Page 13 of The Mistletoe Promise

"Do you want something to drink?" I ask, more out of habit than anything else.

He shakes his head. "No, I'm good. Thanks."

We sit down, the silence stretching between us. I can see the tension in his shoulders, the way he's avoiding eye contact. Whatever this is about, it's serious.

"Jax, what's going on? You're starting to freak me out a little."

He takes a deep breath, then finally looks at me. "It's mom."

My heart skips a beat. "What about her?"

He runs his hand down his face, releasing a heavy sigh. “She’s pregnant, Mandy,” he says softly.

My heart breaks, my eyes fill with tears. “What?” I hiss. “Pregnant?” I feel like I've been punched in the gut. The room starts to spin, and I grip the edge of the sofa to steady myself."Pregnant?" I repeat, my voice barely above a whisper. "With... with Aaron's baby?"

Jaxon nods, his face a mixture of concern and anger. "Yeah. She told me yesterday. I couldn't keep it from you."

A hysterical laugh bubbles up in my throat. "Oh my God. This is... this is insane." I stand up abruptly, pacing the room. "How could she? How could they?"

"I don't know, sis," Jaxon says, his voice tight with emotion. "I wish I had answers for you."

I stop pacing and turn to face him. "Does Dad know?"

Jaxon shakes his head. "No, I wanted you to know first. Dad’s going to be pissed, Mandy, he hates her. Thankfully, Cherry will be able to calm him down."

I feel sick, this is too much.

"I can't believe this," I mutter, sinking back down onto the couch. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse..."

Jaxon moves to sit beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Mandy. I know this is the last thing you need."

I lean into him, grateful for his support. "What am I going to do, Jax?"

I wanted to get my life on track. I wanted to move on from this and now this happens? God, what the hell am I going to do?

“Want me to stay with you tonight?” Jaxon asks, his eyes are filled with worry and pain.

I shake my head as I rise to my feet. “No, I’m okay,” I whisper. “I'd like to be alone.”

He pulls me into his arms and holds me tightly. “I’m here if you need me, don’t forget that, okay? Never forget that?”

I nod against Jaxon's chest, feeling the warmth of his embrace. "I know. Thank you for telling me."

After Jaxon leaves, I collapse onto the couch, my mind reeling. The flowers from Frankie catch my eye, and suddenly,there’s only one person I want to see. I grab my phone and dial Frankie's number before I can talk myself out of it.

"Hey, Kitten," his deep voice answers on the second ring. "Miss me already?"

"Can you come over?" I blurt out, my voice shaky. "I... I need you."

There's a brief pause. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes," he says, his tone serious now.

True to his word, Frankie arrives exactly fifteen minutes later. One look at my face and he knows something's wrong. Without a word, he pulls me into his arms, and I break down, sobbing against his chest.

He guides me to the couch, holding me close as I cry. When my sobs finally subside, he gently tilts my chin up to look at him. "What happened, Kitten?"

I take a shuddering breath. "My mom... she's pregnant. With Aaron's baby."

Frankie's eyes widen in shock, then darken with anger. "Jesus Christ," he mutters. "I'm so sorry, Mandy."

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