“I just find it strange he was injured in your apartment building. He doesn’t have any friends there.”
“He came by to see me, but I was asleep.”
“Oh really?” Vanessa folded her arms. “So how did you find out?”
“A friend told me. She happened to be staying at my place last night.”
“She?” Vanessa arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow.
Ginger clenched her hands. “What are you implying?”
“I don’t know, to be honest. I can’t make any sense out of what’s going on between the two of you. What I know for certain is that you hurt him, Ginger. I’ve never seen him like this before. If this is supposed to be true love, why are you causing him this pain?”
“I didn’t mean to,” Ginger said. “Please. I need to talk to him.”
“No way.”
A familiar-looking man came into the corridor and put an arm around Vanessa’s stiff shoulder. “What are you doing here? I thought you said you were going to get some snacks for the junior.” He put a hand on her belly.
Ginger’s eyes widened as it clicked—this was Justin, Vanessa’s husband.
“I was, until I saw her.”
Justin gave Ginger a warm smile. “Shane’s inside, but you might not want to visit for too long. He hasn’t been resting well, and he’s moody and irritable.”
“Thank you.” She dashed past as Vanessa was opening her mouth to protest. She had to see Shane.
* * *
“Why are you so confrontational?” Justin asked, handing Vanessa a cup of low-fat yogurt and a spoon at the hospital cafeteria.
“She just makes me mad.” Vanessa devoured the yogurt. She was starving…again. Even though she was snacking all the time, she hadn’t gained much weight yet. Some of her friends had said she would blow up like a blimp after she had the baby. It was apparently known to happen.
“But she’s Shane’s fiancée. I don’t know if their relationship is something you want to get involved in too much. You remember how mad you were when Barron got heavy-handed?”
“Well…yeah. But this is different. Think about it—nothing about her and Shane adds up! Mom thinks it’s strange too, but she’s too busy with the divorce.” Vanessa had been against it at first, but now she agreed with her mother’s decision. She’d never seen Ceinlys so relaxed. On the other hand, Salazar had turned into a brittle shell of his former self. “If my parents can go their separate ways and be happier for it after decades of marriage, I think Shane and Ginger can do the same thing now, rather than later after the ceremony. I’d hate to see them stay together just out of stubbornness, or because they’re, you know, used to being a couple, not because that’s what they truly want.”
“Shane’s a pretty smart guy. I’m sure he’ll do the right thing.”
“But Ginger?” Vanessa sighed. “I tried to view everything positively. No really, I tried. Stress isn’t good for the baby, right? And I might have been wrong about what we saw back in winter. But to somebody like her, Shane’s a great catch. Rich, handsome, smart—like you said. And the same age, so she can get the money without having to put up with some rich old geezer. I just feel a little cynical.” She pursed her lips. “And now I feel bad for being cynical.”
“Baby, it’s okay. You’re protective of the people you love, and the pregnancy hormones are just making everything seem worse than it is.”
She put her spoon down next to the now empty cup, which Justin tossed into the trash. “I saw Shane cry.”
“When?”
“Last night. I went back because I forgot my phone in his room. I tiptoed in, thinking he was asleep, but he was crying.”
“Did he see you?”
She shook her head. “He had a hand over his eyes. He looked so hurt, I started to tear up too, and left before he noticed me. I didn’t want to injure his pride on top of everything else.” She blinked rapidly.
Justin put a comforting hand on her arm. “Hey, you did the right thing.”
“I just can’t help but think it’s got something to do with Ginger.”
“Listen,” he said. “If she’s really that bad for Shane, then I will personally see to it that she never bothers him again. Would that put your mind at ease?”