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“I don’t care. I’m still mad at him, and it’s his fault.”
“What’s his fault?” asked Charlie.
“Everything!” Spencer declared, clanging the dishes together as he cleared the table.
“Spencer, you’re going to break something,” said Emily. “And ix-nay on the Josh ashing-bay.”
“Why? What did Josh do?” asked Charlie.
Emily put her hand on Spencer’s arm to prevent him from responding. “We just don’t think they should get married. Olivia’s feeling pressured, and they’re not doing it for the right reasons.”
“Well what are the reasons, then?” Charlie asked.
“Just tell her,” Spencer growled. “She’s going to find out eventually. And it’s not like she’s going to tell anyone. Your mom and dad already know.”
Emily hesitated. “Maybe it would be better if you found out from us. But please don’t say anything, and you have to act surprised when Olivia tells you.”
“Tells me what?” Charlie asked, with growing exasperation.
“Olivia’s pregnant!” said Spencer.
Charlie felt a surge of nausea as she struggled to keep her composure. Somehow this was worse than thinking they were just in love with each other. She spoke in an even tone, careful to banish any emotion from her voice. “Then I think they should get married. They obviously love each other, and Josh needs to step up and make a commitment.”
“Josh is willing to make a commitment all right,” Spencer fumed. “But only a short-term commitment.”
“What do you mean? Short-term?” asked Charlie.
“Olivia says they’re not in love. So they’re contemplating getting married for a year,” said Emily.
“But that doesn’t make any sense. Why get married at all? You must have misunderstood.”
“No, there’s some weird custody thing going on with Josh’s parents. Josh thinks they might win custody if he and Olivia don’t get married.”
“That’s ridiculous! The courts wouldn’t take a baby away from the mother and give it to the grandparents. Would they?”
“I think it’s just some cockamamie story Josh concocted to pressure Olivia into this short-term marriage,” Spencer complained.
“That makes more sense. Josh probably loves her, and he’s hoping to pressure her into marriage with the threat of losing the baby. I bet he totally wants to stay married forever.” This explanation made sense to Charlie.
“But Olivia said he offered to pay for medical school if she agreed to stay married for a year.”
“Yes, but think about it,” Charlie argued. “He figures he’s got a year to convince her to stay married.”
“Oh, that does make sense,” Emily agreed. “Maybe you were totally wrong about him, Spencer. I mean, Olivia was the one who told me she wasn’t in love with Josh. Did Josh ever actually say he didn’t love Olivia?”
“No...” Spencer hesitated. “I guess that’s possible.”
“I feel so much better.” Emily’s face relaxed in a smile.
Charlie mirrored her expression, though she was aching on the inside. How stupid could she be? How could she possibly have feelings for Josh when she’d worked to crush those emotions for two years? Well, she was a big girl, and she simply had to deal with it. She loved Olivia like a sister, and she certainly wasn’t going to let this come between them. Although it hurt to think of Josh and Olivia having a baby together, she couldn’t let herself dwell on it. She wanted Josh to be happy. And if Olivia could make him happy, she wanted them to be together.
She knew it in her head. Now if she could only convince her heart.
CHARLIE WAS LOOKING forward to a night of dancing—it would be a blast. Olivia, Hannah, and Emily were all going, and Spencer insisted on chaperoning. Claire objected to being left behind but, unfortunately, she was still underage. After a week of nannying with the twins, Charlie was ready for something fun. Even better, she had a new dress to wear. She and Emily had gone shopping at her mom’s favorite secondhand store, and both had found fun dresses to wear. Charlie thought hers was a bit risqué, but Emily had insisted she’d fit right in with the New York club scene.
She examined herself in the mirror. She’d applied a bit of makeup—just some mascara, eye shadow and lip-gloss—but the result was striking. Her gold eyes looked exotic, framed by soft brown curls hanging down to the middle of her back. She normally tucked her tresses into a baseball cap or at least confined them in a ponytail. But tonight, they were flowing over her shoulders. She pulled them out of the way to study the back of the dress. It dipped into a low v, highlighting her smooth muscular back. It was a little too low for her taste, and she decided it was a good thing her hair covered most of her bared skin. The soft silk dress, in a gold that matched her eye color, fell several inches short of her knees, and her heels made her exposed legs appear even longer. Satisfied with her inspection, she grabbed a sweater. With the extra coverage, she’d not only be warm when she was outside, but also have the option of donning it to eliminate male attention should she gain more than she wanted.
Steven had offered the use of his limousine for the evening since he and Anne had planned an evening at home. By the time the entire group had collected in the limo, the laughter was irrepressible. Charlie couldn’t help feeling somewhat awkward around Olivia, but she seemed totally unaware. Charlie stole glances at her abdomen, but there was no apparent bulge on her tall, thin frame. She must be very early in her pregnancy. Although she knew Olivia was feeling all kinds of stress and pressure, she couldn’t help feeling a bit of envious of her friend who had captured Josh’s heart and was carrying his baby.
