Charlotte pushed her chair back and stood to hug her. “Hi, is everything okay? You look a little frazzled.”
Libby sank into the chair opposite her and ran a hand over her face. “Annie’s at home by herself, and I know I’ve left her by herself before, but this is different.”
Charlotte leaned sideways in her seat and gestured to the waitress. “How so?”
Libby tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. “I waited for her outside of school the other day. I know I shouldn’t have, but I just couldn’t help myself. I needed to know that she was okay.”
Oh, Libby. Oh, no.
Why hadn’t Libby called her?
Why hadn’t she tried to find another way?
In her experience, spying on kids Annie’s age never ended well, no matter the intentions, and she hated the thought that Libby had set herself up for failure.
Libby hadn’t just set herself up for it; she’d raced in, waving both arms.
But no matter how badly Charlotte felt for her, she knew she couldn’t tell Libby how badly she’d screwed up.
Not if she wanted to make her feel better.
Charlotte lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip. “So, what happened?”
“She went to the library, and when she came out, she was hugging this guy… He looked like an absolute creep, and when I followed him, he met up with other similar-looking creeps.” Libby’s lower lip trembled, and she buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook as Charlotte pushed her chair closer and placed a hand on Libby’s lap. “I’m afraid she’s fallen in with the wrong crowd. The guy looks like he belongs to a gang or something. I don’t know what to do.”
Charlotte’s stomach clenched, and her heart dropped. “Annie is a good kid. I’m sure whatever this is, it’s just a misunderstanding.”
Libby sniffed and dropped her hands. “What will I do if it isn’t?”
Charlotte frowned. “You’ll sit her down and talk to her. Have you tried getting her to tell you the truth?”
Libby ran a hand over her face. “Yeah, but it was no use. She won’t tell me a thing. I’m sorry I’m dumping all of this on you. I just didn’t know who else to talk to.”
Charlotte squeezed Libby’s hand. “Don’t apologize, please. I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to talk to me.”
Even if she had no idea how to help. Or where to start.
Charlotte was trying to wrap her head around the fact she was carrying a baby, so what did she know about a sullen and troubled teenager?
Other than dealing with them in the classroom, she didn’t have the first clue how the real world worked.
Or what kind of advice to give Libby to make her feel better.
All she could do was take comfort in the fact Annie had a loving and fiercely protective guardian who wanted to do rightby her, and who would stop at nothing to keep her safe. At least Annie had that.
Instinctively, Charlotte’s hand went to her stomach, and she cupped it, thinking of how lucky the baby was.
With parents like Addison and Mason, the baby wasn’t going to want for anything.
You have nothing to worry about. It’s just Savannah getting inside your head; that’s all. You want this, remember? You did the research, and you took a few days to think about it.
“Honestly, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you.” Libby took a pack of tissues out of her purse and blew her nose. “You’ve made me feel like I’m not such a horrible guardian after all.”
Charlotte shook her head. “Not at all. You’re kind and wise, and you really care about Annie. What more could she possibly want?”
Libby crumpled up the tissue and reached for her mug. “Her own family. She’s got relatives out there, you know. An aunt who lives in Boston with her husband and kids. And I think her uncle’s wife is still alive…”
Charlotte’s chest tightened. “None of them wanted to help when her mom died?”
