“Well, I’ve only just realized how late I am.” Her voice shook and held a tremble of unease. “It’s only been a little more than two weeks.”
“You waited that long to say something.” Cody didn’t look happy.
Brooke understood why. If he’d known, he’d never have been with Brooke. At all.
Kristi tried to explain why she held off telling him. “I thought I was late because of stress, or… I don’t know. It was a surprise for me, too.”
Cody nodded that he understood, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t upset she’d held this back from him.
Kristi took Cody’s hand. “With it being so early in the pregnancy, we have time to plan a lovely ceremony that can include all the things we want for our big day.” Kristi could plan the extravaganza of her dreams to show off to all her friends.
Kristi noticed her standing in the doorway. The look she sent Brooke said so many things. She suspected something happened between her and Cody last night. Her eyes lit with triumph that she’d been right to come first thing this morning and claim Cody for herself.
Brooke shoved aside the agony of losing Cody, recovered her senses enough to plaster on a fake smile, and walked into the room. “Congratulations.” She took a deep breath and swore she would not cry. Tears clogged her throat, but she choked them back.
She stared at Cody.
His gaze dropped to the rug, then came back up and met hers, and the bleak look in his eyes destroyed her. His pain, hers, blocked out the light inside her and left her in a darkness so complete it swallowed her whole.
She loved him so much; she didn’t want to lose him. But she saw it all too clearly in his eyes. He’d made his choice. He’d give her up to give his child what Cody lost when his mom left: a family that stayed together. A mom and a dad, who loved their child.
She tried to understand and not resent him or the situation. “A wedding and a baby. I hope you two will be very happy together.” The words tasted vile, but she got them out. For him.
“We will be.” Kristi stood and took Cody’s arm in her hands. She held him and beamed a triumphant smile at Brooke.
She’d won.
Brooke conceded. What else could she do? “You’re a lucky woman. Cody’s the best.”
“As hisfriend, you’d know just how lucky I am. I’d thought you might be reluctant to give him up after all these years.Weappreciate your support.”
Brooke got the message. Kristi was marrying Cody and having his baby. He’d chosen.
Brooke couldn’t fight that. She wouldn’t. She’d bow out gracefully and try to salvage the broken pieces of her heart. She didn’t think it would ever mend, but maybe, someday, she’d find a way to stop loving him and move on. Right now, it didn’t feel like that would ever happen. It probably wouldn’t. She loved him so deeply, he’d become a part of who she was. She didn’t want to lose that, but maybe she’d find a way to be happy again.
“And of course you’ll attend the wedding.” Cody pleaded with his eyes for her support, to understand he needed her to get through this.
Go to his wedding—watch him marry another woman—she couldn’t do it.
Feeling as if she’d woken in an alternate universe, she screamed inside,Wake up! This can’t be real!
Nothing happened. This was real. She’d lost him. Forever.
The shrapnel of her broken heart had shredded her soul and it bled, leaving her feeling hopeless and more alone than she’d ever felt in her life.
“Um, I’ll be back at school.” She turned to Kristi and caught the victorious look in her eyes.Bitch!“I’ll be gone before you know it.” Brooke stared back at Cody, seeing her pain reflected back from the deepest depths of his eyes.
“Weunderstand. Your classes keep you quite busy.” Kristi used that damn false cheery tone she used whenever she spoke to Brooke.
The tone and that “we” grated on Brooke’s last nerve. “Yes, quite,” she said lamely. The tears threatened. She needed to get away. “I was just coming to tell you, Cody, I’ll be out the restof the day.” She couldn’t look at him anymore and not beg him to choose her. She spun around, but only took one step before Cody’s deep voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Brooke.” Just her name. That’s it.
She turned, chin up, facing him with all the strength and tenacity he’d always told her he admired about her. “Kristi and the baby are your future now.” Tears filled her eyes, even as she blinked them away. She couldn't let them fall and make this any harder on Cody.
She wouldn't give Kristi the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
She glanced at Cody one last time. Took him in and let him go all at once.
