Page 92 of Triplet Babies for Pucking Christmas

“That’s a big accusation,” Savannah says, trying to keep her tone even. “Maybe he couldn’t tell you.”

“Bullshit,” I snap. “We’re supposed to be a team, a family. You don’t keep shit like this from your family.”

Savannah stands, one hand on her belly. “Guys, calm down. This isn’t helping. Let’s just…”

The sound of the front door opening cuts her off. Jared walks in, the dog trailing behind him, and hell, he looks like he’s been through the wringer. There are dark circles under his eyes, his tie is loosened, and his hair’s a mess.

He doesn’t even wait for us to start. “I assume you’ve heard the news.” His voice is low, almost tired.

No shit. I cross my arms, waiting for him to explain. But he doesn’t, not yet.

Instead, he walks straight to Savannah, cups her face with one hand, and presses a soft kiss to her lips. His other hand settles on her belly like it belongs there. “How are you, sweetheart?” he murmurs.

Savannah whispers back, “I’m fine. Been sleeping most of the day.”

It’s sweet, sure, but I’m too pissed to care. “Respectfully,” I cut in, my voice sharp, “can you tell us what the fuck is going on?”

Jared straightens, his hand falling from Savannah’s belly. His eyes meet mine, and there’s a flicker of something—guilt? Regret? Hell if I know.

“I couldn’t say anything,” he says finally. “I was under an NDA.”

“Bullshit,” Troy snaps. “We’re talking about having a family together, Jared. Families don’t keep secrets.”

Jared’s shoulders tense. “You think I wanted to keep it from you? You think I liked knowing this was coming and not being able to warn anyone?”

“Well, you sure as hell didn’t do anything to stop it,” I fire back.

“Enough!” Savannah steps between us, hands raised like a goddamn referee. “This isn’t helping. We’re all stressed, but yelling at each other isn’t going to fix anything.”

Troy ignores her, pointing at Jared. “You’ve been so busy playing boss, you forgot about the rest of us. You think you’re the only one dealing with shit? We’re all trying to hold this together, Jared.”

Jared’s eyes narrow. “And what, you think you’ve been doing better? You wanna talk about responsibility? Because last I checked, I’m not the one who…”

“Don’t,” Troy growls, stepping forward. “Don’t even fucking go there.”

“Go where?” Jared challenges, his voice rising. “Say it. You’ve got plenty to say, don’t you?”

“You’re supposed to be taking care of Savannah, but instead, you’re off playing corporate puppet!” Troy shouts back.

“And you’re such a fucking saint?” Jared shoots back. “You think hanging around makes you the hero? Get real, Troy. I’ve been handling everything while you sit here playing house.”

“That’s enough!” Savannah shouts, her voice cracking.

But it’s too late. The air is thick with tension, the kind that doesn’t go away with an apology.

Jared takes a step back, his face tight, like he’s holding himself together with duct tape. “You know what? I’m done. You wanna point fingers? Fine. You figure this shit out without me.”

And just like that, he’s gone.

The door slams behind him, and Savannah’s shoulders shake as she sinks onto the couch, tears streaming down her face. Troy and I stand there, stunned, not knowing what the hell to do next. Everything’s falling apart, and I don’t know how to fix it.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Savannah

I stare at the door Jared slammed shut, my chest feeling like it’s caving in. The silence he left behind is deafening. I glance at Troy and Jamie, who are both standing there like statues, and the frustration bubbling in me boils over.

“What the hell just happened?” I snap, my voice breaking. “Do you two even realize how messed up this is?”

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