My knuckles dig into my chest. There’s an unbearable ache there, and it feels like a loss, but that’s ridiculous. I can’t mourn something that never happened, something I don’t even know for sure that I wanted.
But as she stands to go with Grey following closely behind, I know it is.
I wanted that baby.
I want a family, my family, all of them, and I want it all with Madison.
“Are you okay?”Madison asks, closing the bedroom door behind her.
I’d made an excuse of needing to pick up a prescription my doctor called in, and only Grey knew I was lying, but he didn’t call me on it as I made my way upstairs to get my keys.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you okay?”
She scans my face, and I know she’s reading all the mixed emotions in my expression, but I can’t shut her out—and I don’t want to.
Madison nods, then pulls the desk drawer open and holds up a package that clearly says Plan B, and my fist digs into my chest again.
“Where—”
“Grey heard us at some point last night, or probably me crying this morning. He drove all over today to find this. He gave it to me in the kitchen after dinner.”
Fucking Grey. I should’ve known. Solving problems is his only love language.
“I’m sorry if he overstepped…”
She places a hand over mine, and I follow her to sit on the edge of the bed.
“He did it because he loves you and kind of tolerates me.” She looks up at me with a smile that’s so sad my heart cracks in two. “His words, not mine. He also said he thinks you’d make a really great dad.”
My throat closes, but it’s for the best. I can’t influence her—it has to be her decision.
“He loves you.” She squeezes my hand, but I can’t tear my gaze away from the package in her hand.
“We’re family.” I guess it’s explanation enough because she nods.
We sit in silence for a long moment. And just when I’m about to ask her what she’s thinking, Sage knocks on the door.
“Uncle Brax? Braxton?” His knocking is incessant and so unlike him, I stand abruptly while Madison shoves the box under her pillow.
Opening the door, I find Sage shifting from foot to foot and Grey taking the stairs two at a time, and my gut sinks.
Somehow, I know they’re going to deliver bad news.
“What’s wrong?”
Madison places a hand in the center of my back, and I immediately tuck her under my arm.
“Well, I’ve been doing something I shouldn’t,” Sage says. He’s squirrely and won’t look directly at me.
“What is it, Sage?” Madison’s always so gentle with him.
“I’ve been kind of cyberstalking his family.” Madison stiffens in my arms. “You know, to make sure they’re not trying to do something shitty to you.”
“We talked about that, Sage.” I focus on him instead of what he’s found when the bad feeling rotting in my gut intensifies.
“Tell him,” Grey says. His hands are in his pockets, which means this is serious. He always hides his fists when he can’t compose himself.
“Okay, so your dad not only spread lies about Archie. He’s also trying to get the school that Anastasia is working at shut down, but he’s blaming her for it, and as far as I can tell, she’s actually invested in the kids there. And she’s been staying with a single dad whose kid goes to the school. That was shocking, but a completely other story. And now there was a fire on the farm where Archie is, and he’s been arrested for arson, but we both know that’s not his style. Plus, rumor around that small town in Maine is that he’s getting cozy with the widow and the kid.”
