you do, dear. We'll see you later."
"Wait!" Bridgette held up her hand to stop her parents and turned to all of us. "Before my parents leave, I have an announcement. I'm sorry to steal the limelight on your night, Catelyn, but this may be the only time I have everyone together to tell them my news."
She rested a hand on her stomach, and suddenly it all made sense. How she always seemed to have a full glass of wine or champagne. How devastated she'd been at Jon's death. How crazy she'd gone when Molly tried to talk with her.
Bridgette saw me make the connection and nodded. "I'm pregnant with Jon's child."
Chapter Twenty Six
Danger
ONE MONTH AGO
THE DEADLINE IS approaching. Are you ready?
My text beeped and a reply from Jon came up.
I'm still in. I want to meet.
I replied.
We can't. Too dangerous.
I was making a cup of tea and waiting for Ash to get home from some errands when the doorbell rang.
Jon stood on the porch, a sheepish look on hi s face. "I had to see you."
I looked around, hoping no one had seen him, and pulled him in. "You shouldn't be here. This is crazy!"
He tugged on his hoody. "I stayed covered."
"Yeah, a hoody. No one will ever see the face under the hoody. Nice try , Superman." I smacked his arm. "You're about to blow this whole thing."
He looked up and frowned. I followed his eyes to our back window. "I thought I saw something," he said. "But, it must have just been a shadow from a tree." Jon stepped closer, his body an inch from mine. "I need you, Cat."
"Not yet." I put my hand on his chest. "First, we finish what we started."
Jon opened the front door and ducked out, but before he left and turned to me. "And then, I get what I want."
Chapter Twenty Seven
Baby, Baby
PRESENT DAY
THE ATMOSPHERE ON the yacht settled down as we moved further out into the ocean. Everything became quieter despite the music and people talking and laughing.
Spreads of the best food had been laid out on the tables and all the decorations had been crafted beautifully by the company we'd hired. I'd hardly had to do anything, which was fine by me. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport danced, while Bridgette and I stood at the stern where we could get away from the noise and have some privacy.
I felt her belly, which was still flat. "How far along are you?"
"Just a few months," she said.
"This is huge, Bridge. Like, really huge."
"I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But with my mom's affair and things with Jon, I just didn't want to add to the drama, you know? I just—I can't believe my mom and Mr. Davenport were bumping uglies. It's just so gross and so… horrible. I wish I didn't know, you know? I just wish I could go back and not know."
"Really? You'd rather not know the truth about something like that?" I guess that surprised me. As a soon -to-be lawyer, all I wanted was the truth, even if that's not really what counted in a court of law. As Professor Cavin always told me, it's not the truth that matters in court, it's what you can prove. Still, I valued knowing the whole truth, even if it hurt, so I couldn't imagine preferring ignorance.
I considered whether I should tell Bridgette that Jon really had been having an affair with Molly and it was likely his baby. I'd been plagued by this for so long, but kept holding back because I knew it would hurt her so deeply. If it was me, I'd want to know. But it wasn't me. And honestly, what could she do with the information at this point? When Jon was alive, it could have saved her from being with someone who wasn't faithful, but now all it would do was hurt her and her baby.
I chose not to tell her the truth, though the lie by omission burned a hole in my gut.
"I'm so sorry, Bridge. You know I'll do everything I can to help. Ash and I both will. Are you going to keep the baby?"
It was a delicate question, but a valid one.
Her eyes glistened with tears. "Yes. Yes, I think so. I mean, it's Jon's baby. It's all that's left of him. How could I abort
"Wait!" Bridgette held up her hand to stop her parents and turned to all of us. "Before my parents leave, I have an announcement. I'm sorry to steal the limelight on your night, Catelyn, but this may be the only time I have everyone together to tell them my news."
She rested a hand on her stomach, and suddenly it all made sense. How she always seemed to have a full glass of wine or champagne. How devastated she'd been at Jon's death. How crazy she'd gone when Molly tried to talk with her.
Bridgette saw me make the connection and nodded. "I'm pregnant with Jon's child."
Chapter Twenty Six
Danger
ONE MONTH AGO
THE DEADLINE IS approaching. Are you ready?
My text beeped and a reply from Jon came up.
I'm still in. I want to meet.
I replied.
We can't. Too dangerous.
I was making a cup of tea and waiting for Ash to get home from some errands when the doorbell rang.
Jon stood on the porch, a sheepish look on hi s face. "I had to see you."
I looked around, hoping no one had seen him, and pulled him in. "You shouldn't be here. This is crazy!"
He tugged on his hoody. "I stayed covered."
"Yeah, a hoody. No one will ever see the face under the hoody. Nice try , Superman." I smacked his arm. "You're about to blow this whole thing."
He looked up and frowned. I followed his eyes to our back window. "I thought I saw something," he said. "But, it must have just been a shadow from a tree." Jon stepped closer, his body an inch from mine. "I need you, Cat."
"Not yet." I put my hand on his chest. "First, we finish what we started."
Jon opened the front door and ducked out, but before he left and turned to me. "And then, I get what I want."
Chapter Twenty Seven
Baby, Baby
PRESENT DAY
THE ATMOSPHERE ON the yacht settled down as we moved further out into the ocean. Everything became quieter despite the music and people talking and laughing.
Spreads of the best food had been laid out on the tables and all the decorations had been crafted beautifully by the company we'd hired. I'd hardly had to do anything, which was fine by me. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport danced, while Bridgette and I stood at the stern where we could get away from the noise and have some privacy.
I felt her belly, which was still flat. "How far along are you?"
"Just a few months," she said.
"This is huge, Bridge. Like, really huge."
"I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But with my mom's affair and things with Jon, I just didn't want to add to the drama, you know? I just—I can't believe my mom and Mr. Davenport were bumping uglies. It's just so gross and so… horrible. I wish I didn't know, you know? I just wish I could go back and not know."
"Really? You'd rather not know the truth about something like that?" I guess that surprised me. As a soon -to-be lawyer, all I wanted was the truth, even if that's not really what counted in a court of law. As Professor Cavin always told me, it's not the truth that matters in court, it's what you can prove. Still, I valued knowing the whole truth, even if it hurt, so I couldn't imagine preferring ignorance.
I considered whether I should tell Bridgette that Jon really had been having an affair with Molly and it was likely his baby. I'd been plagued by this for so long, but kept holding back because I knew it would hurt her so deeply. If it was me, I'd want to know. But it wasn't me. And honestly, what could she do with the information at this point? When Jon was alive, it could have saved her from being with someone who wasn't faithful, but now all it would do was hurt her and her baby.
I chose not to tell her the truth, though the lie by omission burned a hole in my gut.
"I'm so sorry, Bridge. You know I'll do everything I can to help. Ash and I both will. Are you going to keep the baby?"
It was a delicate question, but a valid one.
Her eyes glistened with tears. "Yes. Yes, I think so. I mean, it's Jon's baby. It's all that's left of him. How could I abort
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