18. Jack

CHAPTER 18

JACK

I pump my arms, pushing my legs further, faster. The numbers on the treadmill tick upwards. I'm nearly to my record time for five miles.

An image of Leah flashes in front of my mind. Standing in my office, not one bit surprised at the paternity test results.

She probably thought I was the world's biggest asshole, but in what universe would I ever think that my vasectomy could fail? I had one of the best doctors in the country perform it, and he promised me it was solid.

Killing the treadmill, I get off it with shaky legs and grab my water.

Leah has no right to judge me for the way I reacted. Especially not since she'll be receiving millions yearly from me until the triplets are eighteen.

Our triplets.

Fuck. This is insane, like a nightmare I keep waiting to wake up from.

I shouldn't even be thinking of these babies as "ours." They're Leah's. Since she hasn't said anything otherwise, I assume she intends on keeping them. And that's her choice. There's no need for her to drag me into the matter.

Grabbing a towel, I wipe the sweat from my face and walk across my home gym.

But as much as I try to convince myself that I don't care about the triplets, I can't shake the feeling that I'm missing out on something important. That I'm letting Leah and the babies down.

I punch the punching bag with a force that makes my knuckles throb.

Maybe I should reach out to her, try to make amends. It's not like I can just ignore the fact that I have three children out there. I should at least be a part of their lives.

But then again, what kind of father would I be? I have no interest in chasing rug rats around. I don't have the patience or the time to deal with babies.

The mere thought of it makes me break out in a cold sweat. Even if I were to see them, I'd probably end up making their lives worse. Just like my dad did with mine.

Sitting on a weight bench, I run my hands over my face. I need to shake this situation off, and I don't know how to.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and see a text from Owen.

Choosing to ignore it, I put my phone on silent and slip it back into my pocket. It's way past work hours, and if it's something related to Leadsom Inc, then he'll get in touch with me on my home phone.

Leaving the gym, I strip off my clothes as I walk down the hallway. By the time I reach the bathroom, I'm naked and ready to hop into the shower.

The hot water beats down on my back, washing away the sweat and grime from my run. As I let my mind wander, the triplets and Leah return.

What will they look like? Me at all? Or all Leah?

It's a strange feeling to father children without actually being a father to them, but I know I'm doing them a favor. If only my own father had just given me up after my mom died, I would have been better off. At least then I would have had a shot at being adopted by someone who actually gave a damn about me.

Closing my eyes, I turn my face into the spray. A loud thump makes them pop open.

What the hell was that sound?

I turn the shower off and listen. There's another thump.

My heart beat picking up, I grab a towel and loosely wrap it around my waist, then tiptoe out of the bathroom. Is someone in the house?

I have a security guard at the front drive, plus a top-of-the-line alarm system, but that last one won't do any good if I've forgotten to turn it on.

And come to think of it, I'm not sure I did switch it back on after coming into the house earlier.

My every muscle tense, I quietly slip into the hallway. I don't have a weapon on me, not even a bat, so if whoever is in my house is armed, I'm shit out of luck.

Holding my breath, I creep up to the end of the hallway. Just a few yards away, footsteps sound in the den.

I curl my fists, ready to take advantage of the element of surprise and launch myself at whoever is out there — when someone laughs.

I freeze. That was a woman's laugh.

Stepping around the corner, I find three women and Owen in the den. The girls are sprawled across the furniture while Owen mixes drinks at the bar.

"There you are." He grins at me. "Nice outfit."

The women giggle, their gazes dropping to the towel around my waist.

"How did you get in?" I demand.

Owen puts the shaker down. "Security let me pass, and your door was open. The girls and I figured you could use some fun since you've been in a bad mood all week."

I've never met these women in my life. Or if I have, I've promptly forgotten each of them.

I know what Owen is doing, and he can't be blamed for it. He's trying to cheer me up in the usual way, but it won't work. This time is different.

This time, things are too fucked up to be fixed by a night of drinking and beautiful women.

One of them — a brunette in a tight dress — approaches me. "I hope you're not planning on changing."

She bats her eyes flirtatiously, and while usually I would eagerly accept her advances, right now I'm not in the mood.

She reaches for my bare chest, and I quickly grab her hand, stopping her. She frowns, and I release the hold before stepping away.

"Owen." I pin him with a stare. "I'd like to speak to you. In private."

Owen's smile drops, and he nods. "Sure thing, boss."

I lead him out of the den and into the library, closing the door behind us. The room is dimly lit, the only illumination coming from the moon outside.

I don't waste any time. "Owen, I don't have time for this."

"Come on, Jack. You've been walking around the office all week like a bomb is about to go off. Whatever is going on—"

"Leah Woodland is pregnant. With my triplets."

His jaw drops. "Uh… what? But…"

"I know." I fold my arms and pace the floor. "Apparently, a vasectomy can fail at any point. It's rare, but I'm the lucky one."

He slowly shakes his head. "When did you and Leah…"

"The first night we met, but it was a one-time thing."

"And it's triplets? For real? As in three?"

"Yep." Sighing, I collapse into one of the leather chairs. "I can't have anything to do with them, of course. They'll get more than enough money to live on, and aside from that, I'll be wiping my hands clean of this situation."

"Why?"

I stare at him. Does my closest friend not even know me?

"Because I don't have time to be a father, Owen. I'm not cut out for that kind of responsibility."

He crosses his arms, eyeing me critically. "That's a cop-out, and you know it."

"What do you want me to do, hm? Drop everything and raise three kids I never wanted in the first place?"

"No, but at least take some responsibility, Jack. You can't just throw money at the problem and expect it to go away."

"I know that," I say, feeling defensive. "But what do you want from me? I don't know the first thing about raising kids. I'd just fuck them up."

"You can learn how to raise them." He leans forward, his voice lowering. "And who knows? Maybe it won't be as bad as you think. You could surprise yourself."

I shake my head. He just doesn't get it. "Leah can make her own choice when it comes to these kids, and as long as I provide what the law says I should, I can make mine."

Owen sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Jack, you can't just walk away from this. You're going to regret it for the rest of your life."

"Just because you would regret it doesn't mean I will," I snarl.

Who does he think he is, to tell me what I value and don't value?

Owen holds up his hands, taking a step back. "Okay, okay. I'm just trying to help, man."

"I don't need your help," I snap. "I need you to respect my decision."

I close my eyes, angry red lights pulsing behind my eyelids. "I've already made up my mind. I can't let these kids ruin everything I've worked for."

Owen stands up, shaking his head. "Fine, but I hope you know what you're doing. Because one day, you're going to wake up and realize that you missed out on something incredible."

As the door clicks shut behind him, I sink back into the chair, my mind racing. What if he's right? What if I'm making a mistake?

But no, I can't let myself think like that. I made my decision, and I'll stick to it. I'm not cut out for fatherhood, and I refuse to let these kids change my life.

The same when it comes to Leah. Her magnetism is undeniable, and I'd have to be blind to not see what a special woman she is.

But I've worked tooth and nail to get where I am today. Letting anyone into my carefully built world would threaten all of that.

Simply put, I have too much to lose. I've made my mind up when it comes to Leah and these babies, and nothing will change that.