Page 18 of Painted Love

Actually.

Kind of.

"I'm..."

Then I hear another sound behind me, someone inhaling sharply.

A woman's voice.

I cringe and clench my fists at my side, bracing myself for the inevitable screaming match. I know it's what my mom would have done--to tell me how bad of a person I am, how I'm a slut, how she wishes I was never born...

"Piper?" Jesse's mom says.

I turn around slowly, and Teresa's eyes widen as she sees my stomach. Her brow furrows. "You're..."

"It's not Caleb's," I blurt out.

Obviously it's not Caleb's--he's been married to Reagan for over a year now.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Teresa looks just as confused as I am about why I just said that, and she actuallysmilesand barks out a laugh. "I know that, hon'," she says. "What I'm wondering is what you're doing pregnant and in Fern Hollow...and in my house, at that?"

"I'm..." I pause, self-conscious about this mysterious Hart sibling behind me. "Can we talk?"

"I was hoping we could," she says. "Jake here was already kind enough to brew us a pot of coffee."

"Jake," I repeat, still a little shellshocked.

"My nephew," she says. "Although...I think he's gotta hustle on out the door to work, ain't that right, Jake?"

"Yes ma'am," he says. "I'll leave you to it."

I almost don't want to be left alone with Teresa, her scrutinizing gaze making my heart thunder.

She suddenly reaches out to take hold of a chair next to her at the dining table, bracing herself. I'm moving toward her before I can stop myself, and I help her into a seat. "Let me get you some coffee," I say. "Do you still take it with cream, no sugar?"

Teresa nods. "You remembered."

I chew on my lip, memories of how the Harts tried to make me feel at home rushing back to me. Teresa was always so kind, but I never told her that I was in the depths of my addiction...that I had been for a long, long time.

"I tried to remember as much as I could," I say softly, pouring her a cup of coffee--and a tiny one for myself--and putting in some creamer. "I know that I left abruptly, and I didn't really explain myself. I'm sorry for that."

Teresa waves her hand. "I'm less concerned about you hurting my feelings and more about Caleb...and what you're doin' here."

I take a deep breath, feeling like I'm about to jump off a cliff. Then I sit down before I continue, passing her the coffee.

"Well?" she says.

I swallow hard.

"Jesse," I say.

Teresa stares at me for a second...

...then she nods.

"I knew it," she mutters.