Page 112 of Just Like That

When he pulled open the door, the noise expanded with Ben and Tillie talking over each other to say hi to Teddy. Without so much as a backward glance, he was gone.

I hung back, still staring at the envelope, as Hazel thanked Sloane. My sister-in-law leaned in to give Hazel a quick hug and offered me a tiny wave before she left.

Hazel walked back toward me, her eyes trained on the envelope in front of me.

We stood, shoulder to shoulder, and she sighed. “Are you ready?”

It didn’t matter if I was ready or not. Whatever truth that lay within that envelope wouldn’t change. It didn’t care about my feelings.

Without a second thought, I ripped open the envelope and unfolded the papers.

My eyes scanned, searching for the words I was looking for.

Beside me, Hazel sucked in a breath and whispered, “I don’t understand.”

My eyes fell to the words she had read.

Probability of Paternity: 0%

I stared at the zero like a black hole sucking me in.

“What does that—but ...how?” Hazel’s voice cracked and my heart cracked alongside it.

I read the paper aloud. “The alleged father, John Pierce King, is excluded as the biological father of the tested child, Theodore Adams. Although paternity is excluded, there is a significant number of shared alleles between John King and Theodore Adams across multiple loci. This suggests a close biological relationship, but is not consistent with a father-child relationship. Probability of paternity: 0%.”

Hazel shook her head. “I don’t understand all of the science words.” She snatched the paper from my hands. “What is it even saying?”

Despite the panic rising in her voice, mine was painfully cold. “Keep reading.”

Hazel’s worried eyes flicked back to the paper as she continued reading, “Probability of paternity: 0%. However, the relatively high number of shared alleles may indicate that John King is a close relative, such as a half sibling (sharing one biological parent), to Theodore Adams.”

The pit in my stomach expanded with every word she read aloud.

“JP?” She was on the brink of tears. “What does this mean?”

Frustration got the better of me. My head snapped up, and sharp words were on my tongue. “It means I’m not his father. I’m his ...” I could barely say it. “I’m his fucking brother.”

I watched in horror as I witnessed the ghost of another life in her eyes.

Another life where the letter confirmed I was Teddy’s father and we laughed. Where I scooped her up and hugged her as we excitedly planned how to tell Teddy the incredible news.

But that life was gone.

He had taken that from me.

My spine was steel and my steps wooden and I reached for the envelope. It crumpled in my fist as I strode to the door.

“Wait. JP!” Hazel called after me, but I didn’t stop. “Wait, where are you going?”

With the door in my hand, I glanced back at her. My tone was cold and hard. “My father has some explaining to do.”

My foot stompedthe accelerator as I wove through highway traffic toward the prison where my father was still being held.

“I don’t give a shit if it’s after visiting hours. You’re his attorney. Get me in a room with him.Now.” The venom in my voice dared Dad’s attorney to have the audacity to not line up and follow my orders.

I hung up the phone without waiting for an answer.

My hands gripped the steering wheel as blind rage drove me toward the county jail. By the time I got there, Dad’s attorney was already waiting for me.

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