AllFreeNovel
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“It’s okay. I just meant, if you trust us, he should be the one to open the envelope.”
“Okay.” I look at him. “Are you good with that?”
“Sure.”
I slide the envelope across the table like it’s loaded and Baxter takes it. My chest feels tight with anticipation even though I know that the chances of Nix actually being mine are slim. She’s so pale – more so than Raven – and even though my skin isn’t that dark, I am mixed race. I just...can’t see myself in any of her features at all.
“Before I do this, I have to ask, does anyone object?”
No one speaks, but Ace opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but then closes it again.
“Aljaž?” Raven asks nervously.
“Yes...No...Hudica!” he barks. “No want.”
“You don’t want to know who the father is? Or you don’t want to be the father?” I can hear the wobble in her voice even though it’s crazy. Obviously it’s not the latter—
“Both.”
My jaw drops and everyone around the table stares at Ace like his head’s exploded. I feel like mine has. Only Baxter looks...understanding? What the hell is going on.
“Can you explain? Please?” Tears glisten in Raven’s eyes but she doesn’t let them fall. I want to sweep her into my arms and simultaneously punch Ace. What the hell is he thinking?!
“No matter who. But me?” Ace shakes his head. “Bad father.”
“Ace! You’d make a wonderful father. You all would. You all do.” Raven insists desperately. “The paper doesn’t change anything, you’re all great dads to Nix already.”
Ace shakes his head sadly.
“Bad genes. Bad family. Bad people.”
“That doesn’t define you, mate,” I say.
“Bad brain,” he replies, tapping his temple. “Stupid. Can’t learn. Don’t...pass on bad.”
“Dude,” Thorn jumps in. “Literally no one here gives a fuck about your learning disabilities.”
“Family say stupid. Can’t learn. Kill or be killed.”
“They are not your family, Aljaž!” Raven cries angrily, the tears flowing down her face now. “WE are your family. Not them. Phoenix would be damn lucky to inherit any of your amazing traits. You’re the kindest, softest, most loving and patient person I know. Everyone around this table has amazing qualities they can pass on to Phoenix, through nurture, not DNA.”
“Yeah, mate,” Rebel chimes in. “Besides, if we use your logic, Nix would already be fucked. She comes from one hell of a fucked-up family.”
While totally inappropriate, it does break the tension, and Raven gives a snort-laugh. Baxter passes her a silk handkerchief to use, because of course he has a damn handkerchief. It’s probably monogrammed. Raven cleans herself up and rounds the table to fall into Ace’s arms. He looks a little placated but still nervous as hell, and I get it. He’s had such a traumatic past, worse than the shitty ‘poor little rich boy’ parental issues of the rest of us – though of course Rebel suffered his fair share of trauma too – that the fear is ingrained in him. But it’s stupid, misplaced, brainwashed bullshit from the people he shares DNA with. I refuse to think of them as his family. As Raven said, we’re his family. And we’re going to need to show him that he’s worthy of being a father to Nix whatever the results inside that envelope say.
“Shall I open it?” Baxter asks. “We can do it another day.”
“Just do it. Right, Aljaž?”
“Ja. Naredi.”
“Okay.” Baxter takes a deep breath and carefully opens the envelope. He removes the stack of papers and slowly reads through the top sheet. I want to snap at him to hurry up, or better yet, snatch the papers from his hands myself, but I force myself to stay calm. It’s not me. It can’t be me. So it’s Thorn, Ace or Rebel. It doesn’t matter. It changes nothing…
But what if it changes everything? If there’s zero possibility that I’m Nix’s father, will Raven still want me around?
“It’s you,” Baxter’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Ace. You’re Nix’s father. Congratulations.”
“Hudica!” He lurches to his feet, almost toppling his chair over in the process, and shoving Raven off his lap.
