“And everything’s good?” Rose tilts her head to the side, frown lines forming between her eyebrows.
“Yeah, all’s good.” When their faces relax, I take a step toward the exit, hoping they’ll follow and we can get out of here before our truth—our lie—comes out to Zane’s family. “Are you also leaving?”
“Yeah, we came here for Rose’s OB appointment.”
My heart squeezes at the unrestrained smile on Zander’s face. For a fleeting second, I feel a pang of jealousy for Rose, but the thought evaporates the same instant.
They should have all the happiness. Unlike Zane and me, they’re not lying to everyone.
“Mrs. Teager,” Mary calls out, and both Rose and I stop in our tracks.
I slowly turn around and so does Rose.
There’s a young lady standing beside Mary with a baby strapped to her chest in a mei tai carrier.
The kindhearted nurse looks at me and says, “I wanted you to meet my daughter. She’s the one who took the photograph you and your husband purchased during the carnival.”
My legs go weak, and I feel an onset of dizziness as Mary continues in a proud voice, unaware of the turmoil her words will create in my life.
Her affectionate gaze flies to Zander. “Your brother was so adamant that his wife pick the best photograph for their home.”
“You mean at the carnival this fall?” Zander asks carefully. His brows furrow as he glances at me when Mary nods.
I swallow deep, and it takes my astute brother-in-law one second to realize what’s going on.
“So, my brother introduced you to his wife there?” Zander’s voice is filled with suspicion.
“No. I first met Mr. and Mrs. Teager here at the hospital, when Mrs. Teager took a fall.”
When I don’t return Mary’s smile, she looks between us and then to her daughter. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No. Not at all. Vienna and Zane kept their love a secret until very late.” There’s a smile on Zander’s face, but his sharp, angry gaze isn’t fooling me. “So, whenever someone shares anything about their courtship period, we get excited. It was really nice to meet you both.” He gives a nod to Mary and her daughter. “I think I should take both of these ladies home. They need some rest.”
With a fake smile on my face, I take shaky steps toward the exit. Zander and Rose don’t say anything, but there’s no missing the sound of heavy breaths.
I don’t even want to know if it’s mine or Zander’s.
“Zander—”
“Not here, Vienna.”
My head jerks to him when he snaps at me. This isn’t a tone I’ve heard from him, not even when I first barged into their Friday night dinner.
Rose’s steps falter, confirming that this isn’t her husband’s usual style, but Zander has a firm grip on her hand.
We’ve just arrived in the parking lot when Zane appears. His phone is still in his hand, as if he just finished his call.
“Zander, wh-what are you d-doing here?”
“We had an appointment with Rose’s OB.”
Immediately, Zane’s attention turns toward his sister-in-law. He leans closer to her and frowns. “You ar-ren’t feeling w-well?” Right in this moment, I see the true face of my husband. In his concern for Rose, he has forgotten everything else.
This is Zane.
Did I misinterpret his concern for something else?
No, that can’t be it. We slept together for God’s sake. He shared his fears with me and let me see the fragile side of him.