"Are those boys mine?" The question comes out low and dangerous, barely controlled. My heart pounds so hard I can hear it in my ears.
29
MIA
Jack's question hangs in the air between us like a live grenade with the pin pulled.Are those boys mine?His hazel eyes bore into me with an intensity that makes my knees weak, demanding an answer I'm not ready to give. My mouth opens but no sound comes out.
Before I can force words past the lump in my throat, the study door bursts open.
"Mom! Can we have dessert now?" Rory's voice carries from the hallway, loud enough to shatter the tension. "Grandma said we have to ask you first!"
"Please?" Corey adds, his quieter voice following his brother's enthusiasm.
I step back from Jack, my heart hammering against my ribs. The reprieve feels like a stay of execution, temporary but desperately needed. Jack's jaw tightens with frustration, but he doesn't stop me as I slip past him and out of the study.
In the kitchen, Linda has already started cutting slices of apple pie while the twins hover nearby with the eager anticipation only nine-year-olds can muster. Their hazel eyes, so like Jack's, gleam with excitement as they watch their grandmother work.
"Small pieces," I manage, my voice sounding remarkably steady considering my hands are shaking. "It's a school night."
"Your mother's right." Linda's smile doesn't quite reach her eyes as she glances between Jack and me. She knows something significant just happened in that study. "Why don't you boys take your pie to the dining table?"
Rory and Corey grab their plates and race off, their footsteps thundering through the house. I lean against the counter, gripping the edge until my knuckles turn white.
Jack emerges from the study, his expression carefully neutral, but I can see the storm brewing behind those eyes.
Marcus appears in the kitchen doorway, his timing impeccable as always. He moves to stand beside me, his hand finding the small of my back, making my skin crawl even as I force myself not to flinch away.
"Everything okay?" Marcus's voice carries false concern. His fingers press slightly harder against my spine.
Jack's gaze drops to where Marcus is touching me. His jaw clenches so hard I'm surprised it doesn't come unhinged. The muscle in his cheek twitches with barely controlled anger.
"Fine," I say, stepping away from Marcus under the pretense of getting water. "Just tired."
"Long day," Marcus agrees, following me across the kitchen. "The boys were so excited to meet their grandfather. It's good for them to have family connections."
The emphasis on "family" isn't lost on anyone in the room. Linda busies herself with wrapping leftover pie while Jack stands rigid near the doorway, his hands clenched at his sides.
From the living room, I hear Robert's voice calling the twins over. The sound of his laughter mixing with Rory and Corey's excited chatter makes my chest ache with a complicated mixture of joy and guilt.
"We should probably get going soon," I say to no one in particular. "School tomorrow."
"I'll walk you out," both Jack and Marcus say simultaneously.
They stare at each other across the kitchen, the testosterone practically visible in the air between them. If this were a cartoon, they'd be circling each other with their hackles raised.
"That's not necessary," I interject quickly.
"I insist." Marcus's smile doesn't reach his eyes. "It's dark out. You shouldn't walk to your car alone."
"I'm perfectly capable of walking Mia to her car," Jack says, his voice dropping to that authoritative principal tone that brooks no argument. "I was just leaving anyway."
Linda clears her throat loudly. "Why don't you both let Mia say goodbye to her father in peace? I'm sure she can manage the twenty feet to her car without an escort."
I shoot my mother a grateful look. She returns it with a slight nod, though worry creases her forehead.
In the living room, Robert sits in his recliner with Rory perched on one armrest and Corey on the other. They're showing him something on Corey's phone, probably a video game or YouTube clip. The sight makes my throat tight.
"We need to go, boys," I say softly.