Page 52 of Louder Than Words

“You want to know what’stypical, Gareth? A man crying about his ruined life like he didn’t help make it happen! You knew damn well no protection equals babies. If you don’t want kids, then wrap your dick!” I should stop there and think about what I’m saying… but I don’t. “Some people don’t even get the chance to have the kids they want. Andsomeof us are in courtfightingto keep the ones wedohave all while guys like you get to act like being a dad is some kind of burden.”

Gareth lets out a low, nasty laugh and drags his fingers through his beard. Then he lifts a finger and points right at me.

“Jax, you better tell your girl to watch that fuckin’ mouth of hers.”

Before the words even register, Jax releases my arm and surges forward. His hands clap down on Gareth’s shoulders with a loudsmack, and in one swift, almost blurry motion, he shoves him back into the room and slams the door behind him.

What the actual hell is happening right now?

Though, clearly I’m not the only one confused.

Desmond’s head appears in his doorway, hair sticking up in all directions, eyes barely open. He squints across the hall at James and jerks his chin in his direction.

“When the fuck didyouleave?” he asks loudly.

If I thought I was confused before… this is next-level.

Ana brushes past James, giving him a light shove with her shoulder as she skips across the hall and straight into my room. Then James slinks by me, his hand squeezing the back of his neck as he offers a small, almost embarrassed smile and heads back toward his room with Desmond.

What the hell is going on tonight?

I groan loudly, hands slapping my sides as I spin around and practically run into my room.

All I want to do is reverse time to not even fifteen minutes ago. It was a good night—even amazing. But before I can dwell on that, my eyes land on Nora, perched on the edge of my bed, her head in her hands, sobbing softly. Suddenly, any thought I had vanishes.

Ana sits cross-legged in front of her, one hand resting gently on Nora’s knee.

I slowly cross the room and sink onto the bed beside her, throwing my arm loosely around her shoulders.

“So… what happened?” I ask, keeping my voice soft as I watch her breaths start to slow.

Her hands fall from her face and into her lap. “He’s just a dick!”

Yeah, I kinda figured that one out on my own.

I blink. “Okay, but why? What happenedtonight?”

She wipes under her eyes, taking a slow, shaky breath. “He keeps saying Itrappedhim.”

“Oh hunn—”

“Well, did you?” Ana cuts in.

My eyes snap to her. “Ana!”

“What?” she says with a shrug. “Oh, come on, Allie. Don’t look at me like that. I’m not trying to be a bitch, but… he knows how condoms work.”

I fight the urge to just shrug and nod, but she has a point. He even said when we first met that he’s had plenty of one-night stands. I’m pretty sure that means he knows to use protection… unless there are like fifteen little Gareths running around we don’t know about.

I blink the urge away and shake my head. “Okay, what happened?”

Nora looks between the two of us, and I swear I see that guilty look I know all too well flicker across her face.

“He’s just still upset about our OB appointment,” she says quietly, shrugging like either of us have the slightest clue what she’s talking about.

I raise a brow, crossing my arms tight across my chest. “Yeah, we’re gonna need you to elaborate on that.”

She reluctantly turns to face us, eyes downcast. “When my doctor asked if there were precautions taken before the pregnancy, I was just honest... I said no.”