“Um…” Cash looked to me again for help, but there was no help to be found. This ship was going down.Mayday! Mayday!“Yes. Ella and I are dating.”
“Oh.” Liv blinked slowly as though her brain had been overloaded by this new information and she was rebooting. “How long has this been going on?”
“Well, we actually went out after your wedding, but we just recently decided we were ready to see where this could go.” Cash reached for my hand under the table, or at least I think he did. I wasn’t entirely sure because my soul had left my body.
“And I knew it the whole time,” Derek said proudly, driving the last stake through Liv’s heart.
Chloe clearly read the room because she let out a squall so loud it caused her to turn beet-red. Jonathan, who was concerned about the five alarm siren going off inside his sister, came running, tripping over his own feet. He, too, started to wail right there on the floor, and I wanted to join him.
Jax scooped him up, speaking to him in a soft, soothing voice.
Tears welled in Liv’s eyes as she stood so she could rock Chloe.
Derek noticed and immediately glanced over at me. “Shit. I’m so sorry.”
I finally found my voice. “Please don’t be mad. I was going to tell you. I haven’t even told Grace yet.”
“This has been going on since the wedding? That means you guys were together when you came over…” Liv’s voice was sharp over the sound of the baby crying. “And you didn’t tell me?”
I immediately came to my feet, pleading with her. “I know Cash is your manager and Grace’s boss. I should have consulted both of you first. Please don’t be upset.”
Tears spilled down Liv’s cheeks. “You thinkthat’swhy I’m upset? I’m not mad, Ella. I’m happy for you both. I’m just… I’m hurt. All night I’ve heard about things going on in your life and at the bakery that other people knew, but I didn’t know anything about any of it. I feel like I’m hearing about someone I don’t even know. Now that I’m starting a family of my own, you’re treating me like we haven’t been each other’s family all these years. I have stood beside you during every phase of your life. Why can’t you do the same for me?”
My hands flew to my chest as though they could somehow shield me from the tidal wave of her words, but nothing could have stopped them from pulling me under.
“Come on, Jax,” Liv said finally, brushing past me. “Let’s get the kids home.” She turned and addressed the room, her eyes settling on everyone but me. “Sorry, everyone. Thanks for dinner.”
Jax gave me an empathetic smile and squeezed my shoulder as he said his goodbyes and trailed after Liv.
Tears stung my eyes as Cash made his way to me. “I’m sorry, Ella. I did not mean for this to happen.”
“Oof,” Brandi squawked. “That was awkward.”
My sadness gave way to anger as I remembered why this happened in the first place. I was so angry, in fact, that before I could stop myself, I snatched a glass of water from the table and threw it in Luca’s face.
* * *
“You threwwater in Luca’s face?” Katie asked wide-eyed late the following afternoon. “I can’t say he hasn’t had that coming for a while. I just didn’t think it would be coming from you.”
“Funny,” I said, though I didn’t laugh. “That’s exactly what he said when I finally apologized to him.” Things were slow at the bakery, and I seized my opportunity to tell Katie about the events from the night before and get her advice before I needed to leave to get home for Grace.
She pressed her palms to the sides of her face, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe Cash blurted it out like that.”
“What else was he supposed to do, though? I’d forgotten how to use words, and he panicked,” I explained. “I’m not upset with him. I’m upset with myself. I should have been the one to tell Liv.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “She’s so upset with me, Katie Bug. She won’t return my calls.”
“You’ve got to give her some time.” Katie squeezed my arm. “This is a lot to process.”
“But to just not talk to me?” I asked. “To not even give me a chance to explain?”
She sighed and leaned against the front counter. “Look, if it had been my best friend Jo withholding something like this from me, I’d be pretty upset too. I’d get over it, but it would take a second.”
I felt a fresh batch of tears cooking behind my eyes.
“I know this has been hard on you,” Katie said gently. “It’s been a lot of change all at once, but you have to remember that you’re not the only one things are changing for. Liv got married and was immediately thrown into this whole instant family. Even if it was everything she ever wanted, it’s still an adjustment. There were bound to be some growing pains.”
“I know.” I pressed my palms to my forehead, trying to relieve some of the pressure that had been building in my head since the day before. “I thought I was being sensitive to that by not bothering her with stuff.”
“Ella, by not bothering her with anything you kind of cut her off from everything she’s ever known at a time that’s full of nothing but new and uncertain things.”
