Renee

I slipped quietly through the front door, praying I could get through the foyer and upstairs before running into anyone. I didn't have the energy to face the guys; all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and never come out.

I had one foot on the bottom step when a voice behind me spoke.

"Ren."

It was Matt. I froze at the bottom of the stairwell, letting out a long breath between my teeth. Then I slowly turned around, bracing myself for the awkwardness I knew would come next. He was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning up against the wall, arms folded over his broad, muscled chest, one ankle resting over the other as he stared at me. I couldn't read his expression.

"You're home early," I noted, hoping the crack in my voice didn't give me away. Matt continued to watch me, then shook his head.

"I was off at five this evening. It's been my schedule."

"Oh." I felt like an idiot. Normally, I'd know the very minute one of my men was off work. Not anymore, apparently.

"I'm going to go take a bath," I said. Matt straightened up and opened his mouth as if getting ready to say something. I waited, hoping for something, anything, that might lessen the strangeness between us. But as I stood there, he closed it again and nodded.

"Enjoy your bath."

With a sigh, I made my way up the stairs and into my bedroom, locking the door behind me. I never locked it, and kept an open invitation to any of the three of them. But tonight, I needed some privacy. Not that any of them would bother checking in, anyway.

"It's just you and me right now, baby," I whispered, placing a hand on my belly. I stripped down and went into the bathroom to turn on the warm water, adding some bubble bath and salts to help me relax. I took my hair out of its ponytail and allowed it to cascade down my back before stepping into the tub and closing my eyes, wishing beyond anything else that things were different between us—between all of us.

I was getting my pajamas on after the bath when there was a quiet tap on the door. I stood there for a moment, listening, wondering if I should answer it or just pretend to be asleep. I didn't want to see Matt again, and I wasn't too keen to see Aaron, either. Although he'd made it a point to stay as far away from the house as possible if he thought I might be there. That left one person.

"Hi," I said, swinging open the door for Jake. He smiled, that beautiful smile making my heart melt just a little bit. I stepped inside to let him in and then closed the door behind us. I couldn't help but to fall into his arms when he stepped forward to embrace me, and for a long moment I just cried, sobbing into his chest, inhaling the scent of him, relishing in the comfort of his arms.

"Hi, baby," Jake whispered, his lips resting on top of my head. "How are you?"

"Great," I lied, and my voice cracked as I continued to cry. Jake led me to the bed and we sat down as he held me, stroking my hair, murmuring sweet nothings in my ear.

"You're too good to me," I whispered as Jake wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I don't deserve you."

"You deserve better than me," he said. "And definitely better than them."

I said nothing to this. Part of me knew he was right, while the other part of me wondered if I was the bad guy in this situation. I was accidentally pregnant, and I didn't even know whose baby it was. I had kept Aaron from taking a job offer that could have potentially made his life better, and things between Matt and me had never been worse. Did I truly deserve better, or was I just as bad as them?

"How's baby today?" Jake asked, resting his warm hand on my belly. I melted into him, closing my eyes, wishing the other two felt this away about our little munchkin as well.

"I've been nauseous all day," I admitted. "Can't keep anything down. The warm bath helped, though."

"Are you staying hydrated?" Jake asked, his serious eyes scanning my face. I smiled.

"I'm trying to."

"It's important you take care of yourself, Ren," Jake said, and for once, I didn't even mind the lecture. At least someone gave a shit.

"I will," I promised. "I—I was going to bring all three of you to baby's first OB appointment, but I don't foresee Matt and Aaron being interested in going. So, would you like to go with me?"

"Baby, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Jake rested his lips against my forehead and kissed me. "I'm sorry about the other two."

"Not your fault," I said with a half-hearted shrug. "I'll invite them anyway, but I guarantee nothing." Feeling the fatigue wash over me, I laid down on the bed, patting the blanket next to me for Jake to join me. He laid down, too, wrapping me in his arms as he pulled me against his torso.

"You're beautiful," he murmured in my ear. "You're simply glowing."

The soft sounds of Jake's breath and the steady rise and fall of his chest were lulling me into a gentle sleep when a knock on the door startled us both. I sat up quickly, heart pounding as I turned to face the door, wondering who could possibly be interrupting this fragile moment of peace. Jake rose beside me, ready to stand between me and any potential threat.

"Who is it?" I called out, trying to keep my voice steady. There was a brief pause before Matt's voice answered from the other side.

"It's me, Ren. Can we talk?"

I exchanged a worried glance with Jake before nodding hesitantly. Jake squeezed my hand reassuringly before getting up to let Matt in. As soon as he stepped into the room, I could feel the tension crackling in the air, thick and heavy with unspoken words.

"Ren, we need to talk," Matt began, his expression unreadable. I braced myself for whatever was coming, my heart racing in anticipation and fear.

"Okay," I managed to say, urging him to continue. Matt took a deep breath before speaking again, his voice low and controlled.

"I know things have been... difficult between us lately. And I'm sorry for my part in that. But we can't keep avoiding each other or pretending like nothing's wrong."

I nodded slowly, feeling a lump form in my throat as I tried to find the right words to respond. Before I could speak, Matt continued, his eyes searching mine.

"I want us to try and work through this, Ren. For the baby's sake, if nothing else."

Matt's words hung heavy in the air, a mix of hope and uncertainty swirling around us. I could see the sincerity in his eyes, a glimmer of vulnerability that I hadn't witnessed in a long time. It tugged at something deep within me, a flicker of the love we once shared trying to reignite amidst the chaos that now surrounded us.

"I want that too," I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. Jake stood by my side, a silent pillar of support as I navigated this delicate conversation with Matt. I could feel his hand gently squeezing mine, offering strength and reassurance in his quiet presence.

Matt let out a breath he seemed to have been holding since he entered the room, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. "I don't expect things to go back to how they were overnight," he said, choosing his words carefully. "But we can try to make things right, one step at a time."

I nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope beginning to blossom in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for us to mend what had been broken between us. For the sake of the child, if nothing else.

"I'm willing to try," I said softly, meeting Matt's gaze with a mixture of determination and trepidation. It was a tentative first step, but it was a step nonetheless.

Jake remained silent beside me, his presence a grounding force that gave me strength to face the uncertain path laid out before us. As the three of us stood in the room, a heavy silence settled over us, punctuated only by the sound of my uneven breathing. Matt shifted on his feet, his gaze flickering between me and Jake, uncertainty clouding his features. I could sense the weight of his unspoken words hanging in the air, each one a reminder of our shared history and the fractures that had formed between us.

"I'm glad you're willing to give this a shot," Matt finally spoke, his voice tinged with a mixture of relief and apprehension. "I know it won't be easy, but we owe it to ourselves and to the baby to at least try."

I nodded slowly, feeling the magnitude of his words sink in. This was our chance to rebuild what had been shattered, to piece together a future for our growing family. But even as hope flickered within me, doubts lingered at the edges of my thoughts, whispering reminders of past hurts and broken promises.

Jake's hand found mine, his touch grounding me in the present moment. I turned to look at him, finding solace in the steady warmth of his gaze. His silent support spoke volumes, a silent vow to stand by me no matter what lay ahead.

"We'll take it one day at a time," Jake's voice broke through my turmoil, his tone gentle yet firm. "And we'll figure it out together."