Mia
Noah left before dawn, slipping out like a ghost to avoid the twins seeing him. The pillow beside me still holds the indent of his head, and I press my palm against it, feeling the lingering warmth.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand. A text from Jack glows in the early morning light: Need to talk. Meet me in the parking lot before school?
My stomach drops like a stone thrown into deep water. Jack doesn't do cryptic morning texts unless something is seriously wrong.
I shower quickly and get the twins ready for school, my mind racing through possibilities. Did someone see us at the mountain resort? Did his daughter Emma find more evidence? Has the school board made a decision about the parent complaints?
Rory chatters about a science project while Corey quietly eats his cereal, his hazel eyes thoughtful.
After dropping them at school, I hurry to the academy. Jack's sedan is already in the parking lot, positioned in the far corner away from the building instead of in his assigned spot. I pull in beside him and cut my engine.
He's sitting in the driver's seat, his broad shoulders tense beneath his dark blue suit jacket. Even from here, I can see the exhaustion etched into his handsome face. When he notices me, he gestures for me to join him in his car.
I slide into the passenger seat, immediately surrounded by his scent. Expensive cologne mixed with coffee and something uniquely Jack that makes my body respond despite my anxiety.
"What's wrong?" I ask, studying his profile. The strong jaw, the way his dark hair is slightly mussed like he's been running his hands through it, and the muscle ticking in his cheek.
Jack turns to face me, and the raw emotion in his hazel eyes steals my breath. "I can't keep lying to Robert."
The words hang between us like a confession. I knew this was coming. Have known since the moment I told Jack the truth about the twins. But hearing him say it out loud makes it real in a way I'm not prepared for.
"Jack ..."
"He's dying, Mia." His voice cracks slightly. "My best friend is dying, and I'm lying to him every single day. About his grandsons. About what happened between us. About everything that matters."
I reach for his hand, threading my fingers through his. His palm is warm and slightly rough against mine. "I know."
"I went to see him yesterday." Jack's jaw tightens.
"He was talking about the twins, how grateful he is that they're in his life now.
How he wishes he'd known about them sooner.
" He turns to look at me fully, and the guilt in his expression mirrors my own.
"He kept thanking me for looking out for you at school. For being a good friend to his family."
The knife of shame twists deeper into my chest. "What do you want to do?"
"Tell him the truth." Jack's voice is firm now, decisive. "Tonight. Together. No more secrets, no more lies. He deserves to know before he dies."
My throat tightens with fear and relief in equal measure. "He's going to hate us."
"Probably." Jack squeezes my hand. "But at least he'll know the truth. At least we'll have been honest with him, even if it's ten years too late."
I study Jack's face, taking in the determined set of his jaw, the way his hazel eyes hold mine without flinching. He's right. We've been cowards long enough.
"Okay," I hear myself say. "Tonight. We'll tell him together."
Jack pulls me across the console and into his arms. I press my face against his chest, feeling his heart beat steady and strong beneath my cheek. His hand strokes my back in soothing circles.
"It's going to be okay," he murmurs against my hair. "Whatever happens, we face it together."
I want to believe him. Want to trust that somehow this will work out. But I know my father. I know his sense of honor and loyalty. Learning his best friend slept with his eighteen-year-old daughter will destroy something fundamental in him.
The school day passes in a fog. I teach my classes on autopilot, going through the motions while my mind spins through worst-case scenarios. During lunch, I text Noah asking if he can watch the twins tonight. His response comes quickly: Of course. Pizza and movies. They'll be fine.
Blake catches me in the hallway between classes, his brown eyes concerned as they search my face. "You okay? You look pale."
"Just tired." I force a smile, hyperaware of students streaming past us. "Long night."
His gaze drops briefly to my mouth, then lower, taking in the curve of my breasts beneath my blouse before snapping back to my eyes. Heat flares between us despite the crowded hallway. "If you need anything..."
"I know." I touch his arm briefly, feeling the solid muscle beneath his coaching polo. "Thank you."
After school, I pick up the twins and drive them to Noah's apartment. He opens the door wearing jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his lean forearms. His green eyes are warm behind his glasses as he greets Rory and Corey.
"Pizza's already ordered," he tells them. "And I've got three movies queued up. Your choice which one we watch first."
The twins race inside, already arguing about whether to watch the superhero movie or the animated one. Noah pulls me aside, his hand finding the small of my back.
"You sure you're okay?" His voice is low, concerned. "You seem tense."
"Jack and I are telling my father the truth tonight." The words come out steadier than I feel.
Noah's expression shifts to understanding. "That's brave."
"It's terrifying." I lean into him slightly, drawing strength from his solid presence. "But it's time. Past time."
He presses a kiss to my forehead. "Call me after. No matter how late."
"I will."
The drive to my parents' house feels like a countdown to execution. Jack follows in his sedan, and I watch his headlights in my rearview mirror like a lifeline. We park on the street and walk to the front door together, our shoulders brushing.
Mom answers before we can knock, her brown eyes immediately worried as she takes in our expressions. "Mia. Jack. I wasn't expecting you guys."
"We need to talk to Dad," I say, my voice surprisingly steady. "It's important."
Something in my tone makes her step aside without argument. She leads us through the familiar house to the living room, where Dad sits in his recliner. He looks just as weak as before, but his blue eyes are sharp as they track our entrance.
"Mia. Jack." Dad's voice carries warmth despite his obvious exhaustion. "Good to see you."
Jack settles onto the couch beside me, close enough that our thighs touch. The contact grounds me. "We need to talk to you about something important."
Mom hovers near the doorway, her hands twisting together. She knows this is going to change everything.
Dad's gaze moves between Jack and me, his expression shifting to concern. "What's going on?"
I open my mouth but no sound comes out. Ten years of secrets, of lies, of running from this moment. How do I even begin?
Jack's hand finds mine, his fingers threading through mine in silent support. "Robert, there's something we should have told you a long time ago. Something about why Mia left ten years ago."
Dad's eyes narrow slightly. "I'm listening."
I force myself to meet his gaze, to see the man who raised me, who taught me right from wrong. "Dad, the reason I left so suddenly after graduation ... I was pregnant."
"Pregnant," he repeats slowly. "With the twins." I'm sure he'd already figured out that. Now for the hard part.
"Yes." My throat is so tight I can barely speak. "I was eighteen and terrified and I didn't know what to do."
"Who's the father?" Dad's voice is carefully controlled, but I hear the edge beneath it. "Marcus?"
"No." I squeeze Jack's hand tighter. "It's Jack."
The silence that follows is deafening. I watch my father's face cycle through emotions too quickly to track. Confusion. Disbelief. Understanding. Then something darker, more terrible.
"What?" The word comes out as a whisper.
Jack leans forward, his voice steady despite the tension radiating through his body. "It happened at the 4th of July party. We ..." He pauses, choosing his words carefully. "We had a brief encounter. One time. Mia got pregnant and left before I knew."
"You're saying … " Dad's breathing becomes labored. "You're saying you slept with my eighteen-year-old daughter? My best friend?"
"I take full responsibility," Jack says firmly. "I should have told you immediately. Should have been honest instead of letting Mia carry this secret alone."
Dad's hands grip the armrests of his recliner so tightly his knuckles turn white. "How long have you known about the twins?"
"I only just found out," Jack admits. "Mia told me recently. I wanted to tell you right away, but we needed to figure out how."
"How?" Dad's voice rises, then breaks into a cough that racks his thin frame. Mom moves toward him but he waves her off. "How about the truth? How about not lying to my face for weeks while I thanked you for looking after my family?"
"Dad, please." Tears stream down my face. "We were trying to protect you."
"Protect me?" His laugh is bitter, hollow. "You were protecting yourselves. Both of you." His gaze shifts between Jack and me, and the betrayal in his eyes is devastating. "My best friend and my daughter. Behind my back.”
"Robert ..." Jack starts, but Dad cuts him off.
"Don't." The word cracks like a whip. "Don't you dare try to explain this away. You betrayed me. You took advantage of my daughter when she was barely legal."
"It wasn't like that," I protest. "I wanted it too. I made the choice."
"You were eighteen!" Dad's voice shakes with fury. "He was thirty-six. My best friend. Someone you'd known your entire life. Someone who should have protected you, not … " He can't finish the sentence.
The silence stretches, heavy with everything broken between us. Mom stands frozen in the doorway, tears streaming down her face.
Dad's breathing is labored now, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His face has gone from gray to an alarming shade of red. "Get out."
"Dad..."
"Get out of my house." His voice shakes with rage and something that sounds like heartbreak. "Both of you."
Jack stands, pulling me up with him. "Robert, please. Let's talk about this."
"There's nothing to talk about." Dad points a trembling finger at the door. "You're no friend of mine, Jack Lewis. And you … " His eyes find mine, and the pain in them nearly destroys me. "You're no daughter of mine. I want you both out of my house."