But something inside of Libby told her not to give up.
It was that very same voice that was begging her to hang on now, to cling to Annie by the skin of her teeth.
Whether she liked it or not, Annie needed her, and Libby wasn’t going to turn her back on her foster daughter. Even if it meant having to pry and spy.
As far as Libby was concerned, it was a small price to pay to keep her safe.
As soon as the thought left her mind, Libby’s phone pinged. She scrambled for it, and her heart missed a beat when she saw Annie move and cross the street, headed directly for Mullen Hall School. Then, she veered, and the dot blinked furiously when she stopped in front of Shivericks Pond. For a while, nothing happened, and Libby was gripping the phone so hard she thought it was going to leave marks.
Annie’s dot blinked up at her, taunting her.
She swallowed and wiped her hands on her skirt. Her heart was still hammering uneasily as she exited the app and went to her contacts. Libby’s fingers were sweating as she hovered over Annie’s number, her mind racing to come up with an excuse. Then, the door to Dr. Reese’s office opened, and she heard Charlotte’s heels click against the linoleum floors.
Libby dropped the phone and forced a smile on her face.
It fell when Charlotte walked past, nails digging into her palms and all of the color drained from her face. Libby called after her, but she wasn’t sure Charlotte heard her as she wrenched the door open and stepped out into the midmorning sun.
Frowning, Libby saw her stop on the sidewalk and run a hand over her face.
Then she crossed the street to her car and leaned against it. Libby was getting ready to walk out when Dr. Reese’s voice pulled her back to the present with a jolt. She snuck glances over her shoulder, but Charlotte remained immobile, with one hand on the car’s hood and the other clutching her purse.
What could’ve possibly happened during Charlotte’s consultation?
Chapter Ten
She patted Mr. Crunchball’s head on her way past. Then, she curled her fingers around the mug of tea and tried to ignore how the brochure stuffed into her sweater felt. It was heavy and awkward as she sat down on the couch and tucked her legs under her. Immediately, Jewel and Mr. Crunchball leaped onto the couch and curled up against each other, purring the entire time.
With a sigh, Charlotte patted them and then leaned sideways to set her cup down. Steam rose and disappeared as she took the brochure out of her sweater and held it up to the light. Outside, the afternoon sun was slowly dying, bathing the world in hues of pink and purple. With her roommates out for the evening and nothing else to do, Charlotte was left to the mercy of her thoughts.
And they had been relentless all morning.
It had been two days since her impromptu visit to the doctor. She’d taken the first available appointment, so she wouldn’t change her mind. But it was Libby, kind and attentive Libby, who had kept her from bolting out the door. She’d spent the entire waiting time with butterflies in her stomach and bile inher throat. In the end, it was Dr. Reese’s arrival that had cinched the deal.
But it was Libby’s warm and steady hand that got her to the door.
Being inside that cold and sterile exam room had been disconcerting, like she’d stepped out of her own body and into someone else’s. She’d been aware of cars driving in the distance, cats howling, and the sound of kids calling out to each other as an ice cream truck raced past. Dr. Reese’s voice had droned on in the background, but Charlotte was ashamed to admit she’d barely listened.
Until Dr. Reese informed her of the series of tests she’d have to undergo just to be considered as a candidate. Most of the tests involved needles and blood, and the thought had brought Charlotte’s thoughts to a crashing halt. Since then, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about herself being poked and prodded for something she was sure no one would support.
Except perhaps Addison.
But even Charlotte had no idea how her friend was going to react.
With a slight shake of her head, Charlotte pushed the thought out of her mind and returned her attention to the brochure and the list of items Dr. Reese had highlighted. Seeing them again made Charlotte’s ears ring and sweat form on the back of her neck. When she found herself sitting in the same position, her chest growing tighter and tighter with panic, she forced herself to stand up.
A short while later, Charlotte stood outside her childhood home, a box of mini sandwiches in hand. She rapped on the door again and paused to press her ear to the wood. There were loud voices inside and the sound of shuffling feet. Then she heard the latch, and her mother appeared in the doorway, hair in rollers on top of her head and a gooey green substance spread onto herface. Grinning, her mom threw the door open the rest of the way and beckoned Charlotte in.
She gave her mother a one-armed hug and left her shoes by the door.
Emily draped an arm over her shoulders and led her into the living room. “Sweetheart, this is a nice surprise, or did I forget we were going to meet up tonight?”
Charlotte shook her head and stopped to leave the box of sandwiches on the kitchen counter. “No, we weren’t. I hope it’s okay that I didn’t call first.”
In the living room, Charlotte peeled off her sweater and draped it over the back of the couch. The TV above the mantelpiece was frozen on an explosion scene, and the snacks on the coffee table looked untouched. Charlotte reached for the closest thing, a licorice stick, and chewed on it.
Emily lowered herself onto the couch and tucked her legs under her. “Of course, it’s okay. You know you’re welcome to come by anytime. It’s still your home.”
Charlotte’s tongue felt heavy. “Thank you.”
