Page 77 of Through the Storm

I nod, but the tears don’t stop. I’m floored by the grace these women are showing me. I decide right in that moment that they’re exactly the kind of woman I want to be too.

I escape into the kitchen and shut the door behind me, pressing a paper towel to my face like it might keep everything from spilling out.

That’s where Rebecca finds me. She doesn’t say anything at first.Just hands me a clean tissue and leans against the counter beside me, shoulder to shoulder.

I sniff loudly. “I’m such a mess.”

“Nah, you’re just pregnant.”

“They both already love the baby. They don’t even know if it’s theirs,” I whisper. “And they’re not judging me at all.”

She turns to face me then, eyes soft but fierce. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Katy. You’re in a difficult situation, and you’re owning it. You’re handling it like a boss. That’s very different.”

I’m caught off guard by the warmth beneath her sass. “You’re such a girls’ girl.”

“Obviously,” she says. “I don’t support internalized shame.”

I laugh through the tears.

When we head back out, the party keeps going. It’s loud and messy and loving. I catch Ben watching the other guys, especially Logan. Something tight flickers across his face.

Declan is watching them too, but with a very different expression. It’s somewhere between “I need holy water” and “I’m adopting this baby myself.” He’s standing in a corner by himself, arms crossed, glaring at everyone.

Ella keeps trying to get him to have a cupcake. This is the first time I’ve ever seen him tell her no. It’s kind of weird.

Finally, Grandma Patty walks up to him and swats his arm. I overhear her say, “Relax before I dose your lemonade. Eat one of the cupcakes your girlfriend made for your sister and smile.”

I almost feel bad for him.

Almost.

Then again, watching him try to keep a straight face while Grandma Patty proceeds to tell the guys to “line up for diaper-changing drills” ishonestly kind of the highlight of my week.

BEN

I swear, it happens in slow motion.

Logan claps me on the shoulder. “No hard feelings, right? Whoever it is, we’ll make it work. If it’s you, awesome. But if not, I won’t get between you two, man.”

And then he’s gone.

Leaving me alone on the porch, holding a half-empty cup and the worst timing of my entire life, because Declan Montgomery is standing ten feet away, looking like he just realized the murderer’s been in the room the whole time.

“Dec—”

He takes a step closer. “You.”

His voice is low, controlled, way scarier than if he were yelling.

“Let me explain?—”

“Yousleptwith my sister?” he snaps, finally breaking. “And what? Just didn’t bother following up? Didn’t bothercalling her?”

I take a breath, heart hammering. “It’s not what you think?—”

“Oh, it’sexactlywhat I think,” he cuts in, chest heaving. “You screwed her and then disappeared. She was alone for months. You think I don’t know that? She came home a wreck, scared out of her mind, and I couldn’t figure out why. It was because ofyou.”

“I didn’t know, Declan,” I say quietly. “I swear, I didn’t.”