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“Tell him, Grace,” Archer ordered. “Or I will.”

“This is ridiculous,” she spat. “I’m a grown woman and I should be able to tell him when I’m good and ready, Archer.”

“Oh, for fucks sake,” Archer growled. “She’s pregnant,” he shouted. Jon wasn’t sure if he had heard Archer correctly, even with all the yelling.

“You’re pregnant?” he breathed.

“Yes,” Grace said. “I’m sorry, I know that we weren’t planning this, but as soon as I realized that I was late, I took the test and it was positive,” she sobbed. Jon felt like he was going to be sick. He had quickly done the math and if she was pregnant, that meant that she probably had gotten pregnant when they were back in the states, just the two of them.

“It’s mine, isn’t it?” he asked. “Is that why you told Archer the news and not me? Were you going to tell me at any point, Grace, or was this news just for your husband?” He looked between Gracie and Archer, not sure what the protocol for getting your best friend’s wife pregnant was. Hell, they were still working out the details of their relationship, and what they’d even call each other was still a mystery. She and Arch had a defined relationship—they were husband and wife. But who was he to either of them in all this mess?

“I’m not sure who the father is,” she whispered. He could tell that Grace knew that he was right, she just didn’t want to hurt Archer. “And I was going to tell you, Jon. Archer was just here when I finished taking the test and he found me crying. Of course, I was going to tell you.”

“Guys,” Archer said. “This isn’t a bad thing. A baby wasn’t part of the plan right now, but sooner or later, we would have had a family. We’ll just need to figure out a few things before he or she gets here,” Archer said. “I don’t care who the father is, Jon. We’ll do this thing together. We can both be the baby’s father.” Jon knew that wouldn’t work. What happened if one of them didn’t like the way the other parented? Or what if the kid showed one of them favoritism? Feelings were bound to be hurt at some point and the only solution he could come up with was to walk away from the both of them now.

“I can’t do this, guys,” he said. “I thought that I could, but I can’t. I want for you both to raise the baby together.”

“Wait—what does that mean, Jon?” Gracie asked. She reached for him, and he pulled his arm free.

“It means that you and Archer are married and while this was fun, it can’t amount to anything. We can’t tell anyone what we’re doing together and now, there’s going to be a baby in the mix.”

“We’ll navigate our way through all of this,” Archer promised. That was always Archer’s go-to phrase, but Jon didn’t see a way of that happening now.

“Okay,” he said. “When this kid is in school, how will we explain our family to the teacher? Will the other parents even let their kids play with ours after they find out that he or she has two dads and a mom? This is just too unconventional and won’t be fair to our kid. He or she deserves better, and I can make sure that happens—by walking away now.”

“That’s the dumbest fucking thing you’ve ever said, Jon,” Gracie shouted. “We came all the way to France to see if this thing between the three of us could be real. We agreed to give this a go, and now, you’re just going to walk away. Is that what you’ve come to? Things get to be too much for you, and you leave, Jon?” She was egging him on, trying to make him feel guilty over leaving them, but it wouldn’t work.

“You’ve got the mom guilt thing down pat, Gracie,” Jon chided. “But it won’t work on me. I won’t be made to feel like any of this is my fault or something that I need to stick around for.”

“This is your fault,” Archer said. “You promised to give this a shot and now, you’re just giving up. You got Grace pregnant and you’re going to leave her and the baby? That makes this all your fault, man,” Archer yelled. “This isn’t like you, Jon.”

“See,” Jon said, trying to keep his cool. “You don’t know what I’m like anymore, Arch. You stopped hanging around me once Gracie chose you. The two of you were so wrapped up in each other, I became invisible until you just couldn’t ignore me anymore,” Jon said. “Then, you showed up at my doorstep and begged me to help you seduce your wife. You wanted me to be a part of this because what the two of you had wasn’t working anymore, Arch. Just admit that much to yourself. Take some of the blame here, man.”

“Fuck you, Jon,” Archer shouted. Grace put herself between them as the two seemed to clash and that was the last thing Jon wanted. He worried that she’d get hurt and he backed down.

“Gracie,” he said. “You shouldn’t do that,” he chided. “Archer and I would never want to hurt you.”

“Why do you think that I stepped between the two of you, Jon?” she asked. “I know that you’d never want to hurt me or our baby. Please, just think about all of this before you just walk away from the two of us. We love you, Jon. I love you. I don’t think that I’ll be able to get through any of this without you—I need you both by my side through this pregnancy.”

“I just need some time to think this all through,” Jon said. He took a step back from her and the sob that escaped her chest nearly did him in. He wanted to turn around and tell her that everything was going to be all right. He wanted to promise her and Archer that he was going to come back to them, but he couldn’t.

“If you walk out that door, don’t come back, Jon,” Archer spat.

“Arch,” Gracie sobbed. “Please don’t say that.”

“I mean it, Grace. If he leaves, we’re all done. You and I will find a way to raise the baby and he’ll be out of our lives for good,” he said, pointing a finger at him. Jon nodded and grabbed the bag that he had packed earlier. He was going to catch a different flight home and then, he’d clear out of their house.

“I’ll pack my stuff once we get back to the states and find a new place to stay,” he said.

“You don’t have to do that, Jon,” Grace assured.

“No, it’s fine,” he said. “I heard Archer loud and clear. I’ll miss you Grace,” he said. “I’ll miss both of you.” He left, shutting the door behind him and Jon knew that was the last time that he’d see either of them. The two people who each held half of his heart would never lay eyes on him again and that hurt like a son-of-a-bitch.

* * *

Jon walked into his parent’s house, using his spare key, and put down his suitcase. He had texted his mother before he got off the plane, once it landed back in the states, and asked her if he’d be able to stay with them until he found a new apartment. Of course, his mother pointed out that she didn’t know that he had moved out of his old place, but he promised to explain all of that to her as soon as he got there. That might also involve telling her a few white lies to save her from finding out the truth about Archer, Grace, and him, but that was for the best, especially now that it was over between the three of them.

“Hey, Son,” his father said. He looked like he had just woken up for the morning, his newspaper under his arm and a cup of coffee in his hand. Jon would kill for a cup of hot coffee after the sleepless flight that he just had.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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