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Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jared

I’m pacing in my living room, my head pounding harder than it ever has before. I can barely see straight at this point. It’s like everything’s spinning—my career, the team, Savannah, and the whole damn mess I’m tangled in.

I haven’t been sleeping. It’s not even the late nights with the guys or the pressure from the game. No. It’s the weight of all the shit I’ve been keeping bottled up inside. The secrets. The decisions I’ve been avoiding.

The knock on the door startles me. I don’t even move for a second. Then I realize I can’t ignore it.

I open it and find my sister, Jade, standing there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

“What’s going on, Jared?” she asks, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “I just got off the phone with Millie. What the hell is going on?”

I rub my temples, already feeling the tension spike again. “Just...too much, Jade. Too much. You wouldn’t get it.”

She scoffs. “I get more than you think. You’re always being the one who achieves things, but you need to take care of yourself too, you know. You’re not invincible.”

I snort. “That’s rich coming from you.” I glance at her. “What do you want me to do, Jade? Everything’s falling apart.”

She steps closer, reaching up to grip my shoulder like she’s trying to ground me. “You need to have a sit-down with Jamie and Troy. You all need to figure your shit out. This isn’t just about you anymore, Jared.”

I let out a breath, heavy, a little defeated. “I know. I know, but…”

“But nothing,” she interrupts, shaking her head. “You’ve got three guys who care about you, and they care about Savannah too. You’re all in this together. Stop being stubborn.”

I grimace. She’s right. I know she is. But damn it, I don’t want to add to anyone’s burden right now.

“Thanks, Jade.” I sigh, rubbing my neck, feeling the weight of my headache only intensify. “I’ll call them. I’ll get them over here.”

She gives me a pointed look before stepping back. “Good. And take care of yourself. You’re no good to anyone if you’re running on empty.”

I nod, though I’m not convinced I’m capable of taking care of myself right now. “Can I pick your brain about something?”

“Of course,” she says.

“It’s about Noah.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Noah?”

I lean forward, trying to get my head straight. “Look, it’s complicated. Troy and Jamie, we’re all in this together. Savannah’s agreed to help raise Noah with us. But the judge...they want a DNA test before they’ll give anyone joint custody.”

She nods slowly. “And that’s got you all twisted up inside.”

“Yeah. Because both Jamie and Troy feel like they’re Noah’s father, but it’s not like we can just ignore it. The judge wants to know who the biological father is before they make a decision. It’s all tied up in a legal mess now.”

Jade leans back, her arms crossed tight. “So, the judge is basically saying one of them has to be ‘the’ father before they can even think about custody?”

“Exactly,” I mutter, frustration creeping in. “They’re both convinced it’s them, and I get it. But this isn’t about what we want. It’s about what the judge thinks is right. And for us to get the custody we need, we have to figure out who the hell the father is. And it’s a mess.”

She sighs heavily, letting it all sink in. “That’s a huge burden, Jared. You’ve got to be careful here. This is gonna stir the pot with Savannah, too. She’s probably stressed about all of this.”

“Tell me about it,” I growl, shaking my head. “And that’s not even the worst part. Savannah’s still recovering from finding out about the triplets. She doesn’t need any more drama. She doesn’t need us losing our shit over this DNA test. But, hell, we can’t just ignore it. We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

Jade stares at me for a second, and then her expression softens. “Look, you need to talk to Jamie and Troy. You all need to sit down and figure out what the hell you’re doing. This isn’t just about you anymore. This is about her and Noah, too.”

I run a hand through my hair, exhaling loudly. “I know. I know. I was just about to call them. I think we need to lay everything on the table—no secrets, no half-answers.”

Jade nods, her eyes sharp. “Then do it. But don’t just keep pushing yourself. You’re not gonna be any good to Savannah or anyone else if you burn out.”

I feel the weight of everything she’s saying, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I give her a nod, grateful that at least one person in my life isn’t acting like everything’s fine. “All right, I’ll get on it. Thanks for checking in, Jade.”

She stands, “Just...take care of yourself. If something happens to you, Dad will have my head on a pike. And don’t you dare screw this up with Savannah. She’s already carrying a lot, and if you screw her over because of this, I’ll be pissed.”

I give her a half smile. “I know. I won’t.”

She leaves, and I take a breath before pulling out my phone. Time to make the call.

It doesn’t take long before Jamie picks up. “What’s up, man?”

“We need to talk,” I say, getting straight to the point. “I’m calling a sit-down. You, me, and Troy. It’s time to figure this shit out once and for all.”

“About what?” Jamie sounds distracted, but there’s a hint of concern in his voice.

“About everything. The DNA test. The triplets. And what the hell we’re doing with Savannah and Noah. We can’t keep ignoring this. We need to talk about joint custody, who’s doing what, and how we’re handling the judge. It’s not just the game anymore, Jamie. We’ve got to get our heads in the game for her.”

Jamie goes quiet for a moment. I can hear him breathing on the other end of the line. “Yeah...shit. All right. What time?”

“Now. Get Troy and meet me at my place. We’ll hash it all out.”

“On our way.”

I hang up and text Troy. Same thing. He’ll be here soon.

When they both walk in, I cut straight to the point. “The DNA test. The judge wants it, and it’s non-negotiable. They won’t give us joint custody unless we figure out who Noah’s real father is.”

Troy’s eyes narrow. “Wait. You mean we actually have to do that shit? We’ve agreed that we wouldn’t get a test for the triplets, man. So, what does this mean for us now?”

“I know,” I say, grinding my teeth. “But the judge won’t budge. We can’t even get joint custody without this test, and if one of you doesn’t step up as the biological father, we’re fucked.”

Jamie shifts uncomfortably, glancing between Troy and me. “This is bullshit. Both of us have been there for him. Both of us helped raise him. Why the hell should it matter who the biological dad is?”

“Because the law says it matters, Jamie,” I say, trying to keep it together. “We’ve got to figure this out. We can’t afford to fuck this up.”

Troy grits his teeth. “Fine. But I’m telling you, man, this is a line we shouldn’t be crossing.”

I take a deep breath. “I don’t like it either, but it’s what we’ve gotta do to make sure Noah’s future is secure. We can’t ignore it.”

Jamie looks like he’s about to argue again, but he doesn’t. Instead, he nods, giving in. “All right. We’ll do it. But I swear to God, if this messes with Savannah...I’m gonna lose it.”

“It won’t,” I assure him. “But we need to handle this with care. We’ve got to show Savannah we’re still all in this together. We need her to feel like we’re here for her—like we’re a team.”

Troy looks at Jamie, then back to me. “All right, let’s do this. We’ll handle the test, but let’s make sure Savannah feels supported. That’s the most important thing right now.”

I nod, running a hand over my face. “Exactly. And we need to show her we’re thinking about her. We have to send regular updates, let her know we’re all still here, all still in this. It’s not just about the game. It’s about her and Noah, too.”

Troy frowns. “Yeah. We’ll do that. But...she’s got a doctor’s appointment this Wednesday. Who’s gonna take her?”

I’m about to say something, but Jamie cuts in. “I’ll take her. I’ll make sure she’s all right.”

I nod again, finally feeling like there’s a small light at the end of this tunnel. “Thanks, man.”

We all fall silent for a second, the weight of everything still hanging in the air.

Finally, I speak again. “I know I’ve been a shithead, keeping everything to myself. But we need to be a team. For her. For Noah.”