Page 101 of Faking with Three

“Well,” Marcus says, grabbing another donut and taking a bite. “Aren’t we supposed to be feeding the pregnant one instead of letting her feed us?”

I know I’m going to be alright.

CHAPTER 31

JAX

The car ride is quiet,except for the faint hum of the radio playing something upbeat that neither of us is really listening to. Adam sits in the passenger seat, staring out the window, his backpack resting in his lap. The silence isn’t uncomfortable exactly, but it does feel oppressive.

It wasn’t like this at the ice-skating rink. Back then, before I knew he was my son, we talked more. He laughed more. I didn’t overthink every word, didn’t second-guess myself the way I do now. Now, every interaction feels loaded, like I’m trying too hard to be something I’m not sure I know how to be.

Heather is back in town. She arrived yesterday and texted me right away. But I haven’t been able to bring myself to text her back. How am I ever going to explain all the mess to her?

As if my thoughts summon her, my phone lights up with a text from her.Have you heard from Olivia?

I frown. What’s that supposed to be about?

I ignore the text, and turn to Adam.

“So,” I say finally, breaking the silence as we pull up to a stoplight. “You looking forward to school today?”

Adam shrugs, his eyes still on the window. “I guess.”

I grip the steering wheel a little tighter, nodding to myself. “You know, school wasn’t exactly my favorite when I was your age. But I always had hockey and football. Played professionally for a while before… well, life had other plans.”

That gets a small reaction—a shift in his posture, his gaze flicking to me briefly before returning to the window. “I know that. I knew that when I met you at the rink.”

I can’t help but smile. People rarely recognize me nowadays. “Maybe I’ll play someday too,” he says.

The light turns green, and I ease the car forward, my chest tightening at his words. “You’d be great,” I say, my voice soft but sure. “You’ve got the build for it already.”

He doesn’t respond, but the faint smile stays, and I take it as a win.

When we pull up in front of the school, Adam grabs his backpack and unbuckles his seatbelt. He pauses for a moment, his hand on the door handle, before glancing back at me. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Anytime,” I say, my voice steady even though my chest feels tight. “Have a good day, alright?”

He nods, opening the door and stepping out. As he walks toward the school entrance, he glances back once, lifting a hand in a small wave. I wave back, watching until he disappears inside. Maybe I’m not completely screwing this up.

My phone buzzes in the cupholder, breaking me out of my thoughts. I glance at the screen: Olivia. My heart skips a beat.

I’ve been dying to talk to her, but I know I can’t make contact, not without being dragged back into that mess again. Adam comes first. He has to. The court was pretty strict with orders.

But something about Heather’s text gives me pause. What if this is really important?

I answer the call, trying to even my tone. “Olivia.”

“Jax,” she says quickly, her tone breathless. “I need to talk to you.”

“I’m kind of in the middle of?—”

“I’m pregnant,” she blurts out, cutting me off. “And… you could be the father.”

The world seems to tilt for a moment, my breath catching in my chest. Pregnant. My mind races, trying to process her words. “You’re… pregnant?” I repeat.

“Yes,” she says, her voice trembling slightly. “I just found out. I don’t know how this happened, but… it did. And I thought you should know.”

The thought of being a father again, of having a chance to be there from the beginning this time, fills me with a kind of tentative joy I didn’t expect.

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