’s shutting me out? Are you the fucking dad?”

He laughs out loud, “No. I asked her when I found out. We haven’t slept together in over a year, as she reminded me. She refuses to tell anyone who the father is. She’s healthy, safe, and happy, James. She’ll talk to you about it when she’s ready.”

I grunt and park in his driveway. “Take me to her house. I need to see her.”

He sighs and hangs up, meeting me in the driveway a few minutes later. “Let me call her first.” He side-eyes me as he dials her number, pressing his phone against his ear, murmuring lowly with Marie on the other line.

He hangs up and sends me a serious look, twisting in his seat to face me. “If I give you directions to her house, you have to promise me one thing. Never show up unannounced and never tell your girlfriend where she lives. Do you understand?”

I nod immediately and he starts to call out the directions as I drive.

I’m gripping the steering wheel so hard that it feels like it’s going to snap in half. That’s why she’s refusing to drink, why she’s been acting off… not skating.

Christ, I’m such a fucking idiot. How did I not put any of this together?

She probably pushed me away because I never wanted children and wouldn’t be able to handle a newborn, but it’s Marie’s child.

Fuck, she helped me raise the twins since they were born, she stepped up and moved across the country to help me when I came here for college.

Of fucking course I would be there for her.

Just not my damn DNA. Nothing good comes from my DNA except for Caroline and Alyssa and I had help with them.

How would I raise a child with a woman like Alex? That’s one of the reasons why I’m with her, not a maternal damn bone or gene in her body. She doesn’t try to coddle me or mother me, and said before that she never wanted kids.

Say no more, my body, brain, and dick said.

Then again, she’s been bringing up starting a family quite frequently, no matter how many times I tell her I will never, ever agree to having children. As if she could change my mind with a few seductive looks and her flashing her green eyes at me.

I also never told her about my vasectomy.

I need to figure this shit out with Alex, I don’t think it’s working for me.

I want my girls back in my life, I need to prove to Marie that I’m here for her.

Baby or no baby. Always. There’s no way Alex would be cool with Marie moving back in, especially while pregnant.

Fuck, what do I do?

“Turn right here… Okay and here’s the house, the one with the two trees in the front. Park in the driveway on the far right.” I nod as I park and blow out a slow breath as I stare at the house.

It looks big enough for them, a one story with a decent front yard. It’s a gated community, and Nolan gave his name before we passed through the gates. So it’s safe.

We’re on a cul-de-sac and there are only six houses on the street. I would live here. Seems like a calm, quiet neighborhood.

We walk up to the front door and I stare around at the plants and flowers. It’s homey and comfortable. The exact opposite of what my house feels like now.

Nolan walks right in and I scowl at him as I follow. He’s obviously comfortable here, not even knocking on the door.

Is he lying about not being the father? Are they together?

I don’t pay attention to the furniture or the décor. I follow the scents permeating the air from the kitchen and find her in a pair of yoga pants, a tight white shirt, so snug against her growing belly. Her long brown hair is braided down her back.

Damn.

She turns and smiles sadly at me, lips pressed tightly together. Her cheeks are flushed and she looks so blissful and radiant. I guess time away from me has given her room to shine, to come into her own.

Fuck, my head is spinning.

“Hey, dinner is going to be ready soon…” She moves her gaze over to Nolan with a wide smile and she laughs when he hugs her and drops down onto his knees to press a kiss her belly. I feel like I can’t breathe. Why the fuck does that feel like a kick to my balls.

He told me he’s not the father, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t stepped up. Why do I feel like I’m having a heart attack?

“Sounds good,” I clear my throat and look around. The girls are sitting in the living room, watching the TV, ignoring me completely. There’s an older couple sitting on the couch in the middle of them, and a man I’ve never seen before sitting on a chair blinking at me with narrowed eyes.

Right at me.

As if I’m invading his space. Maybe this is the man she’s seeing? I’m so fucking confused. Who are these people? Why do the girls look so comfortable around them?

I tilt my head and glance back over to Marie when she clears her throat.

“Come on, let me introduce you to everyone.” She pads down to the living room and waves her hand.

“Mr. and Mrs. Evans, this is James Carter… James, this is Mr. and Mrs. Evans, they own the house. That over there is Brenton, their son, and funny enough, also my doctor.”

I wave and smile, making sure not to make eye contact with the fellow in the chair, looking right at home. Nolan stalks right up to him and the man stands and they clap each other’s backs. Another punch to my gut and heart.

Even my friends are leaving me, aren’t they?

Marie smiles tentatively at me and glances around. “Well, dinner will be right out. Anyone need anything to drink?”

Brenton scowls at her and points at his chair, “Please sit, Marie. You’ve been on your feet enough today.” She sighs and listens, getting comfortable after he stands and moves to the kitchen, almost shoulder checking me on the way.

When she sits she looks even bigger. Is she due soon? How did I not know she was expecting while she lived with me? She hasn’t been gone that long, right? “I’ll get you some water and I’ll finish the meal. Anyone want a beer?” I hear him call out and I wince as his voice carries.

Is he a good man?

Everyone says no and I sit down in a chair close to the couch, blinking at my sisters.

Neither of them makes a move to say anything to me or even look at me.

I feel like shit. Here they are, choosing Marie because they thought I would throw a fit if she came home pregnant.

Was that what all of the animosity towards me was about?

They really had no faith in me? The girls didn’t even know I never wanted kids. We never talked about it. Is Marie turning them against me? Scaring them into thinking I would just kick out a pregnant woman, the woman that I’ve grown up with? Love more than anything, aside from my sisters?

Mr. Evans smiles at me and nods, the old man seems friendly at least. “Finally, meeting the James Carter in the flesh! Number forty-three! We watch all of your games, sometimes we make it to a home game.”

I smile, thankful for the switch to sports. “That’s great. Let me know the next time you go, I’ll get you upgraded seats, maybe some merch?”

Mrs. Evans claps her hands. “That would be wonderful! Thank you.” They seem sweet, the type of people that Marie needs in her life. Not a person like me, dragging everyone down around me, apparently.

Brenton comes back in and passes Marie a bottle of water, moving the coffee table closer to her so she can rest her feet.

He clears his throat at her and cocks a brow until she puts her feet up.

“Excited for the barbecue this weekend?” He asks the room, blatantly in front of me, probably already knowing I wasn’t invited.

Alyssa woops out loud and pumps her fists in the air. “We finally get to know the genders!”

I snap my gaze over to Marie’s belly and tilt my head. “Genders? More than one?”

She nods and wraps her hands around her belly protectively, as if I’m about to steal them away from her.

Her pale, freckled hands cradle it perfectly.

“Yeah… twins. I had Brenton write them down last week at my appointment and Nolan and Landon are getting all of the party favors, the cake, and decorations, so it should be unhinged. Only they know. Plus it was a shock, I guess? He just did a quick ultrasound and both babies were in position… So I had him write them down instead of waiting for the twenty-week scan.”

Nolan smiles and chuckles, dancing in his seat. “Landon and I are meeting up in about an hour to finish up the shopping. Once the asshole wakes up from his nap. He had some fun last night.” He chuckles and wiggles his eyebrows up and down.

I clear my throat, feeling more and more uncomfortable here. Left out, even more alone. This isn’t my life anymore, I guess. How have I fucked up so badly in my life? “How far along are you?”

Marie chews on her lip, glancing over to Nolan for support. “Eighteen weeks. I know I look double that, but these will be some big babies.”

Brenton chuckles and nods. “She told me about how large the father is and I’m estimating, even if they come a little early, they’ll be top percentile, or close to it.”

I glance between the two of them, they look so close, almost as close as she’s always been to Nolan, even before they started fucking. My chest is constricting and I feel like I’m going to pass out.