“Do you really think this is going to work, Mom?”
“Why shouldn’t it, darling? People have home births all the time. It’s perfectly safe.”
“Yes, but home births don’t usually involve inducing labor. What if it doesn’t work? It’s not like we can keep her here for another three or four weeks without anyone noticing she’s gone.”
Alarm bells clanged in my head.Induce labor?!It was all I could do to keep from having a panic attack.In and out. Keep it together.
“I really don’t think that will be necessary. Just stay positive—in another day or two, you and Max will be far away from here, with your darling Charlie. After a while, your father and Iwill come visit, and eventually, you’ll be able to come back to Sausalito, once things die down.”
“Oh, thank you, Mom. I can’t believe this is finally happening!”
A knock on the door.
“That must be Max,” Madison said. I heard the creak of the door opening. “Hi, babe!” Her voice sounded gleeful. I heard the happy couple kiss. A slight, chilly breeze floated into the room before the door closed again.
Nora interrupted. “The nurse is due to arrive soon, so we need to move Jenna. Let’s get her into one of the back bedrooms.”
My heart pounded as I heard Max approach Jenna. I tried so hard to keep quiet and feign unconsciousness, but I was losing the battle.
As Max got closer, I heard Jenna scream. “No! Leave me alone! Don’t touch me!”
My eyes flew open. Max was trying to lift Jenna, but she was fighting with everything she had despite her bound arms and legs.
“Ow! Jenna, stop! Please just cooperate so I don’t have to hurt you!” Max yelled, trying to dodge her swings.
Her feet connected with Max’s head. The blow knocked him off his feet.
“Stop this nonsense!” Nora bellowed, like she was disciplining an unruly child. Jenna stopped kicking and withdrew into a ball, eyes wide.
“Max, sweetheart, are you okay?” Madison ran to his side and took his face in her hands, turning his head so she could see the spot where Jenna had kicked him.
“I’m fine,” he said, standing up. All of a sudden, his eyes locked onto mine.Shit.He’d seen that I was awake. “Savannah.” He said only my name, as if no other words were needed.
“Max … what is going on?” I gasped. “What have you done?”
“Savannah—look … I’m sorry it all had to happen this way. I wanted you to be somewhere where you can give birth in peace, and then … Madison and I are going to raise my son.”
“Max—this is my son too. You can’t do this.”
“Savannah, you’re not fit to raise a child alone, as a single mother. You’re just not cut out for it. My son needs a mother and a father, and a stable home life, with a family that can provide for him and give him everything he could possibly need or want. That’s not you, Savannah. That’s me and Madison.”
“So, this what you would have done to me, too?” Jenna shrieked. “If our baby had lived?”
Max’s face twisted with contempt. “Jenna, you don’t even have a job.You haven’t worked in over a year now. And you’re much too unstable to raise a child.”
“I was grieving for my father, you asshole!”
“Besides … it was never supposed to happen with you, anyway. You were an accident.”
“An accident? Oh, right—just a littledistractionfrom your split with Madison?” Jenna retorted.
Max’s face twitched for a second, taken aback by her words.
“Yeah, I overheard everything you two said at the for-sale house. Good thing I lost my baby, right? Otherwise, how would you explain to all your rich friends why your child has pale blonde hair and looks nothing like you?” Jenna’s eyes threw daggers at Madison, standing behind Max.
Nora scoffed, and rolled her eyes. “This is a waste of time.”
My eyes darted back and forth between them.What is she saying?
