Page 80 of Good Girl

“Right,” Samuel agreed. “Pregnant. Charlotte, that’s... that’s—”

“Amazing,” Derek cut in. I snapped my head up to him, surprised.

“Really?”

“Yes! You—I mean, the prospect of a baby is scary, but it’s amazing, it’s... wait.” Derek caught himself and gently cleared his throat. “How do you feel about it?”

“Well...” I took a deep breath. “I’m keeping it. I have to. And if it’s too much for you guys then that’s okay, I understand. Just like my mother, you’re entitled to your own reaction, and I–I...” My voice wobbled, and I quickly cut myself off before emotion betrayed me.

“Too much?” Samuel set his glass aside and scooted to the edge of the table. He wrapped his hands around both of mine and stroked along my knuckles. “Charlotte, nothing about you is too much!”

“We meant what we said.” Derek lifted one hand to my cheek and cupped my face, forcing me to look him in the eyes. “At the inn, when we told you we loved you, we meant it. Matt feels the same. He’d say the same if he was here.”

“But... but a baby, we never talked aboutanything—”

“I know.” Derek nodded once and then he smiled, crinkling the corners of his eyes. “But we love you and we are here for you. We will support anything and everything you want to do. You’re carrying our baby.”

“Our baby,” Samuel repeated.

“But Haley—Paul, what about Paul?”

“What about him?” Samuel scoffed. “Fucker thinks he can try and blackmail you and get away with it? Our jobs aresafe. He’s got a reputation as a liar. He can spew whatever the hell he wants to, and it’ll just look like he’s a sore loser.”

“It’s true.” Derek nodded. “He can try and say what he likes about me, but I’ve been cleared once. He’ll look desperate, like he needs the attention, and after all the mess with Jonathan, people will likely think he’s just trying to get onto the bandwagon. Honestly, I don’t care. I wantyou, Charlotte. We all do. Everything you want to give us, including that baby.”

Everything they were saying was out of a dream. It had to be. There was no way this could be real. I had twisted myself up with fear and panic over their reactions, and now they were sitting here telling me theylovedme. That they accepted me. That the baby waswantedand they could be here for me. Hot tears filled my eyes, drawn up from the exhausted depths of my soul, and I whimpered softly.

“I’msorry.”

“Darling,” Derek coaxed softly, “you have nothing to be sorry for. You’ve been through hell with stress and then this...please. I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Samuel added. “That you couldn’t come to us. But we’re here now.”

“Always.” Derek leaned in and pressed his lips to my forehead as I sobbed softly. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They were here for me, really? Matt as well? After everything, I couldn’t fathom why they hadn’t tossed me to the wolves, but in that moment I was eternally grateful.

“We’re going to be parents,” I whispered wetly, and Derek chuckled against me, his breath ghosting against my skin.

“That baby’s going to be the most loved kid in the world.” Samuel chuckled. His hands remained a constant grounding presence against my skin, and it was from his gentle caress that I realized I hadn’t said the most important thing. I lifted my head and glanced between them both, facing down their warm, concerned gazes as my heart skipped a tired yet exhilarated beat.

“I love you too,” I said, and never had I uttered something truer.

Jonathan had come here with the twisted intent of ending my life. Instead, he had helped me reveal my secrets and helped pull me back from the edge. Derek leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips as Samuel ran his thumb gently over my wrist.

This was surreal, and if this were to be a dream, I didn’t ever want to wake.

39

CHARLOTTE

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come in with you?” Derek placed one hand against my lower back as he spoke, and I turned to face him, gently touching his arm.

“I’m sure. This is probably something I should do myself.” I shot him the strongest smile I could muster while hiding the fact that my heart was flying wildly beneath my chest. I’d spent the past couple of days with Derek and Samuel, just resting at their place away from the world. It had taken me some time to process everything that happened, from Jonathan being arrested and sent to prison to their acceptance of the baby. During that time, one thing had become clear. It was time to start doing things for myself and not other people.

Derek nodded and leaned back against the wall, his stance rigid. He wasn’t happy with it but he respected my decision. I took a deep breath and walked into my dorm room. Haley was on her bed, tissues crumpled in one hand, and the majority of my belongings were already packed up into boxes. Part ofdoing things for myselfinvolved getting the hell out of this course. I had only chosen teaching to make my mother happy, but it wasn’t my passion.

“Charlotte!” Haley bolted upright the moment she saw me, and her red-rimmed eyes narrowed dangerously. “Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been calling, texting,everythingand you ignored me? Did you forget that your entire life sits in my hand?” She rose and walked toward me, but she slowly came to a stop when I didn’t step back.

“I didn’t forget,” I replied calmly, “but you don’t have my entire life in your hands. I honestly can’t believe I thought of you as my best friend. I made so many excuses for you in my head to try and explain away your behavior, but you know what?” I stared her down then slowly, I smiled. “You’re lonely, Haley. You’re sad and lonely, and you put others down to feel better about yourself. Maybe you think if you can make people feel like shit and then pretend to care about them, that validation will somehow fill that rotten core you were born with, but honestly, it really won’t.”

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