Charlotte tore off a piece, and the explosion of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla melted in her mouth. “This is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.”
Emily’s face lit up. “I’m glad you like it. I was thinking of starting a new recipe that’s pregnancy safe, so, you know, less sugar and everything else.”
Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears again. “You really don’t have to do that.”
Emily lifted her gaze, and her smile fell. “Savanah, sweetheart, what are you doing here?”
“I came by because you said I could borrow that loaf pan.”
Charlotte twisted to see her sister lingering in the doorway, her face half-hidden in the shadows. When she stepped forward, Savannah’s gaze darted between the two of them, and her hands clenched into fists at her side.
She knows.
“You didn’t close the door properly,” Savannah continued in the same clipped tone of voice. She stepped farther into the office, and her gaze lingered on the club soda and tightened. “I see I’m interrupting something.”
“Honey, we should be happy for your sister. She wants to do something different with her life, and in the process, she gets to help people. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Savannah’s expression darkened. “There’s everything wrong with that. Doing something different is finding a new hobby, getting a pet, or getting a new haircut. I’d understand any one of those things, but carrying someone else’s baby? She’s throwing her life away by committing to something she doesn’t understand.”
Emily rose to her feet and frowned. “There’s no need to use that kind of tone with your sister. Really, Sav—”
Savannah threw her hands up in the air and scowled. “Well,someonehas to. Everyone is praising her and talking about how great this is. Meanwhile, I seem to be the only one who cares about what happens to Charlotte after the baby is born and Addison takes the baby away. What happens then, huh?”
Charlotte was on her feet in the next instant. “What do you mean, what happens? I’ll go back to teaching, and I’ll feel fulfilled and happy knowing I helped Addison and Mason make their dreams come true.”
“And what about Patrick, huh? Rumor has it the two of you are seeing each other. He’s your friend, isn’t he?”
Why was her sister bringing this up?
It wasn’t like Savannah to be deliberately cruel or insensitive.
Charlotte’s stomach twisted, and her heart sputtered. “Yes, he’s my friend, but we’ve only been on one date—”
“And how do you think he’s going to feel about dating someone who is carrying someone else’s baby? How do you think he’s going to feel about having a future with you when your future isn’t even yours?”
Why was Savannah doing this to her?
Why couldn’t she let her be?
Of course, she was afraid of Patrick’s reaction and their future ending before it even began, but what good would it do her to dwell on hypotheticals? To try and control things she had no say over?
All she could do was brace herself, grit her teeth, and hope for the best.
Charlotte’s ears were ringing, and her stomach was churning. “Stop it.”
“You need to listen to me,” Savannah continued, her voice rising toward the end. “You have to—”
Charlotte held a hand up, another wave of nausea, stronger than the last one hitting her. “I don’t have to do anything. Mom, thanks for the cupcake. I should go.”
Without waiting for a response, Charlotte pushed her way past Savannah and stumbled outside. She ignored her mother’s protests and didn’t stop until she was on the sidewalk, sucking in huge mouthfuls of air. A part of her knew she should go back, if only because her mom didn’t deserve her running out like that, but the other part of her couldn’t bear to face Savannah again.
Not when her sister’s words were still reverberating inside of her head.
Her chest felt tight, and the tears poured steadily down her face as she placed her hands on either side of her thighs.
Why couldn’t she breathe?
Why hadn’t she been able to put Savannah’s mind and her own at ease?
