Page 131 of The Renegade Billionaire

“What happened to him?”

She glances down at Pops, then back to me. “Nothing. I can move faster if I’m pushing him.”

“She got in trouble for running twice,” Pops tattles, but by the glint in his eye, I’d say he loved every minute of it.

“Is she okay?”

I nod, then shrug. The truth is, I don’t know.

“I think so. Her doctor was ready for her when we got here, but I haven’t heard anything since she and Cian got whisked away.”

“Right. Okay, that’s normal,” she says, but her tone suggests her mind is elsewhere.

“Mads?” Savvy and Clover barrel into the waiting room, with Sage and Grey on their heels.

“We were finishing practice when Coach B. said Elle went into labor,” Sage says quietly. “Savvy was teaching a class, and we found her in the parking lot trying to unlock her car.”

“She couldn’t drive that way,” Grey grumbles. “So we picked up Clover on the way.” His jaw is tight, and tension has him coiled up tighter than a rattlesnake.

The only pregnancy we’ve ever experienced ended in trauma neither of us ever truly recovered from.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

He nods sharply. “I spoke to your mom earlier. You need to call her.”

The subject change gives me whiplash. Why would I call my mother, and now of all times?

“I fact-checked what she’s saying, but the call is yours.” My best friend’s voice is cold, robotic, and I don’t know how to help him.

This is not a situation I ever thought about, so I doubt he did either, but I know it’s bringing up painful memories that are never far away.

Madison is sitting along the back wall with her best friends on either side, and Grey hands me his phone.

“It’s time-sensitive, so you should go make the call now.”

“What did she want?” I ask.

“There aren’t enough beds or sleeping bags at the shelter, and it’s so cold outside they’ll freeze to death if they don’t have a roof over their heads. She’s asking you to help locate a larger space with more accommodations.”

“That’s…okay. We should do that, right?”

“Yes,” Sage says. “We’ll stay with Madi.” He understands our pain and has his own, but there’s excitement on his face too.

“Are you okay?” I ask him.

“Yes. They’re having a baby. It’s amazing. Think they’ll let me babysit?”

Grey turns to him, confusion clear in his expression, but he quickly schools it. Sage has always been his priority. He’ll bury whatever he needs to in order to support him. And if that meanspretending to be happy about a new baby entering the fold, he’ll do it.

I just don’t know how long he can keep everything locked away like this.

“I’ll just tell Madison,” I say, squeezing both of their shoulders, then walking toward the three excited but nervous friends.

“I have to make a phone call. I’ll be right back. Do you guys need anything?”

Madison looks surprised, but then she tilts her head, looks from me to Grey, and frowns.

“We’re good. I just have to make a phone call,” I tell her.