Marcus’s POV
Stacey’s sharp look was unmistakable.
I caught it. Megan did too. But she ignored it.
"Brent might be the father," Megan said, her voice trembling but clear as she stared at me.
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. For a second, I thought I’d misheard her. I stared at her, my mind scrambling to make sense of what she’d just said.
"You’re kidding."
Megan swallowed, her face pale but she didn’t respond.
"Marcus…I didn’t care which...”
"Shut up!"
Megan flinched but kept going, her voice cracking. "I didn’t mean for it to happen, okay? But I need him to know. He has a right to..."
"Enough," I growled, standing so fast my chair screeched against the floor.
"You’re coming with me.Both of you."
Megan hesitated, her eyes darting to Stacey for reassurance. Stacey looked at me instead, her lips pressed into a tight line. "Where?"
"My apartment," I bit out, grabbing my jacket and storming toward the door.
***
The court smelled like sweat and floor polish, the usual chaos of sneakers squeaking and voices shouting filling the space. None of it mattered. I was already somewhere else in my head.
The ball hit my hands, passed to me without a word. I dribbled twice the sound echoing louder than it should have, before hurling it with everything I had.
"I’m done," I said, my voice slicing through the sudden quiet.
The coach stepped forward, his whistle swinging wildly on its cord. "Marcus, what the hell are you talking about? You can’t just walk away!"
I grabbed my bag from the bench, my jaw tight. My gaze swept the court, landing briefly on Brent. He looked confused like a lost little boy who didn’t realize he’d wandered into traffic.
"Watch me," I said coldly, brushing past the team.
"Marcus!" Brent’s voice followed me as I stormed into the locker room.
My breath came fast and uneven, but it wasn’t from exertion.It was the rage boiling under my skin.
"Marcus!What the hell is this about?"
I didn’t hesitate.
"Fuck the hell off," I snarled, my chest heaving as I loomed over him.
"Are you out of your mind? What did I do?"
"What did you do?" I stepped closer and my fists clenching at my sides. "You don’t even know, do you? You have no idea what you’ve done."
"What are you talking about?"
I laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and humorless. I couldn’t believe him. "Unbelievable."
"Marcus!"
I cut him off, my voice low and raw, barely more than a growl. "You knocked up my cousin and ruined her life."