Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
“ A ddy, I appreciate you stopping by, but—”
Addison waved her comment away and snatched the pillow behind her back. She fluffed it up and then carefully set it back behind Charlotte’s head. “Whatever you’re going to say, don’t waste your breath. I know it’s been a few days since the procedure, but the doctor did say to take it easy.”
Charlotte’s lips twitched. “Yes, he said to take it easy, not act like an invalid.”
While she enjoyed spending a little more time with Addison, it was starting to rub her the wrong way. It had been four days since the procedure, which Addison and Mason had both attended, with stars in their eyes and nervous energy that made them shift the entire time. Four days of Addison showing up every morning, marching Charlotte back to bed, and spending hours plumping her pillows, making her food, and watching TV with her.
On the one hand, it was nice to slow down and take a break from the usual hustle and bustle of her life. On the other hand, having Addison there to look over her shoulder each time she got up to stretch her legs or use the bathroom was slowly chipping away at her.
Charlotte couldn’t live like this, and she couldn’t imagine anyone who could.
But she didn’t want to hurt Addison’s feelings by making her feel excluded.
She can’t keep this up forever anyway. Not when she has a job.
“You’re not an invalid,” Addison responded after a long pause. “I just want to make sure we’re giving your body the best possible chance, you know.”
Charlotte sighed and linked her fingers together. “Yes, I know. But don’t you have work or something else to do?”
Preferably something that didn’t include another day of kale salad, flavorless pan-seared food, and skimming through articles about the best chance to increase fertility. Charlotte’s head already hurt, and she knew more than she ever wanted to know about the whole process.
Addison’s phone rang before she could respond.
She drifted toward the bedroom door and pressed it to her ear. “Hi, no. I’m coming in later.” Addison paused and ran a hand over her face. “Now? I’m in the middle of something.”
Charlotte pushed herself up and cleared her throat. “You should go and see what’s wrong.”
Addison spun around to face her and covered the phone. “I’ll find someone else to take care of it. You need me.”
“I’m not leaving the house,” Charlotte responded, flashing her an easy smile. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Go and take care of whatever it is. You’ve still got a job to do.”
And at least it would give Charlotte a few hours of peace and quiet.
Addison drew her bottom lip between her teeth. “Are you sure?”
Charlotte nodded, the smile never leaving her face. “Positive. Go. I’ll call if I need you.”
“Or you call Mason,” Addison said with a frown.
She stepped out of the bedroom and pulled the door shut behind her. A few moments later, Charlotte threw the covers off and tiptoed to the door. Through the slit, she saw Addison gather her coat and purse off the living room couch. She stuffed her feet into the shoes she left by the door and wrenched the knob open.
Once it clicked shut behind her, Charlotte hurried into the living room, spread her arms out on either side of her, and threw herself onto the couch. She released a deep breath and put her arms behind her head. Then, she wriggled her toes and rubbed her body against the pillows, enjoying the length and feel of them after days of being confined to her bed.
Charlotte was scrolling through shows when the doorbell rang. She ran inside to get her wallet and threw the door open without glancing through the peephole. Patrick stood outside her door in a pair of jeans and a formfitting shirt, a pizza box in his hand. He smiled when she lifted her gaze to his and stared.
Her stomach gave a familiar dip, and Charlotte suddenly forgot how to speak.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” Patrick joked, pausing to shift from one foot to the other. “And you really should consider healthier options.”
Charlotte blinked, and her mind came crashing back. “I’ve been eating kale salads, crushed nuts, and flavorless pan-seared protein for days. I needed something I could actually eat.”
Patrick chuckled. “Okay, fair enough. Are you on some kind of diet?”
Charlotte shook her head and pushed the door open the rest of the way. “No, I went to see the doctor about some…stomach issues, and he recommended I adjust my eating habits.”
Patrick brushed past her, the familiar smell of him making her heart flutter. “I hate when that happens. Usually, I’m a healthy eater, but when someone tells me I have to do it, suddenly, I don’t want to.”
Charlotte slammed the door shut and twisted to face him. “I know what you mean. It’s like, you can’t tell me pig out; only I can do that.”
Patrick laughed and placed the pizza box on the coffee table. “Yeah, exactly. Anyway, I thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing. You’ve been missed at school.”
Charlotte ignored the flutter in her chest at his words. “Yeah? You miss the sound of screeching chairs and the smoke machine banging?”
Patrick bent down to take off his shoes. He left them by the door and returned to the couch, pausing to prop his feet up on the table. “Oh, definitely. They’re my favorite sounds in the world.”
“You obviously need a life,” Charlotte teased breathlessly. “Anyway, as you can see, I’m fine. Still got all my fingers and toes and everything.”
She didn’t want to read too much into Patrick being there, making himself comfortable on her couch, but a tiny part of her was doing a little jiggy dance.
Don’t read too much into it. It’s probably nothing, and the last thing you want is to get your hopes up.
Patrick leaned back against the couch, half of his mouth lifting into a smile. “You’re doing a Lord of the Rings rewatch?”
“The extended version,” Charlotte replied before ducking into the kitchen to retrieve plates. “You ever seen them?”
“A few times.” Patrick glanced over his shoulders at her and smiled, his entire face lighting up. “Mind if I watch with you?”
Charlotte nearly tripped on her way back. “Yeah, sure. I’ve got plenty of pizza too.”
In silence, she took up a seat on the farthest side of the couch, keeping as much space between them as possible. During the movie, she kept sneaking glances at him, imagining her fingers running over his smooth, square-cut jaw before tracing his lips. She saw herself looking into his beautiful almond-shaped eyes and getting lost there.
Man, she had it bad.
And now they’d missed their opportunity, like two ships passing in the night.
We could’ve really been something, Patrick. I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance.
Halfway through the movie, when Patrick looked over at her and their eyes met, Charlotte couldn’t look away. Something banged on the TV, and she pretended to jump up. She raced to the bathroom, where she splashed cold water on her face. Patrick’s attention was on the movie again when she came back out.
During the second movie, Charlotte’s hand brushed against Patrick’s when they both reached for the same slice of cheesy pepperoni pizza. Patrick was the first to withdraw his hand, but only after offering her the slice, along with a napkin. A jolt raced up her arm when his skin touched hers, and she felt the color creep up her neck and cheeks.
For the rest of the second movie, Charlotte did her best to avoid looking at Patrick and ignore the butterflies in her stomach. By the time the credits rolled, Charlotte’s eyes were growing heavy.
Patrick picked up the remote to stop the movie and stood. “Why don’t we watch the third movie some other time? I’m beat.”
Charlotte scrubbed a hand over her face and stood. “Are you sure? We could have some coffee or something.”
Patrick took the plates into the kitchen and rinsed them. Charlotte watched in awe as he tidied up while she stood there like an idiot. Then, she walked him to the door, and he tucked the empty pizza box under his arm. In the doorway, Patrick drew himself up to his full height, his smile making her insides feel fuzzy.
“I was thinking we should go out to eat next time,” Patrick began after a brief pause. His free hand hung limply at his side. “I know this great Thai place that’s not too far.”
Charlotte wanted to throw her hands up and do another little dance.
Instead, she cleared her throat and leaned against the door. “I think I’d better avoid anything too strong so I don’t upset my stomach.”
Patrick nodded, and his eyes flicked down to her stomach and back up at her face. “We could do Greek or Mediterranean food.”
Charlotte’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “I’d love that.”
Patrick’s face lit up. “Great. I’ll call you later so we can figure out the details.”
As soon as Charlotte closed the door, she broke out into a shimmy. She picked up her phone off the couch, her heart racing the entire time. But instead of calling Savannah, she ended up dialing Libby’s number and waiting for her to pick up. While it rang, she picked up her purse off the floor, stuffed her feet into a pair of shoes, and retrieved her sweater from behind the door.
Libby picked up as Charlotte set off at a brusque pace, making a beeline for the supermarket a few blocks away. “Hey.”
“Hi.” Charlotte switched the phone to her other ear. “Is this a bad time?”
“I was trying to figure out how to make Annie’s favorite food, but the internet isn’t that helpful.”
A cool breeze wafted past Charlotte, and she frowned. “You’re still not having any luck getting through to her?”
Libby sighed. “Unfortunately, no.”
“I’m sure things will get better,” Charlotte replied, drawing to a halt at the traffic light. “She’s doing fine at school, if that helps. What if you take her to a child psychiatrist? I have a friend who might be able to help. She swore by this doctor…”
“That sounds like a good option, actually. Send me their number.” Libby said something in the background, and her voice came back on. “Anyway, how are you? You taking it easy, as the doctor said?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Like Addison would let me get away with anything else. I practically had to kick her out of the house, and it’s a good thing, too, because Patrick came by after that.”
The thought of him still made her stomach fill with butterflies.
“I can tell by the smile in your voice that you like him,” Libby commented, her voice quieting toward the end. “Young love. I remember what that was like.”
“You know, it’s never too late for you to put yourself back out there.” Charlotte pushed the door to the supermarket open and stopped. Her eyes blinked to adjust to the fluorescent lighting, the elevator music playing in the background, and the shoes squeaking against linoleum floors.
Charlotte reached for a shopping cart and wandered down the aisles. “I’m sure you feel lonely sometimes.”
Libby was quiet for so long that Charlotte thought the call ended.
She was about to pull the phone away from her ear when she heard Libby sigh. “I do, but I can’t imagine moving on with someone else, and with the whole Annie situation, I don’t think it’s the best time.”
Charlotte stopped in the cereal section and peered at the options. “I’m sure the problems with Annie aren’t going to last forever. Things will get better.”
They had to because Charlotte wanted her friend to be happy.
Libby deserved all of that and more.
If Charlotte had to push and pry, she was more than willing to do that.
The two of them continued to chat aimlessly as Charlotte wandered through the aisles, setting down several healthier options in her cart, as per the doctor’s list. When Charlotte rounded the corner, she nearly rammed into her mother’s cousin, Ruby.
Charlotte gave Ruby a distracted smile and switched the phone to her other ear. “I’ve got to go, Libby. I’ll talk to you later.”
Ruby was perusing the candy section, a furrow between her brows. “Hi.”
“Hey, Rubs. You here by yourself?”
Ruby lifted the hoodie over her head and spun around to give Charlotte a pointed look. “Why would I be?”
Charlotte opened her mouth to respond when her mom’s cousin, Tara, rounded the corner with a shopping cart full of supplies. She smiled and waved when she spotted Charlotte.
As soon as she was close enough, Cousin Tara’s eyes tightened around the edges. “Are you okay, dear? You look a little pale. I heard you haven’t been feeling well.”
“Nothing serious,” Charlotte lied, a surge of guilt racing through her. “I just need to take it easy; that’s all.”
Tara didn’t look convinced. “Do you want us to help you shop? We’d be happy too, right, Ruby?”
Ruby rolled her eyes and shoved both hands into the pocket of her jeans. “Yeah, whatever.”
Charlotte cleared her throat. “That’s not necessary. I—”
“There you are.” Charlotte’s mother appeared, looking harried and a little out of breath. She made a beeline for them, clutching her bag the whole time. “I was wondering where you went. Hi, Tara. Hi, Ruby.”
Charlotte gave her mom a confused smile, which she ignored.
Emily squeezed her shoulders when she reached her. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
Tara waved her comment away. “We were just offering to give Charlotte a hand. Anyway, I can see you have it all figured out. We should get going. See you both soon.”
Ruby fell into step behind her mom, and the two of them rounded a corner and disappeared. As soon as they did, Charlotte wheeled around and raised an eyebrow. “What was that about?”
“Addison called and asked me to check on you. She’s still stuck with a client and couldn’t get away,” Emily explained, her eyes moving over the items in the cart. “I was on the way when I saw you go into the store. I see you’ve got an eye for bargains.”
Charlotte sighed. “Not really, but the doctor said I should watch what I eat. It’ll increase the chances of…you know.”
Emily’s eyes flicked up, and she held her daughter’s gaze. “He’s not wrong. Looks like I got here at the right time too. Tara’s like a dog with a bone. I love that woman, but she doesn’t know how to take a hint.”
Charlotte snorted. “I’m sure she’s not that bad.”
Emily fell into step beside her and draped an arm over her shoulders. “She isn’t, but it’s better not to take any chances. You’re still not ready to tell anyone, right?”
Charlotte’s throat tightened. “No…I’m sorry you’re having to keep this from your family though. I know I haven’t put you in an easy situation.”
Emily stopped in front of the frozen food aisle, where packets of food were placed in large freezers. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to apologize. This is your decision to make, so whenever you’re ready, you just let me know.”
Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you. It’s just a big deal, and I don’t want to screw this up.”
There was so much riding on her, not just Addison and Mason’s marital happiness but her own happiness too. Charlotte didn’t want to go back to her old life, going through the motions with one foot out the door. Now that she’d taken the leap, she wanted to freefall through the skies.
Charlotte just prayed she didn’t fall flat on her face on the jagged rocks below.
Swallowing, Charlotte pretended to scan more of the items on the shelf. “How’s Savannah taking it? Is she still pissed?”
Emily blew out a breath. “You know your sister. It takes her a while to warm up to things, and she’s just worried about you, but I’m sure she’ll come around.”
Hopefully, sooner rather than later.
In silence, the two of them wandered through the rest of the supermarket, picking up and setting down several items as they did. The entire time, Charlotte felt like other shoppers were watching her, judging her.
But she dismissed it all as paranoia.
She hadn’t, after all, done anything wrong.
Her mother helped her carry the shopping bags out to the car and insisted on driving her back home. Emily held one of her hands the entire time and wouldn’t leave until the groceries had been put away. Then, she gave her daughter a long hug and lingered. Charlotte didn’t realize she was crying until her mom left, and she was by herself again.
What was the matter with her?
She wanted this to happen, so she couldn’t understand why she was all tied up in knots about it.