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I point behind me. “Emma is not pregnant with my child. I haven’t had sex with her in over twelve months. I’m not an idiot.” Tugging my hair with my hands in irritation, I face Emma. “You need to leave.”
“Why are you lying to her?” Emma asks, crying.
Give me strength!
“I’m not lying to her, you are.” I slowly inhale and release it just as slowly because my temper is about to come out when I need it reining in. “We both know that I’m not the father. It’s impossible. So, I suggest you stop with these lies. If you don’t, I’m going to talk to a lawyer and have him issue an order for a paternity test.”
She looks smug. “You only want that done because you know it’s yours and you think you can scare me.”
I burst out with a few choice words before I give up with Emma for the moment, and go to Charlotte.
My world completely rights itself when she easily moves against my chest and wraps her arms around my waist. She buries her face into the curve of my neck and stays right there. I inhale her fragrance when I bury my face into her hair and let her calm me.
I glance up and watch Emma, who is watching us with a look of jealousy on her face. I don’t honestly believe that it has anything to do with me. My guess is that it’s something she wants and has yet to find it.
Placing Charlotte in the chair nearest to me, I move back to Emma. “What have I ever done to deserve your lies?” I ask, overwhelmed with tiredness.
“You never loved me,” Emma whispers.
“We’re both to blame for that. You don’t love me. If you did, you wouldn’t have gone looking elsewhere.”
“Are you trying to get me back for that?” The surprise in her voice causes me to curse.
“No! I am not getting you back for anything. We are over. We have been for a long time. The situation we’re in now is my fault. I should never have agreed to help you when you came to me after I got back from Lexington…but blaming me now for getting you pregnant won’t work Emma. I’m not so cruel that I would make you do the paternity test now, but unless you admit the truth, I will be having a lawyer serve you with papers the minute your baby arrives.
“I’m in love with Charlotte, and I have been for months. She’s mine and we’re going to be together regardless of what you say, but you know what? I hope you find what I have with Charlotte one day because it feels amazing.” Hopefully she’ll feel guilty for her accusations now that I’m wishing her well for the future.
“You mean that, don’t you?” Emma whispers. “Why are you always so nice?”
I laugh. “I was raised well, but me being nice only goes so far, Emma. I won’t let you ruin what I can have with Charlotte.” I let my words hang in the air and turn to glance at Charlotte.
She’s pale and her eyes are rimmed red, but she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I desperately want to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything will be okay. I know it will be in the end, I’m just pissed that Emma is trying the ‘you’re the father’ with me when we both know I’m not.
Turning my attention to Emma, she stares at me for a long time before turning to Charlotte. “He’s telling you the truth. We haven’t been together in over a year, so this baby I’m carrying, isn’t his.” She glances to me and then to Charlotte. “I’m not a horrible person. I’m sorry.” Her last words uttered, she heads toward the door.
“Wait up. I’ll walk you to your car. It’s slippery out.”
She rolls her eyes.
“Humor me, okay? You’re pregnant, and we don’t want an accident. You need to be in good health to go and tell the actual father.”
She winces. “I guess.”
“Charlotte, don’t move.” I look at Charlotte but don’t get any response. With nerves dancing in my stomach, I help Emma to the car. Good thing I did because she lost her footing a couple of times.
My mind is on Charlotte and what she must be thinking as I close Emma’s car door and watch her drive off.
At the end of the day, I’m finally free to be with her.
73
Charlotte
I’m a little bit in shock as I think after Emma’s dramatic attempt to keep Tanner in her life, although I’m sure as hell feeling relief that none of it is true.
When she’d showed up here and started with the accusations that I’d stolen her fiancé from her, I hadn’t a clue as to what to say. It was true in a way, although we hadn’t been having an affair, and when we had been together, they weren’t engaged. She hadn’t wanted to listen and had made sure I understood Tanner had still been making love to her all these months.
I shouldn’t be relieved considering they were engaged, it would have been expected of them. To hear that I was the only one to have Tanner’s attention in that time made me smile, like I’m doing now as my guy walks back into the house, stomping the snow from his boots before he leaves them at the door.
