When I looked up, I saw Hannah standing there, phone in hand smiling.
“What’d you do?”
“Nothing,” she denied. Hannah was the world's worst liar. She couldn’t keep the grin off her face to save her life.
“Hannah …”
“Fine. I just took a picture of you and Bailey. You know, ‘cause she sees you so rarely, I needed proof that you did know her when …”
“Ouch!” I winced.
Even though I knew Hannah was only playing, her words hurt. Probably because she was voicing my greatest fear. It’s why I couldn’t stay home this morning and had to get out of there. Guilt was eating me. After Todd, I’d promised myself I was going to work on me. Find things that made me happy. Be okay just being me. I’d promised myself I didn’t need a man to make me complete. That I was enough. But then in barreled Luke. I hadn’t been looking for him and I certainly hadn’t been out prowling for a rebound, but there he was. And it was his determination that hooked me. He kept chasing me until I stopped running and let him catch me. I was the one who’d held back every step of the way and he’d been patient waiting for me to catch up. Now though, I barely recognized my life without him.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Hannah added quickly.
“No. It’s fine. I deserve it.”
“Bullshit! Charlotte, I’ve never seen you this happy before. Todd was …”
“A douche canoe?”
“I was going to say a mistake. He wasn’t right for you. You need a partner, not someone who makes you feel like you’re their parent. He relied on you for everything, and he took advantage of your awesomeness. Luke’s different.”
“You barely know him,” I countered.
“I know you though. And I know you’re happy with him. He makes you smile. He encourages you to be yourself.”
“But I haven’t seen you …” I said, running my finger across Bailey’s forehead, jealous of how soft her skin was.
“And I haven’t seen you. It’s no one’s fault, Charlotte. It’s life. I mean, you’re not upset at me for spending all my time with Mason and Bailey, are you?”
“No!” I replied quickly. “Not at all.”
“Then why should it be different with Luke and Isla?”
Damn Hannah and her straight-forward logic. I hadn’t come here to have this conversation with her, but evidently it was one we needed to have. The things I needed to hear.
“Because they’re not my family. Mason’s your husband and Bailey is your beautiful baby girl.”
“So? Just because a bit of paper says Mason’s mine, doesn’t mean Luke isn’t yours just because you don’t have it. Yet.”
I heard the ‘yet’ in her comment and let it slide. I wasn’t even thinking that far ahead. I’d been down that road, had the pretty dress and the perfect cake picked out and look how that turned out. Me, alone on my honeymoon drinking mojitos by myself at sunset. Yeah, no thanks. Been there, done that. Wasn’t ready for a second attempt.
“I was supposed to be focusing on me.”
“And you ran into Mr. Right. So what? You love Luke, don’t you?”
“Umm.”
“You can deny it all you like, Charlotte, but I know you. I know you’re staying there most nights …”
“How?” I asked before the light bulb went off.
“Liam,” we both said at the same time.
“Damn that boy has a big mouth.”
“Yep! You should hear what he said when Mason was hanging around.”
