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Andrew went on. “They said the best they’ll get her on is third degree rape. It’s a class C felony, and prison time is a possibility, but the lawyer doesn’t think she’ll go to prison.”

“Of course she won’t,” Nolan said flatly. “They told me the odds of getting a conviction at all were slim. Because how do you convince a jury that a woman raped a man?”

“I know. It sucks.” Andrew sighed. “But the lawyer does think that with multiple people testifying, that’ll categorize her as highrisk on the sex offender list. She’d be a Level 3—the kind that are likely to reoffend.”

“So she’d have to register?”

Andrew nodded. “I’m not sure for how long, but it would be at least a few years.”

Nolan rubbed the back of his neck and pushed out a breath. “What’ll happen to the kids?”

“The two that aren’t mine?”

“Yeah.”

“My name is on their birth certificates,” Andrew said. “I’m the only father they’ve ever known.” He shook his head. “I’ll never forgive Leann for anything she did, but it wasn’t their fault. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still their dad. Nothing will change that.”

That seemed to shake something loose in Nolan.

“She liked to hold that over my head,” he admitted softly. “That Zoe might be mine. That was—the night of the rehearsal, when this all went down, I wanted to tell her to get paternity tests. I thought, fine—call her out, tell her to do a paternity test, and then she can explain why I’m the father of your kid.” Nolan deflated again. “But she kept dangling that thing about accusing me of assault. And also… I was so scared I’d fuck up Zoe’s life.”

“I get it,” Andrew said quietly. “I… God, I can’t even imagine being in your position.”

“It sucks.” Nolan looked right in his brother’s eyes. “I need you to tell me straight—did it take the other guys coming forward for you to believe me?”

“No,” Andrew said without hesitation. “No, I… I meant what I said. Her story started falling apart, and I figured it out. I was in denial for a while—too long—and I was fucking ashamed that I’d—God, Nolan. I’ve beenmarriedto your fuckingrapistthis whole time. I didn’t know how to process all that.”

“I’m sorry,” Nolan whispered. “This all blew a giant crater in your life, and—”

“Don’t.” Andrew shook his head. “I wish you’d told me sooner, but… I mean, I get it. And I can’t promise I’d have believed you. I didn’t believe you last year, even though I can’t think of a single reason you would’ve made up something like that.”

Nolan still looked pained, as if all the shame were tumbling back onto his shoulders.

I squeezed his arm. “This isn’t on you, baby. None of it is.”

“I could’ve said something.”

“She could’ve, you know, not assaulted you.”

“But I could’ve—”

“Don’t do that to yourself, Nolan,” Andrew said unsteadily. “If any of this is on you, then even more of it is on me.”

Nolan stared at him, eyes wide.

Andrew exhaled. “The signs were there. They’ve been there all along. I just didn’t want to believe them. Who wants to admit they married a woman who was capable of…” His face crumpled, and he pushed out another breath. “Jesus fuck, Nolan…”

Nolan regarded him silently for a moment. Then he got up, and he tentatively crossed the room. When he stopped, Andrew sat back a little, as if he thought Nolan might take a swing at him. Instead, Nolan gestured for him to get up.

Andrew hesitated, but then he did, his knees shaking visibly as he rose to face his brother.

And then… Nolan hugged him.

Andrew sagged against him. He didn’t make a sound, but I could almost feel him breaking apart in Nolan’s arms.

“I’m so sorry,” he finally said.

“I know. Me too.” Nolan loosened his embrace. “I know it’s not my fault—what happened—but I’m sorry it’s thrown your whole life out of whack too.”

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