Page 78 of Cross Check Daddies
None of us moves. I see Cam’s shoulders sink slightly, eyes locked on the floor.
Ace exhales and looks at Brooke, and his voice breaks. “I’m just saying I need a minute to think.”
Brooke blinks fast, lips parting like she wants to respond, but no sound comes out.
Ace nods to himself, “I just need space. Not because I’m mad. Not because you did anything wrong. I just need to get my head on straight.”
He turns and walks out before anyone can stop him.
Cam hesitates, torn, but follows him out with a muttered curse.
And just like that, it’s quiet again.
Brooke stares at the door, breathing fast. Then her whole body folds forward, and she darts to the bathroom. I hear her retching before I can even move.
I follow, rubbing her back as she clutches the sink.
“Hey. It’s okay. Let it out.”
She wipes her mouth, trembling.
I pull her into me, wrapping both arms around her.
“He’s just shocked,” I whisper into her hair. “That’s all. It doesn’t mean anything more than that.”
She doesn’t answer. She just leans against me, crying without sound, shaking like the truth finally broke open every crack she was trying to seal shut.
And I just hold her just like I promised I would.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Cam
I don’t think.I just move. The second the door slams behind Ace, I’m right after him, boots slamming down the steps two at a time. He’s already halfway across the lot, storming toward his car. I shout his name, but he doesn’t stop.
“Hey,” I bark louder. “Ace, stop.”
He doesn’t even look at me. I jog to catch up, grab his arm, and yank him back. “Man, what the hell are you doing?”
He turns, and that’s when I see it. His face. The sharp panic behind his eyes. Not anger. Not frustration. Only fear. Pure, deep-seated fear is written into every line of his face.
“Ace,” I say, letting go of his arm, hands open now. “You knew this was a possibility. We all did. So why are you reacting like this?”
“I can’t do this again,” he says. His voice is low, almost cracked.
“What do you mean ‘again’?”
He rubs his jaw, steps away like he’s trying to outrun his own thoughts. “This... this isn’t just about the kid, Cam. It’s about her. It’s always about her.”
“Then talk to me. Breathe. What is this really about?”
His gaze cuts back to me, and when he speaks, it’s not loud.
“It’s just like Daisy.”
I stare at him, confused. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
His eyes are glassy. “I was in love with Daisy’s mom. Before she was married. Before any of this. We were... it was real. Or I thought it was. Then my brother—my own brother—swooped in, married her, moved away, had Daisy. I wasn’t even invited to the damn wedding.”
