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That wasn’t a total lie. He understood now Riley’s desire to tell Blake as close to the truth as possible before she was able to see the whole picture. Jasper didn’t want to lie to Callahan; it didn’t sit right with him, turned his gut.
She wasn’t his forever, but she was carrying his child,whichcould definitely account for his feelings.
“Jace is my twin. Wemet Riley our freshman year at St. Leasing. We were separated from our families, stuck in this small mountain town with no one but each other, you know? Baseball was life, so we spent the most time with our coaches.”
He cleared his throat, wetting his lips before he continued to weave their tale into something that made sense to her human ears. “Eventually our coaches all got married and started popping out kids left and right. They brought us into the fold, and before we knew it, we were honorary big brothers celebrating every milestone together.”
“Jace is engaged to Axie?”
He nodded, keeping his eyes onhis feet, avoidingthe setting sun. “Yeah, engaged and living together. Blake and Riley you already know. Thenthere’sLinc, Maddi,and Allison. They’rethe ones I’m closest with.
“Keller and Molly have twin boys, Bhodi and Riot, Dom and Corey have Hadley, who Riley calls his little sister. Then Pen and Baze haveOliver.”
Jasper couldn’t help his gaze as it slid to Callahan’s stomach. Would their baby join the pack? They weren’t mated.IfCallahan decided to keep it, they’d be co-parenting. Whichmeant joint custody and two separatehomes. At most, their baby would spend every other week with him,andmaybe school breaks and summer months with his cousins.
Theystoodin silence again for a few moments.He missed his pack, but he was nervous to see them. Scaredthey’dtake one look at Callahan and know the tiny heartbeat inside her belong to him.
“They won’t know that you’re the father.”
She said those words like a statement, but he couldn’t help but hear a question in her soft tone as she seemed to pull his thoughts right out of his brain.
“Callie, I uh, I want you to be able to make up your mind all on your own, okay? I don’t want my family giving their opinion or trying to sway you in any way.” He reached over, putting his hand on herarm. “This isn’t me being an asshole or a coward. This is me wanting to give you want you need.”
“What if what I need is for you to tell me what I should do?” Her voice was getting quieter with every word she uttered, slowly breaking his heart and stealing the air from his lungs.
“Is that really what you want? Me to make this decision for all of us?” He’d do it if that was what she actually wanted. He’d hole himself inside his twin’s mountain mansion and wrack his brain day and night. Weigh the pros and cons, ask his brother his opinion, drink and consult with his best friend. He’d do it if she asked himto.
“No.” She sighed, the sound once again coming out like it was painful. “But I would like to know what you want to do. You said it was my choice.” She put her hand on her stomach. “This affects both of us though, doesn’t it?”
That was the million-dollar question.
What did he want to do?
He wantedto do rightby Callahan. And if she didn’t choosetheabortionoption, then he also needed to do right by that baby they never meant to make.
He wanted to save them all; he wanted to have no regrets. Hewanted to make the right choice. “Honestly, I don’t know. I want our kid to have a good life, a great life. I have money, lots of it. I have support. I could raise our baby, and it would be wrapped in love and family and acceptance.”
“But?”
“But.” He licked his lips, glancing her way to catch her bottom lip trembling. “We’re so fucking young. Your parents don’t seem like they’d ever be on boardwith being grandparents under these circumstances,and we barely know each other,Callie.”
He couldn’t give her his full answer because he couldn’t give her the whole truth. She wasn’t his forever. Shewasn’t his mate.
He liked her, he lusted after her, and then he’d fucked her.
That was where that was supposed to end.
He wasn’t in love.
Hewasn’t growling at anyone who dared to get close to her.
He wasn’t enamored.
His shifter wasn’t clawing at his soul, demanding he claim the petite beautystandingnext to him.
He’d made a mistake.
He’d tainted someone who was never meant to belong to him.
