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“Drew, I—”
“Oh my God, Char!” Lauren bolts for me, her body wrapped in one of her cashmere robes and engulfs me in her arms. “What are you doing here? Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but how long have you been here?”
“About ten minutes. I saw you…had a visitor.” I nod to where Drew is standing, but he’s gone, making me believe he had slipped out to hopefully put on clothes.
“Babe, why are you crying? What’s going on?” She clasps her hand with mine and squeezes. “Did you and Will have a fight?”
“Sort of…” I whisper. “Lauren, everything is so…hard!”
“Okay, why don’t we start from the beginning.”
“Well, I’m pregnant.”
“No shit!” I hear from the entryway, and I look up to see Drew staring at me with the largest smile on his face, completely dressed. “Congratulations, future sis! Why aren’t we celebrating? Popping some bubbly…though none for you.” He points at me. “Where’s that asshole brother of mine? I—”
“Drew!” Lauren starts. “Can’t you see that she isclearlynot in the celebrating mood? Now either hush or leave.” She turns to me. “Do you want him to leave?”
“Well…”
“Go!” she orders Drew immediately and he crosses his arms across his chest as he shoots her a look.
“I think it would be best if maybe you checked on your brother?” I tell him.I’m not sure if he has anyone to turn to, and I don’t want him wallowing in self-pity. I want someone who loves him. Even if Will doesn’t think they do.
“What…what exactly am I walking in to? Did you…did you leave him?”
“He thinks I did.” I bite my bottom lip. “But I love him. I did it for us. I swear I just…”
“Okay,” Lauren says wrapping her arms around me. “Drew, go and call me once you know what’s going on.”
“On it, boss.” He salutes her and if that didn’t make me smile, then him being two steps from the door, turning around and walking back towards us to plant a kiss on her lips followed by one on her nose, brings a smile to my face despite the tears leaking from my eyes. He looks at me. “I don’t know what happened but…my brother loves you so much. You make him happier than…I’ve ever seen him.” He smiles at me. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Drew.”
6:00 pm
I ignore Drew’s call for the fourth time in the span of five minutes. He is the last person I want to talk to. He is probably calling to see if I want to go to some bullshit nightclub. I’m lying on my bed flat on my back when the phone rings again. I’m hoping for either Charley or Tuck to call me back but this time it’s my mother.
Fuck that.
I turn over, groaning, as I can already hear the passive aggressive voicemail she’s about to leave me.Well, since you can’t be bothered to answer the phone…
“How did I let my fucked up relationship with my parents ruin the one thing I love the most?” I say to myself as I sit up hearing my front door open. “Charlotte?” I call out, praying for her to manifest in my doorway. “Baby?”
I’m so sorry I left, Will. I love you so much, we’ll work this out. I’m here, I’ll never leave your side.
I can almost hear her voice saying the words. I stand up, my brain having convinced my body that Charlotte is on the premises when my brother appears in my doorway. I drop like a log to my bed.
“What are you doing here? I’m really not in the mood to go out or whatever it is you’re hearing bugging me for.”
I look up and he looks as if he’s been punched and the wind knocked out of him. He looks forlorn, almost sad. “I just came to check on you, bro.” He makes his way through my room slowly before standing up against the wall, his hands in his pockets. “You and Charlotte have a fight?”
How the hell does he know that? Do I look that bad?
I don’t even have to look in the mirror to know the answer to that question.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Well, get over it, because she’s in hysterics at Lauren’s house right now. What the hell happened? You’re pregnant, shouldn’t you be like over the moon right now? You don’t think it’s that asshole ex-husbands of hers, do you?”
