“That remains to be seen,” Lucian declared from a distance. “On that note, I’ll be at the table.”
While everyone backed up and gave me their congratulations, Tak crooked his finger at Salem before they left the room together.
Robyn touched my stomach. “I can’t get over how you’re not showing.”
I cinched my blouse tight and showed them my side profile. Only then did they see how well I’d hidden my weight beneath oversized shirts, jackets, and ponchos. As a former entertainer, I knew how to use clothing to become someone else. They saw what they wanted to see.
Though I should have been relieved to have this weight off my shoulders, the uncertainty of where that left Salem and me hung like an ominous cloud precipitating an oncoming storm.
Chapter 4
Following dinner, Hope led me to her bedroom for a heartfelt conversation. She didn’t inquire about the baby’s father but admitted to noticing how Salem and I were never affectionate. Others had accepted it as part of who we were, but it still raised a few eyebrows since we were even less affectionate than Cecilia and Archer. It was obvious those two were in love, so I could only imagine what they must have thought about us. I talked about hiding my morning sickness and all the times I’d gotten indigestion after a meal. She asked about the changes I’d been experiencing, curious of what her own pregnancy might have in store.
When she laid her hand on my stomach, hoping to feel the baby kick, I smiled wistfully. No good would come from making her worry, especially with her anxiety, so I didn’t reveal that the baby had never moved inside me.
The real shock came after dinner. When I headed to my bedroom to change, Salem had already cleared his things out. It was the first time since our arrival that I’d slept alone in our bed.
To be honest, it was heavenly. Having spent most of my adult life alone, I’d developed a certain nocturnal routine. Now I hadthe freedom to choose either side of the bed, and I didn’t have to endure the awful curtain of silence whenever he came in at night. Though Salem and I had built an imaginary relationship on a foundation of lies, he’d remained a gentleman throughout it all. It was a relief to no longer have to pretend.
It was also nice to have the covers and pillows all to myself.
The next morning, I dressed in privacy while listening to Virgil singing in the other bathroom down the hall. When I passed by, I spotted Krys hanging out by the door.
“My bathroom’s free now,” I informed him.
“I’m good.”
As soon as I reached the landing on the stairs, I spotted Catcher waiting at the bottom. He snorted at me as if to say I’d slept in too late.
“Are we really doing this?” I passed by him. “I’ve already got a shadow.”
The scent of sausages, biscuits, and fresh fruit filled the kitchen.
“Hey,” Bear said, catching my attention as I walked past the kitchen fireplace. “Hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of making this drink for you.”
I accepted the glass he offered me. “What is it?”
Bear untied his apron in the back. “It has all the nutrients you need, but it’s delicious. I’ve been making one for Hope every morning. Taste it.”
“Will it make me sick?”
“No, ma’am. It’s sweeter than it looks.”
When his chest puffed out, I smiled with amusement. Bear was adorable—a giant who loved making people happy through food.
When I tasted the fruity beverage, I said, “Mmm. This reallyisdelicious.”
“It’s got veggies in there, but you’d never know. I made you avocado toast, sausages, an omelet, and a glass of milk.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That’s quite a food combination.”
His eyebrows gathered together. “You have to eat it. Tak doesn’t like the processed stuff they sell in the store, so the sausages are fresh from a local butcher. After he found out how much I paid a local for the eggs, he brought up raising chickens again.”
When I entered into the spacious dining room, which was darkest in the morning because of the west-facing windows, I was taken aback. Instead of the usual chatter and smiling faces, the only two seated at the table were Tak and Salem, and Salem wasn’t sitting in his usual spot. He sat on Tak’s left, his arms crossed on the table.
“Is this a private meeting?” I asked.
Tak gestured to the chair on his right.
