Page 21 of The Secret Crush Book Club (Peach Blossom #3)

Dani took that comfort and strength with her as she walked up the stairs to Jordan’s room.

She was happy that Ava was out, and Vini was out of the country, so there wouldn’t be any interruptions.

She would probably fill them in later on, but for now, it was just her and Jordan.

When Dani got to his door, she knocked softly and called out to him.

“Hey, kiddo. You ready for me to come in?”

“Yeah,” Jordan replied, his voice muffled from behind the closed door.

Dani pushed it open slowly, just in case he wanted to change his mind.

When she saw him, he was sitting on his bed, towel wrapped around his shoulders and in a pair of oversize basketball shorts.

His chin was on his knees, and he had wrapped his hands around his shins, hiding his face.

Everything about him screamed that he was not okay, and Dani closed the door behind her, giving them privacy so they could talk.

She gave him a minute as she walked over and sat down beside him on the bed.

“Are you ready to talk about what’s going on?” she asked, pitching her voice softly as not to startle him. She wasn’t surprised when he didn’t lift his head.

“Dad’s getting married.” Jordan’s voice was still muffled but Dani heard him clearly.

She schooled her face to hide her shock.

She had known that eventually this day would come but she wasn’t expecting to find out about it from Jordan.

She and Jacob had always had an agreement that when they started dating someone seriously, they would let each other know.

It was an agreement that held when he started dating his most recent girlfriend—or she guessed she should say fiancée .

The only reason she hadn’t brought up Zoey was because it was still new, and they hadn’t had the serious talk that Dani felt they needed to have before making such a big decision.

She figured it would also be different because technically Zoey and Jordan had already met in some capacity.

But she wasn’t going to be a hypocrite and introduce her to Jordan as her significant other without having the conversation with Jacob first. Or, she hadn’t planned to.

Maybe she could reconsider things, given the fact that she was the only one seemingly playing by the rules that they had set together years ago.

“I can see how that would be upsetting,” she said gent--ly. Dani had always tried to be diplomatic in her discussion of Jacob around Jordan. Even if she wanted to curse his name, she kept it PG and saved that for the group chat or when she knew Jordan was nowhere in listening distance.

Jordan lifted his head and glanced over at Dani.

His eyes were red rimmed and still shiny with unshed tears.

It tore at Dani’s heartstrings to see him so upset, especially considering he had been around Jacob’s now fiancée for the past few years.

There had to be something more he wasn’t telling her for him to be having this visceral of a reaction to something that was honestly probably inevitable.

Dani didn’t expect Jacob to stay single or unmarried for his entire life.

She didn’t really expect much from him these days as it was.

“I thought you liked Evelyn,” Dani said. She reached out and ran a hand through Jordan’s curls, hoping the familiar touch would help soothe him into explaining more about what his issues truly were with this news. “Were you two not getting along?”

Jordan shook his head before lifting it fully and dropping his feet back on the floor. Dani took it as a good sign that he was no longer curled up, as if trying to protect himself from blows. “She’s fine. It’s just that I didn’t know that she was pregnant too.”

That threw her for an even bigger loop. Why the hell would Jacob throw that information on Jordan all at once?

Hell, she was an adult with no residual feelings for Jacob and even she was thrown for a loop.

As much as Jordan seemed like a well-spoken and mature kid, he was still just that: a kid.

He required a little more consideration before just dropping bits of news on him.

“Ah,” Dani intoned. “I see how that would be rough. It’s a lot of information to throw at you, kiddo. But I’m sure your dad thought you would be excited for them.”

Jordan looked at her as if she had said the most ridiculous thing in the world, and Dani knew she was missing something vital. “Did you know?”

She shook her head. “No, I had no idea.”

“What about the fact that they’re naming the baby Jacob?”

Oh, fuck. Dani didn’t know how to take that.

She knew that Jacob had always wanted to name a child after himself, similar to how Dani was named after her dad.

But to do it after they already had a child seemed like an asshole idea, considering Jordan had no idea what was going down to begin with.

When Dani didn’t immediately respond, Jordan took up his previous position curling in on himself and closing away from the world.

It hurt Dani to see him like this, but she wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Jordan, you know your dad loves you,” she said, thinking quickly. “I’m sure he didn’t announce that to hurt you.”

“Can I have some time by myself?” Jordan asked softly.

Dani had to strain her hearing just to hear him.

She wanted to say no. She wanted to make him talk more so she could understand exactly where his head was at, but she had always prided herself on giving Jordan space when asked.

She wanted him to feel comfortable coming to her and that meant not pushing all the time.

She had to pick and choose her battles with him, and this was a battle that she knew she needed more information to win.

She nodded, though he wasn’t looking at her, before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug and kissing his forehead like her dad had done for her.

“I’ll just be in my room so don’t hesitate to come get me if you need me, okay?”

Jordan nodded but didn’t say anything else.

With a heavy heart, Dani dropped her arms and stood up from the bed.

She walked to his door, glancing back at him, her heart hurting at the way that he clung to himself.

She wanted to go back, grab him and pick him up like she had when he was a toddler and hurt himself.

But just like everything else, the change in their dynamic was inevitable.

She opened the door and left his room, closing it softly behind her. She had some calls to make.