Page 97 of Lush

“Just breathe,” Nina said. “You’re okay now. Pauline and the others were worried about you.”

Noelle was right. This whole situation was spiraling, and Icouldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched, manipulated. Someone had locked me in that sauna.

I wasn’t crazy.

CHAPTER 19

Reese

“More to the left.”

I dropped the crib on the hardwood floor with a thud. The fan was going full blast, but the air was still stuffy with paint and baby powder, and sweat ran down my back.

“Well?” Jennie rocked in her chair, ice cream in hand. “Get to it.”

The nursery was painted in pastel stripes, baby clothes were stacked to the ceiling, and a corner was full of stuffed animals with shiny eyes.

I only came to borrow her drill.

“Careful,” she warned. “It’s antique Norwegian wood.”

With a glare, I shifted the crib nearer to the bookshelf. I glanced over the shelf and saw kids’ books and family photos, but one picture really hit me hard.

Jennie, Conrad, and me as kids, all huddled together.

“Thank you,” Jennie said. “I’ll be so glad when this kid gets off my bladder.”

The crib creaked as I adjusted it. “There. Happy now?”

“Actually, yes.” She glanced around. “Oh, could you scoot the changing table a little to the left? It’s driving me crazy.”

I moved the table. “How’s that?”

“Perfect,” Jennie said. “You always know how to make things right.”

I was glad somebody thought so.

“Good. Are you gonna give me some of that ice cream as payment?”

Jennie gave me the pint, grabbing another spoon from the diaper drawer. I eyed her skeptically.

“Pregnancy cravings,” she explained. “I need to keep snacks in here when I cry.”

I chuckled, taking the spoon. Jennie was wrong: I always made things worse. Every single time. With Laurene, it was like I couldn’t stop myself.

“Reese?” Jennie’s voice snapped me back.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “Just thinking.”

“Remember building forts with Mom’s blankets?” Jennie laughed. “We’d spend hours setting them up and then refuse to take them down for days.”

“How could I forget?” I said. “You said I was your puppy and had to do what you said. Then Dad would barge in and order the staff to rip them down just so he could watch the news in peace. Like we were nothing but a fucking inconvenience.”

“He wasn’t a total monster,” she said quietly.

I ate more ice cream. “Yeah? Name one good thing.”

She didn’t answer. She didn’t have to.

---