“I hope so,” Charlotte replied after a brief pause. “Anyway, let’s talk about this some more later. I’m sorry to end the call so soon, but I’m in the middle of something.”
But she was already thinking of better acoustics and a spacious backstage area for the students. Since she’d seen some of Laura’s other projects, Charlotte had a feeling she’d be perfect for the job.
And she was already excited to get started.
“Of course, of course. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“You too, bye.” Charlotte hung up the call and tossed the phone into her purse. Addison had taken out her wallet and was counting out bills. Then, she stood up and shoved her arms through her sweater.
“I’m not saying no,” Addison said without looking at her. “I need to talk to Mason and see what he thinks. We’ll decide together, but again, I really do appreciate your offering.”
Charlotte pushed her chair back with a screech. “You don’t have to go. We can talk about this some more.”
Addison grimaced. “I have to get back to work. I’m not trying to avoid you or anything, I promise.”
But it was clear Addison needed some space to think, and Charlotte didn’t want to push. The last thing she wanted was to have everything blow up in her face because she didn’t have the time or patience to help Addison see what she was seeing.
Addison was going to come around.
In the meantime, Charlotte was going to do everything within her power to show her friend she was prepared.
You are so in over your head.
Chapter Twelve
“Are you sure you don’t want something to drink? Or I can make you something to eat.”
Charlotte lifted the mug up to her lips and smiled. “I’m good, thanks.”
“What about dessert? I can run to the bakery—”
Addison placed a hand on Mason’s arm and squeezed. “Babe, you need to sit down and breathe. You’re just making Charlotte uncomfortable.”
Mason blew out a breath, and his shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry. I’m just nervous.”
Charlotte took a sip of her iced tea. “We all are. It’s okay.”
It wasn’t as if any of them anticipated they’d end up in this situation, least of all Charlotte. Half of her was tempted to set her cup down and tell them it was all a big misunderstanding. In time, they’d even laugh about it. But the other half of her, the one leading the charge, was determined to make her sit there and get through it.
Just breathe. It’s Addison and Mason. It’s not like you haven’t hung out with them before.
Only they’d never discussed the possibility of her carrying their baby before.
Mason had been hovering nearby, offering her everything under the sun ever since she walked in. Addison, on the other hand, sat on the couch, sneaking glances at Charlotte as if she was going to disappear. She wasn’t sure which of these reactions was making her more uncomfortable, but she was thankful for the mug of tea in her hands, offering her something solid and warm to hold on to.
She took another sip of her peach-flavored iced tea and cleared her throat. “So, where do you guys want to start?”
Mason leaned forward and linked his fingers together. “Well, first of all, we wanted to let you know that if you want to be a part of the baby’s life, we’d be okay with it. We should probably come up with an agreement beforehand though.”
Charlotte took another sip of her drink and glanced over at Addison. “That’s great.”
Addison sat up straighter but wouldn’t meet her gaze. “We’ve seen your tests, and we showed them to our fertility specialist. Usually, they prefer women who have carried babies to term before, but she said you’re healthy enough that this isn’t a deal breaker.”
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief, and her shoulders sagged. “Okay, that’s good.”
She had no idea what she would’ve done if she’d gotten this far only to be turned away by the clinic itself. Being young and inexperienced wasn’t a point in her favor, but they weren’t holding it against her either.
She wanted to spin circles until she was dizzy with joy and exhilaration.
