Chapter 38 - Juliana
“G ood evening, Mrs. Beaumont. I’m Dr. Morales. May we speak for a few minutes?”
Addison nods but that dull look in her eyes hasn’t gone away yet.
I give Santi a grateful smile and step back.
I’m worried about her. She’s been practically catatonic since I brought her back here ten minutes ago so I found Santi and asked him to check on her.
This sort of emotional distress can’t be good in her condition.
“She drove herself here,” Liam says, joining us quietly. “Teo asked him to point out his wife’s car before he shoved him into his own.”
“I wish Teo had shoved him into the trunk of it. She can’t drive home like this.”
“No, she shouldn’t,” Liam agrees. “I can take her wherever she needs to go.”
Despite all the awful memories the incident dredged up, I smile at him, grateful for his presence tonight. “Just like you did for me that day.”
He grimaces, recalling it with anger. “Let me know when she’s ready to go.”
“I can go with you. She barely knows you.”
Liam shakes his head. “Beaumont might be waiting for his wife to come home. I won’t allow you anywhere near him.” He softens his commanding tone with a forehead kiss before he slips back out of the room.
Convinced that she’s not in any immediate danger of going into labor, Santi says he’ll fetch her some water a short while later, leaving us alone.
It’s not the most comfortable position to be in, attempting to console the woman who was once the other woman.
We’ve not been alone in the same room together since that morning years ago when she made me coffee and said I looked frazzled.
“Did he come here to meet you?” she asks me, quietly.
It takes me a few seconds to understand her.
The idea of being with Chad again is so far off my grid I’d laugh if she wasn’t in such pain.
“No. I wouldn’t want anything to do with…
No, he wasn’t meeting me. This is Liam’s club.
That’s why I’m here. Just to bring him dinner while he works,” I add, awkwardly.
Sable’s not exactly a place monogamous couples hang out in general.
She glances at my belly and down at her own. “Is your baby Liam’s?”
My hands automatically lower to where our little blueberry is currently dancing around and I can’t help smiling when I whisper, “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, Juliana.”
I know she’s not referring to Liam being my child’s father, but I can’t quite bring myself to say ‘it’s okay’ regarding the past either.
Nevertheless, I don’t hate her. She’s several years younger than me and Chad’s much older than either of us.
I’m so much better off not being married to him. Sounds like she would be, too.
“What can I do to help you?” I ask instead, wanting her to know I’m not relishing her horrible night. I’ve never understood why women get hung up on revenge against the woman their man cheated with instead of taking it out on the fucking asshole who actually broke his vows.
“Nothing. ‘Leopards don’t change their spots and cheetahs always cheat.’ That’s what my mama told me when I told her Chad asked me to marry him.”
“That doesn’t mean you deserve it.” She looks up at me, unsure. “You don’t. How close is your due date?”
“My due date was three days ago.”
Jesus Christ, Chad. You unbelievable bastard. She could go into labor any second and he came here tonight? “Liam’s going to drive you home. Whenever you’re ready.”
The vacant look is back when she nods and I go to find him. Sitting around a back office at Sable isn’t what she needs. I’ll suggest he drive her to her mom’s or some other family member for the night. Hopefully, they live in the area.
When I find Liam, he’s in Santi’s office since we were in his. And, he’s not alone. Felicity is with him. They’re sitting side by side on Santi’s desk, their backs to the door and they’re laughing together. “I love this one,” she says, practically gushing with joy.
“I do, too. It’s close to work so it’ll be convenient.”
“This means so much to me. I could never afford-”
“Don’t worry about it. Just don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”
“Of course not, Liam. It can be our secret. Well, one of them,” she adds, giggling.
Our secret?One of them?
Liam scrubs at the back of his neck when Felicity leans into him before giving her a one-armed hug.
My mind grapples with what I’m hearing and seeing while that scar buried deep inside me feels like it's being pulled apart at the seams.