AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You?” I asked again, incredulously. “You’re a dad?”
The news was punch-you-in-the-face, no fucking way, totally unbelievable. At least to me.
“Umm-hmm.”
“You…” I repeated again, looking at Jax.
“Yes, me,” Jax replied sharply. For a second, he actually appeared wounded. “Why? Don’t you think I could—”
“Oh, it’s not that you couldn’t,” I interjected quickly. “I’m quite sure that you could. Physically, anyway. I just, well… I guess I just don’t see you in that role.”
He’d been here for twenty whole minutes that felt like an hour. In that time I’d learned a lot of things about both of them, and them about me. We’d filled in some gaps, caught up on some missing time. With a bit of prompting on Adrian’s part, I’d even told them a little something about my project. The one I’d left two perfectly good jobs to work on.
“So what poor woman carried your child?” I asked, still not totally believing him. “And do I know her? I’d like to send her some flowers, or my condolences, or…”
My sentence died a slow death as I saw their faces. Adrian and Jax were staring at each other, with two of the most somber expressions I’d ever seen.
“What?”
None of them spoke, further deepening the mystery. My eyebrows damn near knitted themselves right off.
“C’mon, you’re putting me on, right?”
Another few seconds passed. I was starting to get worried.
“Well, I’d love to stay for more of this rampant nerd-fest, but I’ve gotta run,” Jax said abruptly. He bounced up from the chair he was sitting in, and headed for the door. “Call me if she drowns you in boredom,” he told Adrian.
“You look good leaving,” I shot back. “Great, in fact.”
“And you look very pretty,” Jax smirked. “Not at all gross, tonight. At all.”
The door closed, and silence descended over the cozy apartment. I turned toward Adrian.
“What the hell was that all about?”
He stared at the door for a moment, perhaps waiting to make sure his friend was gone. Eventually he turned to look back at me.
“Jax’s daughter’s name is Emma,” he said, in a low and even tone. “He has her three nights a week, and every other weekend.”
“Wow, I’m shocked,” I admitted. “But I still don’t—”
“She’s both his daughter… and his niece.”
The statement didn’t register immediately. I had to process it more than once.
When I did, my heart leapt into my throat.
“You mean…”
“Jax lost his brother Jason, recently,” said Adrian. “Car accident. Totally fucking brutal. Had to be a year ago, now.”
A wave of nausea swept over me. “Oh my God. That’s awful.”
“It is, but it gets worse,” Adrian sighed. “His sister-in-law died in the crash, too. Emma wasn’t in the car, thank God. But the accident left her parentless.”
I felt like total and complete shit now. All I could do was look at the door.
“Jax was able to co-adopt his niece, along with his sister-in-law’s sister, Jennifer. She’s got primary custody of Emma, actually. But since she’s a trauma nurse, and almost always on call, they split the time according to their busy schedules.”
