Twin Babies for my Pucking Defenders (Chicago Icebreakers #2)

42. Chapter Fourty-Two

Chapter Fourty-Two

Jade

I’m curled up on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket and nibbling on ice chips. The quiet feels heavy and each crunch echoes in the silence of my apartment. I’ve spent too much time in my head, replaying the day’s events like a broken record.

My phone buzzes, but I ignore it. I can’t deal with any more chaos right now.

Suddenly, a loud knock interrupts my thoughts. I sit up, frowning at the door. Who the hell is it? I hope it’s not some media shitstorm or another one of my dad’s “talks.”

“Jade! Open up!”

I recognize that voice. Jared.

“Can I come in?”

I hesitate, gripping the blanket tighter. “What do you want, Jared?”

“Open the damn door!” His frustration seeps through, and I finally relent, swinging the door open.

He stands there, his face flushed and tense, like he’s ready to blow. “Are you alone?”

I cross my arms, a defensive posture kicking in. “If you’re here to yell at me, you might as well leave.”

He runs a hand through his hair, looking more exasperated than ever. “I talked to Dad.”

My stomach drops. I haven’t reached out to our father since everything went sideways. “So?”

Jared steps inside, shutting the door behind him. “I was coming here all angry and frustrated, but Dad talked some sense into me. He said…well, he said a lot, but mainly that you’ve always had all this love to give.”

I roll my eyes, preparing for the onslaught. “And?”

“He said you’re a little isolated from the family because you’ve got this hyper-independence thing going on. That’s why you never reached out when all this happened.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut. “So, what? You’re here to lecture me?”

“No, Jade,” he says, his voice softening. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a better brother. I’ve been a complete asshole.”

I can’t hold back the tears. “You called me a whore!”

“I know, and I’m so fucking sorry for that.” He steps closer, his gaze serious. “I didn’t mean it. I was angry, and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have.”

My breath hitches, and I wipe away a stray tear. “Jared…”

“I’ll do better. I’ll make sure you’re okay. I promise.” He takes a step forward, and suddenly he’s wrapping me in a hug. It’s warm, and it feels like home.

“I miss you,” I whisper, the weight of everything crashing over me.

“Me too. And you know, Axel might still have to look behind his back, but for you? You’re my baby sister. I’ll fix this for you.”

I sniffle, the tears flowing freely now. “What about all the shit the media’s saying?”

“They’re full of crap. You’re hardworking, brilliant and cool as hell. You’ve always been those things.”

“I don’t know how to handle all of this,” I admit, my voice shaky. “I feel like I’m drowning.”

Jared pulls back, looking into my eyes. “You won’t drown. We’ll figure it out together. I want to repair our best friendship. I hate that we’ve been at odds.”

I nod, emotions swirling inside me. “I just don’t want to lose you, Jared. Or the family.”

“You won’t. I swear it. You’re stuck with me, okay? And Dad—he wants to be there too. He cares about you.”

“I haven’t talked to him since all this started. I didn’t even know how to reach out.”

“Yeah, well, Dad’s a pain in the ass, but he loves you, Jade. We all do. We just need to work on our communication.”

“Communication, huh?” I scoff, wiping my tears. “I’m suck at that.”

“Yeah, me too. But we’ll get through this. Together.”

“Okay,” I say, my voice stronger now.

He smirks, trying to lighten the mood. “And seriously, I’ll keep Axel in line. He may be tough, but I can handle him.”

“Thanks, big brother. I’d like to see him try.”

We share a laugh, the tension easing. It feels good to let this weight off my chest.

“I’m glad you came, Jared.”

“Me too. Just remember, I’m here for you, no matter what. And we’ll kick some ass together.”

“Yeah,” I smile, feeling a little lighter. “We will.”

After a moment, Jared glances around the living room. “So, where’s Shadow? That little furball better not be hiding from me.”

I can’t help but smile. “He’s probably lounging somewhere, but I’ll grab him. He ran as soon as you banged on the door.”

“Where did you say you got him? I think I might want one too,” he says.

“He was a gift from Millie. And when would you even get the time to take care of a puppy? You’re always travelling for work.”

“Right, right. I remember. He’s a handful.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “I swear that dog thinks he runs the place. And I don’t know, maybe he does.”

I stand up, moving toward the bedroom. “He kinda does. Just wait until you see him. He’s grown so much.”

As I walk back with Shadow in my arms, I notice Jared’s eyes light up. “There he is! The prince himself.”

“Yep, the one and only,” I say, settling onto the sofa. Shadow stretches out in my lap happily.

Jared plops down beside me. “So, what are we watching? One of those murder documentaries you love?”

I give him a teasing look. “You actually want to binge watch one of those with me?”

“Hell yeah. I need to catch up on all the ways people get themselves killed.” He grins, then adds, “Besides, it’ll distract me from the media circus.”

“All right, you’re on.” I grab the remote and flip through the options. “How about this one?” I ask, tuning to my favorite True Crime show.

“Perfect.” He leans back, eyes glued to the screen as I hit play.

As the opening credits roll, he glances at me, a grin spreading across his face. “You know, you can name one of the babies after me.”

I snort, shaking my head. “Yeah, right. I can already picture a baby Jared running around.”

He laughs, nudging my shoulder playfully. “Hey, it could be worse. Baby Jared would have the coolest name on the block.”

“Sure, if I want my kid to be the butt of all the jokes.”

He leans closer, lowering his voice. “Okay, okay, but seriously, how about I take you on vacation after the season ends? You know, once you’ve had the babies. That’ll be my baby shower gift to you.”

My heart swells at the thought. “A vacation? Like, just…us?”

“Yeah. Somewhere warm and far away from all this crap. We can even bring dad along. A family vacation.” He gestures vaguely at the door, as if the world outside is a monster waiting to pounce.

“Sounds amazing. But I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

“Jade, it’s not an obligation. I want to do this for you. You’ve been through hell. You deserve a break.”

I bite my lip, trying to contain the happiness bubbling up inside me. “Okay, then. That sounds perfect.”

He leans in, kissing my forehead gently. “Good. It’s a plan.”

My heart feels full, warmth radiating through me. I’m so grateful for this moment, for the connection with my brother. The weight of everything else seems a little lighter now.

As the show unfolds, I nestle into the couch, Shadow happily snuggled into my lap. I catch Jared glancing at me, a small smile on his face, and it feels like home.

“Hey,” he says, turning serious for a moment. “You know I’m always here for you, right?”

“Yeah,” I reply, meeting his gaze. “I know.”

“Good.” He grins, leaning back. “Now, let’s see how this person got themselves into deep shit.”

I laugh, the tension from earlier melting away as we dive into the chaos of the documentary together.