Page 17 of Bittersweet Love

“I take that as a compliment.”

“I’m going to go check on Ana and start dinner,” Will says in an attempt to give us some privacy, I’m sure. The Will I know hates being away from Charlotte for longer than a few minutes, and when they’re in the same room his lips are attached to her in some way.

“Okay, I’ll be down in a sec,” Charley says and then I hear the sounds of another kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, and I want Ana in bed early tonight.”

“Hmmm, what did you have in mind, Doctor Montgomery?” She purrs and I almost choke on my wine.

“STILL ON THE PHONE!” I yell into the phone before I start hearing about whatever role play adventure they’re embarking on tonight.

“Oops!” Charley giggles. “Listen, I’m not giving Drew a plus one, and I will do my best to play interference so that his entire family doesn’t smother you. Diana is going to die when she hears. I’m still convinced she likes you more than me.”

“She does like me more than you, Charley.”

It’s strange, but I suppose it has to do with the fact that Drew was overwhelmingly the favorite child growing up. It’s kind of sad, but that changed the second Ana was born. They still aren’t crazy about how Will and Charlotte started but Diana and J.R. are happy as fuck to be grandparents and, surprisingly, assumed the roles well.

“Well, fuck you,” she says, and I snort into my wine before taking a sip.

“Em, did you pick a movie?” I call into the other room.

“I’m setting up the tea!!” I hear screamed in response and I’m immediately wondering what we’re using for tea and more importantly, if it’s all over the carpet.

“Oh, squeeze Emma for me,” Charley says.

“Will do. Kiss Ana for me.”

“Definitely. I’m sorry again about Drew.” I hear the sadness in her voice. We’d been excited to be somewhat sisters by marriage and for our kids to be cousins. But hell, we were sisters by something stronger than anything on paper.

“Don’t worry about it. He wasn’t the one. Glad I learned it before he moved here.”

“Well, there’s a silver lining.”

I walk into the living room to see that Emma has set up a fort and that thankfully she’s just used water for the tea, which, of course, is all over the beige carpet.

“Lord, okay I gotta go, Charley.”

“Auntie Charleeeey!” Emma calls and I put her on speakerphone so they can have a brief chat as I try to soak up the water on the floor.

A few minutes later, we’re settled into the fort and I’ve set up Beauty and the Beast for the hundredth time.

“You ever get tired of this movie?” I ask her as she snuggles against me.

“Never! A beast turned prince, what could be better?”

I chuckle internally thinking about what this could mean for her dating life if she’s already got this mentality.

A beast turned prince, huh?

I chastise myself instantly when Vince’s face flashes through my mind.

6

Lauren

We are barely through the first song in the movie before Emma is passed out against me, snoring softly. I try to move her, but she just snuggles closer to me and whimpers. I give her a look, knowing somehow, she did it on purpose so that she wouldn’t have to sleep in her own bed tonight, but I let it slide because I love Beauty and the Beast too and I wouldn’t mind finishing it. About an hour later, my phone begins to ring and reluctantly I pull my gaze away from Belle heading to the West Wing despite my begging her not to and frown when I see the name glaring on my screen.

INCOMING CALL

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