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    “What’s on your mind, Tag? You look lost in your thoughts.” He follows my line of vision over to the crowd of our teammates playing with the kids as they run wild through the indoor play facility. Pink and purple balloons float everywhere. There’s a blow up castle-shaped bouncy house, trampolines galore, and even a face painter who’s going around painting all the kids’ faces. Squeals of laughter echo all around.
    “Nothing. Just thinking about the Mathis deal and how I can’t help but laugh watching our six-foot-four-inch, two-hundred-eighty-five-pound defensive tackle bouncing with a group of little princesses up and down on a giant trampoline. On a Friday night no less. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen,” I say, pointing to the group in front us.
    “Again, Daddy, again!” Malcolm’s daughter yells as he jumps up again, causing her and her group of little princess friends to go flying into the air. There is so much joy on her face. “I love you, Daddy. You’re best,” she says hugging him something fierce when she comes back down from that last bounce into the air.
    “I have so much respect for them,” Alex says. “It takes a certain kind of man to give a child that much love. I once thought that you were that kind of man, Tag. But I guess I was wrong.” He shakes his head, taking a long pull of his beer. Here we go again.
    I take an equally long pull of beer. “Dude, I don’t want to have this argument with you again.” We haven’t really gotten into it too much since the night I first told him Ashley had claimed to be pregnant with my child. He’s brought it up a few times but not in the hostile tone I hear in his voice right now.
    “I just can’t believe that my own best friend would abandon his child and the mother of that child. It really pisses me off. Especially when you’re talking about becoming the front man for a charity for underprivileged kids. I’m sorry, bro, but you’re a fucking hypocrite. I have a huge problem with the way that you’re handling things. I thought you would’ve come around by now, but you haven’t, and each day that goes by, it pisses me off more. Especially when I see how strong Ash is trying to be through this. I see the toll it’s taking on her even though she won’t admit it. I see the pain in her eyes. It makes me want to lay you out, honestly.”
    When he sees the pain in her eyes? When is he seeing her? More importantly, why is he seeing her? I don’t want her anywhere near my life. Great best friend I have.
    “What’s wrong with you? I can’t believe you’d side with that bitch over me,” I accuse him, moving to stand directly in front of him, not trying to hide the anger in my tone.
    “What’s wrong with me ? What the hell is wrong with you , Tanner?” He shakes his head at me.
    I hear the frustration in his voice, and it pisses me off. Who the hell does he think he is, getting all up in my face about this situation? He’s the one who’s keeping in contact with the woman trying to make a paycheck out of me.
    “Listen, motherfucker, you may be my best friend, but I won’t hesitate to lay you out. Who the fuck are you to take that tone with me? You’re the one still talking to the woman who’s trying to use me. If anyone should be pissed off here, it’s me, you fucking traitor,” I growl at him, getting close enough that we stand nose to nose. He’s gone too far this time.
    He doesn’t seem the least bit fazed by me being in his personal space. He just cocks his head to the side and lets out a mocking laugh. “You really are a delusional dipshit, Tanner. Use you for what? Have you even heard from her since you walked out on her weeks ago? No, you haven’t. And I’m pretty sure that you won’t ever again. She wants nothing to with you, dickhead. Did you know that she got a second job? She’s been working her ass off to prepare for the life of a single mom. Does that sound like someone trying