Page 134 of Charlotte

“Yep!” Layla already had her jacket on, so she just slid her book into her backpack. She didn’t normally bring her library books to school, but on Mondays, she’d take one if she was really enjoying the story and wanted to read while she waited.

As they left the school and drove home, Layla told Charli about her day. It took effort to keep her thoughts on what Layla was sharing.

“The science fair is happening in January, so we’re supposed to start thinking about what we want to do.”

Charli grimaced. Science at the elementary level was fine, but overall, it hadn’t been her favorite subject in school. Maybe she could prevail on Gareth or Will to help her out. They’d both had more of an interest in the subject than she’d ever had.

Blake had also told her one time that he’d liked science. And if she’d revealed the truth sooner, he could have been the one to help Layla.

She felt like she was floundering, uncertain of what was to come. But until Blake talked with her, she had no idea what to do.

Would he demand a paternity test? Or would he just take her word for it, even though she’d essentially denied that he was Layla’s father?

When they got home, the house was quiet since Will and Janessa hadn’t gotten home yet. Will had a teacher meeting on Mondays as well, so on those days, he usually took Janessa to work, then picked her up.

Charli changed out of her work clothes, then returned to the kitchen to start supper. Layla had also changed, before settling at the island counter with her backpack.

As she prepared chicken pieces for baking, Charli helped Layla with any questions she had about her homework. It was so normal, and yet it felt like her world had shifted off its axis. Blake probably felt the same way.

Meanwhile, everyone else was moving through their day like nothing was wrong. It was disconcerting, especially when Will and Janessa came home.

They pitched in to help with dinner, and Charli tried to keep up her part of the conversation as they shared about how their days had gone.

“Everything okay?” Janessa asked as she helped Charli clean up after they’d eaten.

Will was seated at the breakfast nook, nursing a cup of decaf as he graded papers. Layla had finished her homework and gone to her room to take a shower.

“Yeah.”

“I would have thought Blake and Amelia would come for dinner since you’re official now.”

“We know we can’t spend every day together. The girls still need their schedules during the week.” Charli bent to put the plates into the dishwasher. “But we’ve been talking on the phone every night after the girls go to bed.”

“So you’re making it work, huh?”

Charli gave her a quick smile that felt so brittle she was sure it was going to crack and Janessa would call her on it. “We’re trying.”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that.” Janessa handed her the platter from the chicken to add to the dishwasher. “I knew you two would be perfect together.”

Charli wasn’t sure about perfect, but if they hadn’t managed to mess things up—twice!—they might have had a pretty good life. His mess up had cost them their first attempt at a relationship, and it was entirely possible that hers had cost them their second.

Maybe they really weren’t supposed to be together.

That thought hurt a lot, and she had to blow out a quick breath to try to ease the pain in her chest.

“I hope the road to your happily ever after is a little smoother than ours was,” Will said from the table.

Oh, if only they knew how bumpy it had already been. And she could only imagine what her family was going to say when they found out about Layla and Blake. Because they would find out. It was inevitable now that Blake knew.

He was probably going to insist that Layla be told, and Charli wouldn’t fight him on that. But once Layla found out, they’d have to tell everyone else, too.

As nine o’clock neared once more, Charli sat on the edge of her bed, her phone clutched in her hand.

She couldn’t continue in this limbo. She had to know where they stood.

With trembling fingers, she tapped out a message to Blake.

Can we talk?

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