Page 194 of The Baby Bargain

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Chase stares at her, dumbstruck. Finally, he picks his jaw up off the floor. Nods a casualyeah.

Her smile is sweet. Loving. "I didn't realize… We should go."

"We're leaving," Chase says. "It's all yours."

"No." She looks to her boyfriend. "Your friends hate me."

He shakes his head. "They're on your side."

She bites her lip. "So you're still…" She takes a step backward. "I… uh… I'm sorry."

"There aren't sides." The words spill from my lips without passing through my brain. "Chase doesn't really talk about you. I just… I don't think anyone knows the details of what happened. Except, well… I checked out your social media. You're very open about it. That must be hard. But good. Uh…" Shit, I'm still talking. "It's brave."

Her laugh is wry. "It's not brave."

"Yeah, it is." I bite my lip. This is so not the time for this conversation. At all. "You, um… I should go."

"Isn't this your house?" Grace asks.

Yeah, that's true. But—"Chase and I were leaving."

"So you're…" Her eyes light up with realization. "Oh, that's great." Her exhale is heavy with relief. "I'm so glad, Chase. You deserve to be happy."

His eyes fill with confusion.

"We're—" Grace mimesmy lips are sealed. "Our secret."

They have a secret.

No, it's our secret. All four of us.

But it's theirs too.

They're so…

Ugh.

My gaze goes to her wrist. Her sleeves are too long. I can't see the tattoo.

I'm not sure why I need to see it, but I do. I need the evidence she's the same girl I've stalked on social media. That she's okay with everything that happened.

That she moved on and survived.

I don't know why I need it—it's really none of my business—but I do. Not just for Chase. For me too.

Even though I hate her, I want her to be okay and happy.

I mean, I don't even hate her. It's just this ugly, jealous part of me. It hates her for having Chase's heart.

But that look on her face—

It's not her. She didn't take his heart. Maybe she hurt him, but she did everything she could to make it okay.

He's the one holding on.

Or maybe he's not.

Maybe I'm caught up in nothing.

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