Chapter 19 #2
She watched her brothers laughing at something and Emmett’s stern face breaking into a smile.
She wondered suddenly if she had kissed Dylan to get back at him and her brothers.
Just simply to prove that she was her own person, that she was someone.
Not just the sister that everyone forgot about, that newspapers left out of the family because it was easier to write about five brothers.
Logan, Jack, Noah, Brodie, Ethan—the five of them would never have any idea about the far-reaching consequences of that band.
It wasn’t just the emptiness they left behind at the ranch, their fame followed her everywhere like a shadow.
She thought of the little cliques at the prestigious Cordelia Street Ballet School, girls who’d been dancing together in New York since they were eight or ten, who made bitchy asides when Willow had arrived, about how she’d only made it because of her famous brothers.
Little country girl like her, how else could she have got in otherwise?
She’d worked doubly hard to prove herself against the cliques and the whispers, but it didn’t stop them, and it didn’t stop her crying in her bed at night, crying in the bathroom between classes, eating alone at the cafeteria.
But there was no way Willow would have gone back home.
Instead, she watched, she learned, she built herself armor; changed her hair, her accent, her fashion.
The school wanted perfect, she gave them better than perfect.
She gave them her soul. And after she graduated, she was accepted into the Company.
There, thankfully, it was more about being an individual, everyone at different stages of their career.
It was about making the steps unique, creating her own style, doing the impossible and making it look effortless.
The competition became against herself rather than anyone else.
But even so, getting to that point had been a grueling slog that had left its scars.
She might have lots of friends now, but she could never shake the feeling of being an interloper.
She lived, she realized as she sat there in The Firestone, like she was waiting to trip up; on-guard and aware.
Every show she danced was like an audition, proving to the world that she had a right to be there.
She was Willow Carter. Sister of no one.
She took a sip of her drink and sat back in her chair watching everyone around the table. She wondered if standing on the Hawkins veranda, staring straight into Dylan’s wary blue eyes, was simply a way of stepping outside of her family again, making herself feel relevant, noticed.
Or maybe she was just living out a teenage dream.
There was no chance to dwell on it further, though, because at the end of the table, Logan cleared his throat and, with his arm around Bella, said, “We did actually invite you out for a reason.”
Everyone stopped talking at once.
Willow realized immediately what was about to be said and felt all her animosity disappear and the smile widen on her face in an instant. She saw the same on Ren’s face.
Bella was coyly trying to hold in a grin.
Brodie didn’t get it at all. “What? What’s happening?”
Logan said, “We’re going to have a baby.” As he said them, the words caught in his throat.
Bella reached up and took hold of his hand. “I’m pregnant,” she said.
Noah’s eyes creased, his face softening with delight.
Brodie punched the air.
Martha gasped with delight and jumped from her chair to go around and throw her arms around first Bella and then Logan. “Oh, I couldn’t be happier! Oh, it’s wonderful news!”
Bella radiated a deep quiet happiness as she held Logan’s hand, neither of them seemingly willing to let go. Logan was beaming, his grin permanently fixed in place. He looked younger, his hair messed up, his eyes glinting. It was nice to see him so much more carefree.
Emmett had stood up too and coming round the table, he outstretched his hand, clasping Logan’s in his and said, “Congratulations, son.”
Willow watched, elbows on the table, wondering if Logan was going to cry again.
Then Emmett gave Bella a nod of acknowledgment. He wasn’t one for hugs.
“When’s it due?” Martha came back to her seat full of questions. “Is it a boy or a girl? Do you know? Are you going to find out?”
“It’s due in the fall. And no, we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl, only that it isn’t twins,” Bella replied with a smile.
Martha put her hand on Brodie’s arm at the mention of twins and said, “Count yourself lucky!”
Brodie shook his head. “If you hadn’t had twins, you wouldn’t have had Noah.”
Noah made a face. “Or you!”
“There’d have been no stopping me.” Brodie grinned.
Martha ignored them and turned her attention back to Bella. “Do you need an extra cushion? Are you comfortable? We have a few extra down here. Pass this to Bella.”
Bella patiently reached for the cushion that Martha had taken from her own chair and passed down the table. “Martha, I’m fine,” she laughed, but tucked the cushion behind her anyway to appease her mother-in-law.
“I know but… Ooh, it’s just so delightful.” Martha put her hand to her chest, her eyes welling with delight.
Logan hugged Bella tight to his side, grinning as he kissed the top of her head, one hand protectively touching her stomach, where there was possibly a little bump if you were looking for it.
Willow watched, wondering how moments ago she’d been thinking of resentment.
This was all she’d wanted, everyone back around the table.
Everyone smiling—even her dad—because there was going to be a little baby.
Why would she do anything to jeopardize that?
What was wrong with her? Why would she choose to upset these people who she loved?
Why would she do anything but smile and raise her glass and say, “Congratulations!”