chapter 26 #2
several heartbeats while waiting to hear what it was, but Sloane still managed to surprise her.
“It’s Lilly.”
Had she missed something she should’ve noticed about her sister because she was too preoccupied with her work and Julian? Lately, Charlotte had left a lot of Lilly’s care to Sloane. It’d seemed natural to do so, since she had to work and Sloane was available. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing. I think she seems happier—more content—with each passing day, don’t you?”
“I do,” Charlotte agreed. Now she was really lost as to where this conversation was going . . . “So . . . what’s up?”
Sloane got off the couch. “I’ve talked to Ben, Charlotte. We’d like to take Lilly.”
Charlotte blinked in surprise. “Take Lilly? Take her where?”
“Have her come live with us, finish raising her.”
“Are you kidding?” Charlotte sprang to her feet. “Where’s this coming from? You . . . you don’t want children. You’ve been
adamant about that.”
“I didn’t. I don’t,” she clarified. “Not of my own. At least, I don’t think so. Maybe that’ll change over the next couple
of years. I never saw myself doing this. But being around Lilly, getting to know her, has made me see things differently.”
Charlotte didn’t know what to say. “I’m shocked. Where is this coming from?”
Sloane shook her head while holding up her hands. “Honestly, I don’t know. I just . . . I really care about her.”
“I know you do. You’re incredibly good to her. But you can’t mean what you’re saying about . . . about taking legal responsibility
for her.”
“I do mean it. Ben and I . . . we’d do everything we could to be great parents.”
“You don’t have to convince me of that,” Charlotte said. “I know you’d be great parents. It’s just . . .”
Sloane peered at her more closely. “What?”
“I think I want to raise her myself.”
Silence followed. Then she said, “Since when?”
Now that Charlotte knew Lilly, she couldn’t imagine life without her.
They’d shopped together, painted their nails together, enjoyed the beach, sightseeing and the good food of Italy.
They’d spoken to Don and Penny regularly and laughed with each other in the Jacuzzi.
Day by day it felt more natural, more real, that she had a sister, and a sister was forever.
Although Sloane had probably spent more time with Lilly because of Charlotte’s book, there was something about their relation that made them natural companions.
“Since coming here and getting to know her, just like you. I’m the only family she has. ”
“You don’t have to be related to be family.”
“I agree. I didn’t mean that—”
“And I feel Ben and I are in a better position to take on a child right now. We already have a home for her. She’d have a
mother and a father—you know how wonderful Ben would be to her. We’re settled and ready for the next chapter in our lives.”
While Charlotte was going through a divorce, had a book to finish and was living with her parents. She saw the practicality
of it, but still. “Are you thinking this might save your marriage, Sloane?”
Sloane seemed reluctant to go that far, but she said, “I think it would be good for us.”
Then how could Charlotte say no? “But Seattle is so far away,” she said, mostly to herself.
“We’d come visit you often, and you’d be welcome to visit us whenever you like. I’d love to see more of you, anyway.” She
dropped her hands. “Besides, Seattle’s no farther than Cherokee, Iowa, yet you told her she could live with Steve if that’s
what she wanted.”
“I said that before, when . . . when . . . That was before,” she reiterated.
“I’m just saying that we’d be happy to have her.”
Charlotte plopped down again. At first, there’d been no one to take Lilly. Now everyone wanted her. Which option would be best? And if she gave her up, would she be able to live with that decision? “I need time to grow accustomed to the idea,” she said.
“I understand. That’s why I brought it up now.”
“And Lilly’s old enough that I . . . I think we should let her decide.”
Sloane said nothing, just came over and sat beside her.
“I know you’d be a good mother to her,” Charlotte said softly.
“And I know it would be hard for you to give her up,” Sloane responded, just as softly. She reached for Charlotte’s hand.
“But having all of us to love her can only be a good thing.”
Provided they could always keep what was best for her in mind.
That was what she needed to do now, Charlotte realized. But this decision wasn’t going to be any easier than the other decisions
she’d had to make lately.
It was her anniversary. Or it would’ve been. Considering everything that’d happened recently, it felt weird to think that
this day would’ve marked the fourth year of her marriage.
Charlotte rolled over in bed and reached for her phone, wondering if Cliff had remembered the significance of this day. It
was extremely late where he was, but he was a night owl, so she wasn’t surprised to find a fresh spate of calls and texts
from him. He had remembered and was saying how much he still loved her and that he couldn’t wait until they could celebrate together.
Why he wouldn’t give up, she didn’t know. They didn’t have any chance of resurrecting their marriage; she’d decided that before
she’d started sleeping with Julian.
She wasn’t going to respond, she decided.
Not now, anyway. She needed to work on her manuscript—like every other day.
But she was so nervous about how her editor might react to what she’d already turned in that she couldn’t keep writing, not without some word from Megan to signal she was on the right track.
She knew her editor would read what she’d submitted right away; she’d been too desperate to get hold of it to put it off. But that would still take a day or two.
Until she heard, she was going to turn her attention to other things—like going through her birth mother’s belongings and
finally clearing that hurdle.
She was just climbing out of bed to see if Lilly wanted to join her after all when a text came in from Julian.
How long until you’re available?
She’d spent most of the night with him again. They weren’t getting much sleep, but they were having one hell of a good time.
She smiled at the memories they’d made as she wrote him back.
No clue. Why?
I’d like to take you to Salerno.
With or without the others?
We can all go, I guess. It would be too hard to get away on our own. But I’m already struggling to hide my interest in you,
so it’s risky.
They’d gone back to the Church of St. Gennaro and watched the sunset last night. They hadn’t had time for the beach. But the
more they did together, the more they wanted to do.
Maybe we should tell Sloane, get it out in the open. I hate feeling as if I’m doing something behind her back.
Julian wasn’t the only one who was nervous that Sloane would pick up on the change in their relationship—and not be happy
about it.
We’re not making any hard decisions like that in Italy, remember?
She didn’t remember agreeing to take the “no hard decisions” edict that far. But she was fine with waiting. She had made it clear that this was a safe zone where he could take all the time he needed to work through whatever he was dealing
with.
Then don’t look at me the way you look at me. ??
That’s impossible.
She chuckled and was about to put down her phone when she received another text—only this one was from Cliff.
That dude you were with right after we split up is in Italy with you?
He must’ve seen some of the pictures Sloane had shared on Instagram. Charlotte had been worried about that. But she didn’t
have the right to ask Sloane not to post. She was using their stay—the architecture, style and furnishings of the Amalfi Coast—to
promote her design business.
Charlotte certainly hadn’t posted anything that showed she was with Jules.
She’d been trying to lie low so the furor surrounding the implosion of her marriage would die down.
If that happened, she thought maybe Cliff would decide he was better off without her.
She didn’t want him trying to win her back just for the sake of beating out the competition.
Jules is just a friend.
That was no longer true. She didn’t know what Jules was exactly. It was too early to define it. But he was certainly her lover,
and that was definitely more than “just a friend.”
Still, she sent the text. She needed to put out this fire before it could grow into a conflagration. Her relationship with
Jules didn’t really matter. She couldn’t go back to Cliff, regardless.
If that was true, you’d call me back.
Lilly is the reason I haven’t called you back.
What does Lilly have to do with our marriage?
Everything!
You’re saying you’re not fucking this guy?
Dropping back onto the bed, she groaned as she stared up at the ceiling. The fan ticked lazily overhead, its rhythm somehow
amplifying the tension coiled in her chest. She was such a terrible liar. If she said no, would he even believe her?
We’re getting a divorce. You no longer have any say over what I do, so I’m not even going to answer that question.
You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you!
Stop! Just stop or I’ll have to block you.
He tried to call, but she refused to pick up.
I don’t want to talk right now, she wrote.
I’m finally making good progress on my book and feeling better. I can’t risk letting you level me again. You have what you
wanted. I’m gone. Now leave me alone, okay? At least while I’m in Italy. I’ll let you know when I’m back in the States. We
can talk then.
They still had to go through the paperwork, but their divorce should be relatively easy, she told herself. She wasn’t going
to try to break the prenup. She wasn’t even going to ask for any of the furniture or other personal property they’d accumulated
when they were together. He should be thrilled to get out of the marriage without a long, drawn-out court battle like so many
other celebrities faced.
She waited several minutes, but he didn’t respond.
Relieved, she got up again and set her phone firmly aside. She could hear movement downstairs, was eager to immerse herself
in the life she had since coming to Italy. The transition she was going through was fraught with risk and uncertainty, but
change was like that. She was building a vastly different future, one in which her parents, Sloane, Julian and Lilly played
a much bigger role, and she believed it would make her happier in the end.