31
The morning came like a whirlwind, Jay barely having slept through the night. The tension in his body was palpable, and the weight of Abby's revelation from the night before gnawed at him like a persistent itch he couldn't scratch. He had spent hours turning over everything in his mind—how to handle the DNA test, how to deal with Abby's betrayal, how to even begin to make sense of it all. But nothing could prepare him for the chaos that awaited him outside the hotel room door.
He walked into the lobby to grab some coffee, his eyes heavy with exhaustion, when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out without thinking, only to be met with a notification—a headline splashed across his screen.
NFL Star Jay Halstead's Secret Marriage Revealed: Expecting Baby with Unknown Woman
Jay's chest tightened, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. His eyes scanned the article, disbelief washing over him as he read through the details. Apparently, Abby had already spoken to the press. She'd spilled everything—about their marriage, about the baby.
And what made it worse? No one had known he was married. No one. Not a single soul outside of his immediate family, and now this. His whole life was suddenly on display, his personal world splattered across the headlines.
His head started to spin, and the edges of his vision blurred as the anger bubbled up, hot and fast. This wasn't supposed to happen. He hadn't even confirmed if the baby was his, and here it was, all over the news. He hadn't even had the chance to wrap his head around the situation, let alone figure out how he felt about it.
He stormed back to his room, barely registering the people around him as he moved, each step heavier than the last. His hand shook as he threw open the door, slamming it shut behind him. His phone was still in his hand, the screen flashing with more notifications from news outlets and fans, all questioning the same thing.
Is this his baby?
Jay threw the phone down onto the bed with a grunt of frustration, his heart pounding in his chest. His mind raced, thoughts colliding with each other, but one thing was clear: Abby had betrayed him. Not just by keeping their marriage a secret, but by thrusting their lives—his life—into the public eye before he was ready. And the worst part? He still didn't even know if the baby was his.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and Will's voice came through, low and cautious. "Jay? You good in there?"
Jay didn't answer immediately, his mind reeling, trying to make sense of the chaos. He ran a hand over his face, taking a deep breath before he unlocked the door. Will stepped inside, looking at him with a mix of concern and confusion.
"What the hell happened?" Will asked, his eyes flicking to the phone on the bed, then back to Jay's face, reading the frustration etched there. "Jay, you okay?"
Jay shook his head, running his hand through his hair. "This… this is insane, Will. I—" His voice caught, and for a moment, it sounded like he might break. "Abby… she went to the press. She told them everything. The marriage, the baby—everything." He let out a frustrated sigh, trying to control the rage bubbling beneath his skin. "And no one even knew I was married. Nobody knew, Will. And now—now this? I'm already on every damn headline, and I haven't even done the DNA test yet."
Will's face softened, but his expression was still tight with concern. "Damn, Jay. That's… that's a lot."
"I don't even know if the baby's mine," Jay snapped, his voice rising, frustration turning to anger. "I still don't know, and I'm supposed to sit here and let her tell the world about it like it's some damn fact?" His hands balled into fists, the tension in his body escalating.
"Alright, alright," Will said, stepping closer, his tone firm but calm. "We'll get this figured out. But you need to get a grip, man. We'll do the DNA test, and we'll go from there. But you can't keep letting her control this, Jay. Not like this."
Jay's breath was ragged, his chest tightening with each word. Will was right. But how could he keep his composure when everything felt like it was spinning out of control?
"They don't care, Will," Jay muttered, his voice bitter. "The press, the fans—they don't care if this is real or if I even know what the hell is going on. They've already made up their minds. And now? Now I've got to face it all while I'm still trying to figure out what the hell Abby's playing at."
Will nodded, though his face remained serious. "You don't have to go through this alone, Jay. We'll handle it. The test is going to give you the answers. And then we figure out what to do next."
Jay looked at him, his eyes dark with frustration and fear. "I'm not ready for this, Will. I don't know what to do with all of it. But I'll do the test. I just need to know the truth."
"We'll get that truth," Will reassured him. "But for now, let's take a step back. You need to take a breath."
Jay nodded stiffly, still seething, but unable to deny that Will's steady presence was a reminder that he wasn't in this alone. "Thanks, man. I don't know what the hell I'm doing right now."
"You don't have to know," Will said with a small shrug. "You just need to do what's right for you—and the baby. We'll figure it out."
Jay's gaze drifted back to his phone on the bed, the flood of messages from the press only making the pit in his stomach grow deeper. "Yeah," he muttered. "One step at a time."
Jay barely had a second to breathe before his phone started vibrating again, the sharp buzz cutting through the tension in the air. He glanced at the screen, his jaw clenching at the name flashing across it.
Antonio Dawson.
Of course.
He exhaled through his nose, snatching the phone off the bed and answering with a clipped, "Yeah?"
"Are you kidding me, Halstead?" Antonio's voice came through the line, tight with barely restrained frustration. "I wake up to half a dozen articles about you having a secret wife and a baby on the way? What the hell is going on?"
Jay dragged a hand down his face. "You think I have an answer for that?" he snapped. "Because I'd love to hear it too."
Antonio let out a sharp breath. "You told me Abby wasn't saying anything. That's what she told you, right? So explain to me why I'm getting calls left and right about this mess."
Jay's grip on the phone tightened. "Because Abby's a liar, apparently. She told me the same thing—said she wasn't going to the press, said she wanted to keep things private. And now? Now, I wake up to my entire personal life plastered across every damn headline. So don't act like I'm in control of this, because I sure as hell am not."
Antonio didn't respond for a second, and when he did, his voice was quieter but no less tense. "Look, I handled the team, alright? Told them to keep it locked down, no statements from your end until we get a grip on this."
Jay let out a bitter laugh. "Great. That'll stop the media from making up whatever the hell they want, right?"
"Jay—"
"No, seriously," Jay cut him off. "You think they care what the truth is? They've already decided. I'm some liar, some guy who hid a marriage and abandoned his pregnant wife—doesn't matter that I don't even know if the kid is mine yet."
Antonio sighed heavily. "That's why you need to get ahead of it."
Jay pinched the bridge of his nose, irritation and exhaustion mixing into one. "How exactly do you suggest I do that?"
"For starters, do the damn DNA test today," Antonio shot back. "And stop letting Abby get the upper hand on this."
Jay swallowed back his frustration, knowing Antonio wasn't wrong. "It's already set for today."
"Good. Now, until you get the results, keep your head down. No statements, no reactions. The last thing you need is to give them more to twist."
Jay let out a slow breath, nodding to himself. "Yeah. Alright."
"Jay." Antonio's voice softened just slightly. "I know this is a mess. But you don't have to let her run the narrative. You do the test, you get the truth, and then you decide what happens next. Not her. You."
Jay exhaled, some of the tension in his chest easing, even if just slightly. "Yeah," he muttered. "One step at a time."
"Exactly."
Jay hung up, his head still spinning, but at least now, he had a plan.
The test was happening today. And after that? The truth—finally.
Erin wasn't usually one to check the tabloids.
She knew better. Knew that most of it was nonsense, twisted half-truths designed to sell clicks. But when she grabbed her phone that morning, still groggy and wrapped up in her blankets, the flood of messages made her stomach turn before she even knew why.
Kim:Tell me this is bullshit.
Nadia: WTF, Erin?! Are you okay?
Trudy: Call me.
Her brows furrowed as she scrolled, the pit in her stomach growing with every new message. And then she saw it.
NFL Star Jay Halstead's Secret Marriage—and Baby?! Who Is the Mystery Woman?
Her breath caught in her throat.
She sat up abruptly, the blanket pooling around her waist as she tapped the link with slightly shaky fingers. The article loaded in an instant, bright red headlines and intrusive photos filling her screen.
Jay Halstead, the Chicago Bears' golden boy, has kept a major secret under wraps—until now. Sources confirm that Halstead has been legally married for years to a woman named Abby Warren, who is now reportedly pregnant with his child. While neither Halstead nor Warren has publicly commented on their relationship, the news has already sent shockwaves through the sports world, leaving fans wondering: What else is Jay Halstead hiding?
Erin's grip on her phone tightened, her pulse thrumming in her ears.
Married?
Pregnant?
She forced herself to keep scrolling, barely registering the grainy photos—an old shot of Jay in uniform, a blurry picture of Abby outside what looked like a café. The article had little substance, mostly speculation, but it didn't matter. The damage was done.
Her breath came out in a slow, unsteady exhale.
She shouldn't be reacting like this.
A bitter laugh bubbled up before she could stop it.
So much for honesty.
Erin didn't hesitate. She barely registered what she was doing before she was pressing Kim's contact and bringing the phone to her ear.
It rang once.
Twice.
"Tell me you knew about this," Kim answered immediately, her voice sharp, cutting through the morning haze. "Tell me he told you something—anything."
Erin let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "I didn't know," she admitted, her voice quieter than she wanted it to be.
Kim cursed under her breath. "Erin…"
"I woke up to the news like everyone else." Erin swung her legs over the edge of the bed, pressing her fingertips to her temple. "I don't—I don't even know what to think right now."
"You're kidding me." Kim's voice was pure disbelief. "He didn't say a word? Not even a hint?"
Erin swallowed, her throat tight. "No. And we talk, Kim. Every night. He calls me just to hear about my day."
Kim scoffed. "Yeah, well, I'd love to hear what he has to say about this."
Erin pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't even know what this is yet." Her voice wavered, frustration bubbling up, tangled with something dangerously close to hurt. "I mean, married? A baby? What the hell, Kim?"
Kim exhaled sharply. "Look, I don't want to tell you what to do, but if I were you? I'd be demanding some goddamn answers."
Erin let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, don't worry. I will."
She just had to decide whether she wanted to hear them.
Jay was starving for her.
For her voice. For her understanding. For any piece of her that still belonged to him after this goddamn disaster.
His pulse was a hammer against his ribs as he stared at his phone, the article burning in his mind like a brand.
He didn't hesitate—just pressed call, gripping the phone so tightly his knuckles ached.
Erin answered on the third ring.
"Jay."
Just his name. But not in the way he needed to hear it. Not soft. Not teasing. Not his.
"Erin, please," he rushed out, his voice raw, frantic. "Just—just let me explain."
"You mean lie?"
His stomach dropped.
Her voice was sharp, all edges and fire, and it hit him harder than any tackle he'd ever taken.
"I wake up to the entire world talking about your wife and your baby, and you didn't think I deserved a goddamn heads-up?" she snapped, her breath ragged. "How could you not tell me you were married, Jay?"
"I didn't think it mattered," he said quickly, his voice cracking under the weight of it all. "Erin, it was 24 hours—"
"That's not the point."
She was furious, and she had every right to be.
Jay pushed a hand through his hair, pacing the hotel room like a caged animal.
He was coming undone, unraveling at the seams. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't.
"I swear to you, Erin, I wasn't hiding it," he said, his voice desperate. "It was a mistake. A stupid, reckless mistake that lasted a day. I thought it was over. I thought the papers were signed—"
"But they weren't." Her voice wavered. "So what? You've been married this whole damn time, and you never even thought to mention it?"
Jay let out a sharp breath. "It never crossed my mind because she didn't exist to me anymore. I swear, Erin. You know me."
"Do I?"
The words were a whisper, but they hit like a gunshot.
His heart squeezed, panic clawing at his throat.
"Erin." His voice was rough, frantic. "I need you to believe me. I need you to know that you are the only person I want. The only one I—"
He stopped himself before the words crashed out, before he said something he couldn't take back over the phone when she was this mad, this hurt.
Erin exhaled sharply. "And the baby?"
Jay's jaw locked. "I don't even know if it's mine."
Silence. And then—
"Jesus, Jay." Her voice cracked, but she covered it with frustration. "So, what? You just—you're gonna figure this out and then what? Pretend none of this ever happened?"
"No." His voice was firm. "I'm gonna take the test. I'm gonna get answers. And then I'm gonna fix this."
A bitter laugh. "Fix what, exactly?"
"Us," he said without hesitation, his throat tight. "You and me."
Erin didn't say anything for a long time. His chest was heaving, his hands clenched at his sides, and he wanted to be there, in front of her, where she could see how wrecked he was. Where he could touch her, ground himself in her.
But all he had was silence.
Until—
"I don't know if that's something you can fix, Jay."
His stomach twisted. "Erin, please—"
"I need time." Her voice was quiet now, and it scared him more than her anger. "I can't do this right now."
Jay's eyes shut, his breath coming out in uneven, shaky exhales.
Time.
She needed time.
And it was the last thing he had to give.
Jay's entire body went cold at the finality in Erin's voice. The silence between them was heavy, like it had all been building to this moment. He didn't know what to say, how to make her understand, how to make her see just how much he was willing to fight for them.
"Erin," he whispered, barely able to get the words out. "I don't want time, I want you." His voice cracked, and it made his stomach churn with the raw desperation he felt. "I can't breathe right without you."
She was quiet for a long moment, and Jay could feel the weight of the silence crashing down on him like a tidal wave. Every second felt like an eternity.
"So you left for this?Said you loved me and kissed me and went dealing with this? " she finally said, and her words were like a knife to the chest. The soft, hurt way she said it—it broke something inside him.
Jay's pulse was racing, the weight of Erin's words crashing down on him like a wave. He could barely find the words, and the last thing he wanted was to keep lying to her. But Erin's voice—sharp, angry, and hurt—was cutting through him.
"Erin, please…" Jay's voice cracked, but he wasn't sure if he even had the strength to say anything else. He wanted to explain, to make her understand, but how could he when everything felt like a nightmare?
"Don't," Erin snapped, her voice tight with rage. "Don't even try to defend yourself right now. You think I'm just supposed to understand all of this? That I'm supposed to be okay with you disappearing without a word, kissing me like you cared, and then going off to deal with some mess I had no idea about? I had to find out through the news, Jay. The news."
Jay felt his heart tighten. He wanted to scream, to tell her it wasn't like that, that none of this was what he planned. But how could he say that when it was true? He didn't even know he was still married until yesterday.
"Erin, you don't understand," he said, trying to steady his breath. "I didn't know. I didn't know." He could feel his chest tightening with frustration. "Abby told me. She told me yesterday—yesterday, Erin—that the papers were never filed. That we're still married, legally. I had no idea." He let out a shaky breath, the weight of the revelation still sinking in. "I swear, if I had known, if I had any idea this was even still hanging over me… I never would've let you find out this way. I never wanted to hurt you."
Erin was silent for a long moment. Jay could hear the slight crackling of the phone line, the pause stretching between them, each second like a weight pulling him under.
"Married?" Erin finally whispered, and Jay could feel the disbelief in her voice. "You're telling me… you're still married, Jay? After everything we've been through, after we've talked about our future, and you didn't even think to mention that you were married to someone else? And now I find out through the press? Through some article where I'm the other woman?" Her voice cracked with the last part, and Jay felt the sting of every word.
"I didn't know, Erin. I swear I didn't," Jay repeated, his voice desperate now. "I didn't know until yesterday. I had no idea, and I should've told you the moment I found out, but I didn't want to drag you into this mess. I was trying to protect you, trying to keep it from affecting us. But I see now how badly I screwed this up."
Erin's anger was palpable, but it was mixed with something else—something that hurt even more than her words. "You think you can just protect me by lying to me? By not telling me about your wife? I don't even know who you are right now, Jay. You left without a word, and then you expect me to just understand why you couldn't tell me? You didn't think that was important? You didn't think I deserved to know?" Her voice broke with frustration.
"You did baby, and I'm-"
"Don't call me baby!I am so mad Jay, but I think I'm even more upset than all.I trusted you."
Jay's throat tightened at her words, and he could feel the sting of them deep inside him. He swallowed hard, trying to find the right words, but his mind was racing too fast to catch up. Erin's trust, her hurt, it all hit him harder than anything else.
"Erin, please… I'm sorry. I never wanted to break that trust," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He took a deep breath, his hands gripping the phone like it could somehow keep him grounded. "You have to believe me, I never meant to hurt you. This whole thing… I didn't know until yesterday. I didn't know any of this was still hanging over me. Abby, she—she didn't even tell me. I didn't want this, I swear. I didn't want to keep anything from you, but now I don't know how to fix it."
Erin's silence on the other end of the line made him feel like he was suffocating. He could hear her breathing, deep and even, but it didn't feel like the calm he was hoping for. It felt like a storm about to break.
"So you had sex with her..seven months ago?"
"Erin,I-"
"I'm not mad at that,we didn't even know each other.But god Jay,this is-it's too big.I-"
Jay breathed deep,interrupting her. "Erin I'm so desperately in love with you that I'll pack my things and rush back to Chicago if you ask me to.I don't-I can't lose you."
Erin's breath caught in her throat at Jay's words, the weight of his confession sinking in like a heavy stone. She could hear the desperation in his voice, and for a moment, it almost broke through the walls she'd built up.
But then the reality of everything crashed back down. The secrets, the lies, the things he'd kept from her.
"You can't come back here." She sniffed,"You have a wife..a child in the way maybe.You should take care of that."
Erin's breath hitched as Jay's words sank in, the weight of everything he'd just revealed hitting her like a cold wave. She could hear the desperation in his voice, but it wasn't enough to undo the hurt. The secrets, the lies, the things he'd kept hidden from her—all of it was overwhelming.
Jay's voice cracked, full of regret. "Please, Erin… don't cry. I can't stand it."
But Erin didn't know what to say. The words felt hollow in her chest, her heart aching in a way she couldn't fix. "You don't get it, Jay. You think you can just come back and fix this? You think I'm just supposed to forget everything?"
"I never meant for any of this to happen," Jay pleaded, desperation thick in his voice. "I swear, Erin. I was trying to protect you, I didn't want to hurt you, but now I realize how much I've messed up."
Erin wiped her face, the sting of tears mixing with the frustration building inside her. "You didn't protect me, Jay. You kept me in the dark. And now I'm the one who looks like a fool—the other girl—while you're out there with your wife and your kid. I'm just… nothing to you, aren't I?"
"No," Jay gasped, his voice barely above a whisper, "Erin, I never wanted you to feel that way. You mean everything to me."
Erin took a shaky breath, her emotions a mix of anger, hurt, and heartbreak. "I trusted you. You didn't think I deserved the truth? You didn't think I deserved more than this mess?"
"I'm sorry," Jay's voice faltered. "I am truly sorry.And I love you.I know it's not enough.But I do."
"I-"Erin voice was raspy,he could almost feel the tears that were streaming down her face,it killed him."I left the key you gave me at the guardian.I don't want it.I-"
"No,no.No,I want you to have the key.Erin I wanted you to move in with me and-"
"You have bigger things to face now.Bye Jay."
Jay stood there, the phone pressed to his ear, his heart sinking with every passing second of silence. The weight of her words hit him like a punch to the gut, each one sharper than the last. He had no idea how to fix this. He never imagined it would come to this—the silence, the finality in her voice.
"Erin… please," he whispered into the dead air, but it was too late. The call had ended.
He stared at the screen for a long moment, as if willing the call to somehow come back. But it didn't. And in that moment, he realized just how far he'd fallen. He had pushed her away, kept secrets, lied, and now it was all unraveling before him.
His hand shook as he dropped the phone to the bed, feeling the hollow ache in his chest, the emptiness that was so much worse than the anger she'd thrown at him.
Jay sank down onto the edge of the bed, his head in his hands as the weight of everything hit him full force. He had spent so much time trying to protect Erin, trying to shield her from the mess he had created, but now all he had done was drive her away.
"God, what have I done?" he muttered to himself, feeling the sting of the words echoing through his mind. He knew he had messed up, but hearing her voice, so broken and betrayed, was a reminder of just how much he had lost.
He could still hear her voice in his head, the raw emotion, the hurt. It tore him apart. She deserved so much better than this. He had promised her everything, and now he had nothing to offer her but his regret.
He thought about her—about the way she made him feel like he could be a better man, the way she had trusted him, and how he had thrown it all away. The image of her crying, angry and hurt, would haunt him for a long time.
In that moment, Jay realized that the truth, the honesty, was the one thing that could have saved him. But it was too late for that now. And the worst part was, he didn't know how to fix it.
Sleep didn't came for Jay that night.He restlessly stared at the ceiling until it was morning enough to get up and get this done.He met Will outside the hotel,his bloodshot eyes telling him all that he needed to know."I take that you talked to Erin."
Jay just nodded,gripping his phone as a reminder of the hurtful conversation they had last night."Yeah.I think she hates me."
"She is mad,but I dont think she hates-"
Jay's hand was trembling as he looked at Will, his voice raw with desperation. "I can't… I can't keep doing this, Will," he whispered, his words thick with emotion. "I can't just sit here, pretending everything's okay, when Erin's out there, angry and hurt because of me. I need to fix this. I need to be with her."
Will took a step forward, his face a mixture of concern and frustration. "Jay, I get that you're in pain, but you can't just ignore everything else. You can't leave this situation with Abby unresolved. We're going to the doctor, and we have to face it. It's real. You can't just keep running from it."
"I don't care about the damn test right now!" Jay snapped, his voice cracking as the frustration spilled out. "I care about Erin, Will. I care about her more than anything. I screwed up, okay? I kept secrets, and now I might have a kid on top of everything. But Erin… She's the one I need. She's the one I want." His breath was coming faster now, the panic rising in his chest. "If I don't go back to Chicago, if I don't fix this—really fix this—I'm going to lose her forever."
Jay's shoulders were shaking now, the weight of it all pressing down on him. His eyes met Will's, wide and desperate. "I don't know how to fix this. I don't even know where to start, but I know I can't keep going like this. I'll lose everything if I don't make it right with her."
Will's expression softened, but he still shook his head. "You can't just run away from this, Jay. You've got responsibilities here, too. You can't just leave everything behind. Erin will still be there when this is done, but you need to face this first. She's going to need you, but you need to be stable—whole—before you can fix things with her."
Jay's chest tightened, his breathing shallow as the frustration and panic clawed at him. "I don't care about anything else right now, Will. If I lose her… I don't know who I am anymore. I need her."
Will sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I know. I know you do. But you need to take care of this first, okay? You can't keep running. You have to handle this mess with Abby, with the baby. You don't have a choice, Jay."
Jay stood there, frozen, as the weight of Will's words hung in the air. The idea of staying and dealing with all of this was suffocating, but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to leave without trying to make things right with Erin.
He dragged a hand through his hair, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't know if I can wait… I don't know if I can do this without her. But I'll try. I'll… try."
Will nodded, his expression firm but compassionate. "You're not alone in this, Jay. We'll get through it. But right now, we need to go."
Jay's heart ached as he reluctantly turned to leave with Will, his mind still a storm of thoughts of Erin, of what he'd done, and what he had to do to fix it. But for the first time in days, he knew he had to keep moving forward—one step at a time.
The drive to the doctor's office was tense. Jay sat in the passenger seat, bouncing his knee anxiously, his fingers tapping against his thigh in an erratic rhythm. His head was spinning, his emotions a tangled mess of anger, frustration, and desperation. The second Erin had hung up on him, he had nearly grabbed his bag and bolted for the airport. But Will had talked him down—talked sense into him, even if every part of him was screaming to just go to her.
Will's grip on the steering wheel was tight, his jaw clenched. He was pissed. Jay could tell by the way his brother kept exhaling sharply, like he was trying to keep himself from going off. Jay didn't blame him. He was pissed too—at Abby, at the situation, at himself.
When they pulled into the parking lot, Will threw the car into park a little too hard and turned to face him. "You need to get your head straight before we walk in there," he said firmly. "I know you want to be anywhere but here, but you have to deal with this first."
Jay swallowed hard, nodding, though every part of him was still wired with frustration. He wanted to snap, to tell Will that he couldn't get his head straight when his entire world was falling apart, but he just pushed the car door open and stepped out.
Inside, the waiting room was quiet, too bright, the sterile scent making Jay's stomach churn. Abby was already there, sitting in the corner, scrolling through her phone like she hadn't just blown up his life.
Will let out a sharp breath through his nose and walked right up to her. "Are you serious?" he hissed, his voice low but furious. "You told the press, Abby? After everything you said about wanting to keep this quiet, you went and ran your mouth?"
Abby looked up, her eyes widening slightly at the sheer rage in Will's expression. She straightened in her chair, setting her phone down. "I didn't go to the press," she defended. "I—"
"Save it," Will cut her off. "Your name is all over every article, and now my brother is getting torn apart online. You promised to keep this between you two until the test was done, but instead, you let the media run with it before Jay even knew if the kid is his."
Jay clenched his fists at his sides, his patience hanging by a thread. "What the hell were you thinking, Abby?" His voice was low, tight, controlled only by sheer force of will. "You didn't even tell me we were still married until yesterday, and now the whole world knows about this before I even had a chance to process it?"
Abby folded her arms across her chest, her expression unreadable. "I didn't plan for it to get out," she said, her voice clipped. "But I wasn't going to sit there and let them speculate, so yeah, I talked. I said what I had to."
Jay exhaled sharply, his pulse pounding in his temples. "And what exactly did you have to say?"
Abby hesitated for a second too long.
Will scoffed, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."
Jay ran a hand down his face, inhaling sharply to keep himself from losing it. "You have no idea what you've just done," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm already losing Erin over this, and now I get to wake up to the entire world knowing about a baby that I don't even know is mine?"
Abby rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Jay. It's not like you and Erin were serious—"
Jay stepped forward so fast that Abby flinched. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark with anger. "Don't," he warned, his voice deadly quiet. "Don't talk about her like you know anything about us."
Will put a hand on Jay's shoulder, grounding him before he could snap. "We're here to get answers. That's it," he said, voice steady. "Let's get this done."
Jay exhaled sharply and nodded, forcing himself to take a step back. The rage was still simmering beneath the surface, but he had to shove it down. Right now, he needed answers.
He needed to know if the baby was his.
Because if it was… then everything was about to get a whole lot worse.
Jay's head snapped up, his patience already hanging by a thread.
He was exhausted—mentally, emotionally. The only thing keeping him together was the single thought running through his mind: Get back to Chicago. Fix this with Erin.
"We'll go back to Chicago," he said, voice flat, final.
Abby's footsteps quickened behind them as she caught up, her expression twisting in frustration. "What? You'll leave?"
Jay stopped so abruptly that Will nearly ran into him. He turned, eyes blazing as he faced Abby. "Yeah. I leave. What the hell else am I supposed to do? Sit around and watch you feed more stories to the press?"
Her mouth tightened. "I didn't feed anything. I was asked about it, and I didn't lie."
Will scoffed beside him, crossing his arms. "Oh, please. You knew exactly what you were doing."
Abby's eyes darted between them before landing back on Jay. "So that's it? You're just gonna run back to her?"
Jay stepped closer, his voice dangerously low. "I'm going back to the woman I love. The woman who trusted me. The woman who—unlike you—didn't blindside me with life-altering news in front of the whole damn world." His jaw clenched. "So yeah, Abby. I'm leaving."
She let out a sharp laugh, shaking her head. "What about the baby?"
Jay inhaled through his nose, forcing himself to stay calm. "The test is done. I'll be back when the results come in."
"Do you even want to be a father, Jay?"
The question hit him like a freight train.
Did he?
He didn't have an answer. Not yet. All he knew was that everything was spiraling, and the one person who kept him steady wasn't picking up his calls.
Jay exhaled, raking a hand through his hair. "I don't know," he admitted, raw and honest. "But if that kid is mine, I'll step up. No question."
Abby studied him for a long moment, something unreadable flashing in her eyes. "And Erin?"
His chest ached at just the mention of her name.
"It's not your place to know," he said simply, then turned and walked away.
Jay didn't look back. He couldn't. If he did, he might lose the last shred of control he had left. His boots hit the pavement with force, each step carrying the weight of everything he'd just left behind. The hospital doors slid open, and the crisp air outside hit him like a wake-up call. He barely felt it.
Will was right beside him, silent for a moment before he finally let out a frustrated breath. "Jesus, Jay."
Jay ran a hand over his face, his pulse pounding. "I can't—I can't do this right now, Will."
"You have to," Will shot back, gripping his arm just before they reached the car. "You don't get to just check out, man. You need to get your head on straight before you go rushing back to Erin and making this worse."
Jay clenched his jaw. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't know I already screwed this up?" His voice cracked at the end, raw and unfiltered.
Will's expression softened, but he didn't back down. "Then let's figure out what the hell you're gonna say to her before you get on that plane. Because if you walk in there like this? It's over."
The thought alone sent a spike of panic through Jay's chest. It couldn't be over. He couldn't lose Erin—not like this.
He exhaled shakily, nodding once as he wrenched open the car door. "Let's go."
Will got in beside him, and as Jay pulled out of the parking lot, he didn't spare a single glance in the rearview mirror.
His only focus was ahead—on the road back home, and on the woman he'd give anything to make things right with.