Page 231 of The Baby Bargain
"It's a process."
"Does it help?"
"My brother staring at me like I punched him in the stomach? No." He takes another sip. "We used to be best friends. I want that. But if he doesn't… Maybe it's better for him to take the gig."
Maybe it's a way for Chase to move on. But it feels like a step backward. "Does that make it harder? To stay sober?"
"It's hard no matter what."
Under the blanket, I bring my hand to my stomach. Chase was upfront about his family history of addiction. And I knew… everyone knows about Hunter's struggles.
Chase doesn't have that problem.
But Charlotte still could. The fear in Hunter's eyes—
It's terrifying.
And it's just one of a million things that could go wrong for her.
There's so much I can't do for her.
"Isn't that giving up?" I ask.
"There are battles you can't win." His gaze shifts to the sky. "I can't erase the past. He can't control how he feels. I don't blame him." His voice gets soft. Contemplative. "The heart wants what it wants. Nobody can change that."
Chapter Forty-Eight
Ariel
Skye drags me into her Black Friday shopping. My gaze is magnetically drawn to the maternity store. Its windows are adorned with images of smiling women with round bellies and small children by their sides.
A sunny day at the park.
A picnic under the blue sky.
A doting husband off in the distance.
The total package.
I don't need that.
I don't even want it. Not with anyone else. Only with Chase.
His brother is right. The heart wants what it wants. I can't talk myself out of my feelings for him.
Or talk him into loving me.
Not that I love him. I mean, I might, but, uh, there are more pressing concerns at the moment.
* * *
Week five is easy.Nausea nips at my throat. Ginger tea chases it down.
Week six, my body screams for mint and lime. I appease it by cooking Phillip's favorites.
The details escape me. None of the online recipes are right. I need the secret.
I call Phillip.
