Page 40 of Doc's Decision

The very thought sends a shiver of panic down my spine.

I'm just starting to figure out this whole pseudo-stepmom gig.

Throwing another baby into the mix? Yeah, no thanks.

Sera cocks her head, a thought occurring to her. "Speaking of babies... any word on Tania? She's gotta be ready to pop any day now, right?"

Zoe grins, nodding. "Oh, she popped alright. My dad had to rush her to the hospital earlier. You should've seen him. I've never seen the tough bastard so frazzled. It was high-grade comedy, I'm tellin’ you."

We all bust out into a fit laughter, the heaviness of the moment temporarily lifted. But even as we joke and gossip, my mind can't help but wander.

Wander to thoughts of the future, of the dangerous, thrilling, uncertain path I'm hurtling down with Doc and his son.

This life, this world, these people... they're starting to feel like home.

Almost like they’re my family.

That realization is as terrifying as it is exhilarating.

The sudden ping of Zoe's phone jolts me from my thoughts.

She glances down at the screen, her face splitting into a wide, joyful grin.

"It's my dad!" she announces excitedly, her eyes scanning the message. "The baby's here! A little girl. They named her Jinx Reign."

"Jinx Reign," Sera repeats, testing the name on her tongue. "I like it. Strong name for a strong girl."

"She's gonna need to be strong, growing up in this world," I muse, my gaze drifting to Kash once more.

Zoe follows my line of sight, her expression softening with understanding. She reaches out, placing a gentle hand on my knee.

"Hey," she says quietly, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "Can I ask you something? About you and Doc?"

I swallow hard, my heart rate picking up speed. "Sure. What's up?"

Zoe hesitates, choosing her words carefully. "You two seem to be getting pretty serious. Have you... have you talked aboutthe future at all? About your job, and how it might fit into his life?"

The question hits me like a sucker punch to the gut. I feel the color drain from my face as a cold, sinking realization washes over me.

No. We haven't talked about it. Not in detail at least.

In the whirlwind of new love and hot sex and playing house, the logistics of our vastly different lives haven't even been a blip on the radar.

Now, with Zoe's words ringing in my ears, I can't ignore the glaring truth.

I'm a porn star, an adult entertainer.

I fuck my best friend for a living, for all the world to see.

And Doc... Doc is part of this.

Part of the club, the brotherhood.

A world of old-school values and fierce, uncompromising loyalty.

Can my job ever truly be accepted by him?

Fuck. Why haven't I thought of this before?

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