Legal Heirs - Box Set Edition: Books 5-8 (Surrendering Charlotte Chronicles) (3 page)

She overslept the next morning and when she woke, it was a quarter to noon. She dressed faster than she ever had in her life and let her hair fall in waves to her shoulders. She didn’t even put on makeup as she drove herself to the hotel. West was getting into a cab when she ran the Mercedes up on the curb as she parked. The valet growled at her in French, but she waved him away and climbed in the cab before it drove away.

“I love you,” she said, “I’ve dreamed about you all my life, I can’t promise that I won’t always be a raging bitch, but I love you. I wish you would stay and live with me, and marry me, if you have any interest in that. I wish… I wish I knew your first name.”

“Elliot,” he said, his lips hot against hers as he laughed and kissed her, “My name is Elliot, and yes, I want to marry you.”

*

“Well here’s a little surprise, I’m seeing two babies,” the sonogram tech said, as she moved the wand over Maddie’s swollen belly.

“Oh!” Maddie said, “Wow, twins, no wonder I’m feeling like a whale already.”

Bly squeezed her hand, “Maddie stop it, you’re not big at all, why do you keep saying that? Twins? Are they identical, can you tell what sex they are?”

“Let’s see, alright, I’m seeing two placentas, so they’re not identical. Let’s just have a look… okay, here’s a little girl, and… this is her brother. A girl and a boy, Mr. and Mrs. Bly, congratulations,” the tech announced, as she wiped the gel from Maddie’s stomach and printed pictures for the couple.

Bly leaned down and kissed Maddie, “congratulations, Mrs. Bly,” he said, and he was absolutely beaming.

“Twins, ugh, I’m going to get huge, does this mean I’ll get stretch marks?” Maddie asked the technician, “I used to be the Hawaiian Dream girl, I have to look good in a bikini.”

*

Bly and Maddie sat talking with her OB/GYN at the Pacifica Maternity Center, the office was as luxurious as the rest of the private birthing facility.

“Alright, twins, congratulations,” Dr. Griffith said. “The pictures look good, strong heartbeats, size is perfect for twenty weeks gestation. I am concerned about your lack of weight gain, Maddie, in fact you’ve lost six pounds since your initial visit.”

Bly shifted in his chair; Maddie had become obsessed with her weight as her pregnancy moved along. She was becoming startlingly thin and there were hollows under her eyes and cheekbones. Bly urged her to eat for her own health and that of the baby, and now that there were two to think about, she needed to take special care of herself.

“She doesn’t eat well,” Bly told the doctor, and there was more anger in his voice than he intended, “and she worries incessantly about the shape her body will be in after pregnancy. She needs to be concerned about these babies, surely this type of pregnancy is more difficult. What steps can we take to insure the safety of the babies?”

“I do want healthy babies, but I don’t intend to be one of those fat, frumpy women who lets herself go. I’m sure you’re aware of who we are, doctor, I do have a certain image to uphold in the community,” Maddie said, leaning toward the doctor. “My husband is one of the richest men in the country, you know….”

“Maddie for God’s sake,” Bly said, and glared at her, “Doctor, just explain to her that she needs to eat well and think of more than her own imagined image of herself.”

The doctor scribbled on a pad of paper after Maddie said, no, she didn’t feel nauseous, she just didn’t care for food any longer.

“Here’s a list of fresh foods that would be beneficial for you and for your babies health, Maddie. I’ve also included the phone number of a nutritionist who will come to your home daily and prepare a shake made with natural supplements for you,” the doctor said, and he handed the paper to Bly rather than Maddie.

“I’ll see that she gets healthy, thank you Dr. Griffith,” Bly said, and he held the office door for Maddie, but he didn’t speak to her until they were in the car.

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re up to, Maddie, but those babies are going to be strong and healthy. You need to get over this ridiculous idea that you’re getting fat and devote these next months to making sure my son and daughter get the best possible start in life. Fuck this up and you fuck us up, do you understand?”

“Oh, so I’m just your surrogate now, is that it? A body to carry your babies and to hell with what I look like afterward? You don’t really love me at all, somehow I knew this would happen,” Maddie said, becoming more and more hysterical.

“Where is this coming from?” Bly asked, he was truly perplexed, “I love you, we’re married and now we’re having two babies, that’s a lot of blessings. You, on the other hand, are worried about looking good in a bikini when you have these absolute miracles growing inside you. By the way, don’t ever mention how important you think we are, ever again, it’s in extremely poor taste.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, when they walked through the front door of the mansion, “I’m still getting used to your lifestyle, you know, the servants and the black American Express card that I could use to buy anything in the world. I’ll do better. I’ll eat healthy foods and make sure our babies are perfect. I just want to be flawless for you Alex, I don’t want you to get tired of me.”

He hugged her and his hand went to the small, hard bump of her belly, “okay, let’s work together on this. Now, have the cook make you some lunch and then I’m calling the nutritionist.”

The dogs ran to meet them and Maddie shooed them away, she said they made her nervous with all their unbridled energy. She told one of the maids to take them for a walk, and Bly thought she was getting used to giving orders well enough. He told the maid not to bother, he would take the dogs out for a run himself.

*

“I’m not kidding, Maddie, you seriously look like a stick figure,” Amanda said, when she and Maddie and Charlotte sat down to lunch after a morning of shopping for baby goodies.

“You really are very thin, Maddie. Is everything okay?” Charlotte asked.

“Yes, I just haven’t had an appetite, and I guess the babies sort of drain my system,” Maddie said, checking her cell phone for messages.

“Babies?” Charlotte and Amanda said at once, “you’re kidding, do you know what sex they are?” Amanda asked.

“A boy and a girl, Alex is so excited, he’s already picking names,” Maddie said, and blushed.

“Well I can’t stop eating,” Amanda said, she was plump and glowing and beautiful. “We’re having a boy, we just found out yesterday, John Paul Jr., but we’ll call him Jack. What about you, Charlotte, do you know what you’re having? By the way, you have that whole drop-dead-gorgeous super-model look going on, clear skin, sparkling eyes and glossy hair. Not to mention that you’re long and lean with the tiniest belly bump, it’s disgusting! I’ll bet you and Finn are still fucking like two monkeys on meth, aren’t you?”

Charlotte smiled and looked down at her food, and Amanda and Maddie laughed and teased her.

“I can’t help it,” Charlotte said, grinning, “Finn’s just… soooo sexy! I can barely look at him without having an orgasm on the spot,” she whispered. “His hands are so big and strong and he smells like the place I belong and let’s not forget his incredibly long, hard….”

“Okay, TMI,” Amanda said, “JP is lucky to get some once a month. I am just too fat and gross and I can’t think of anything but this precious baby growing inside me.”

Maddie avoided the subject of sex, Bly turned away from her more and more as her belly grew and her frame became thinner. He said he didn’t want to hurt her body, but she knew he didn’t want to risk hurting the babies. He would think it was the end of the world if she miscarried, and the doctor had mentioned that twin births were high-risk. He let her take his cock in her mouth and he brought her to orgasm with his hands. He always held her afterward, but it was just a release for him, she knew. He was already planning the bright and shining futures of his children, and she was beginning to think she was simply along for the ride.

“You should eat, Maddie, you’re just pushing your food around on the plate,” Amanda said. “So, Charlotte, do you know the sex of your baby yet? Or, are you going to be one of those hold-outs who lets it be a big surprise?”

“We’re going in the morning for the sonogram, and yes, I want to know what it is.”

“I’m sure you’re dying for a little girl since you already have Atticus, the prettiest boy baby on the planet,” Amanda said, and smiled at her friend.

“No, I really want another boy for Finn… you know how he’s all into the British football thing, I mean. He wants to coach a soccer team when Atticus is like, four years old, so a little brother would be great. We’ll have a girl next time,” she said.

“Damn sister, how many are you planning to have?” Amanda asked. “I’m only doing this once more, the moody pregnancy thing is not going over well with JP.”

“We always said we’d have three,” Charlotte said, “so that’s what I want, two boys and a girl.”

“Well, heaven knows Charlotte always gets what she wants,” Amanda said, and Charlotte told her to speak for her own bratty self.

“I don’t want to be fat and pregnant again,” Maddie said, taking a small bite of her tofu salad, “but Alex already says he wants one more baby. He won’t admit it, but I’m sure he wants another boy. Like royalty, the whole ‘heir and the spare’ way of doing things. I have news for him, I’m not getting pregnant again, ever.”

“Well Maddie, whatever makes you happy,” Amanda said, and Charlotte could hear the disdain in her voice. “So Charlotte, did you bring any of the ‘almost famous’ photos of Atticus?”

“What does she mean?” Maddie asked Charlotte, and her voice held a hint of panic, “did Spencer Beck take pictures for you?”

“God, no!” Charlotte said, “And honestly I’m surprised he did your wedding pictures, Maddie. Your ex-boyfriend, how did that come about?”

“He called Alex and offered, I didn’t think it was a good idea, but Alex wanted him to do it. So what about the baby pictures, is your son really going to be famous?”

“Not any time soon if I can help it,” Charlotte said, “I had his one year portraits done earlier this summer and they turned out great. The photographer is showing some of her work at Pacifica Maternity Center and she wanted to use a picture of him. I said no, surely it’s not safe to have pictures of your baby on public display.”

“That’s where I’m having my baby,” Maddie said, pushing away the salad she’d barely touched.

“Yes, me too,” Amanda said, “but how cool that she wants to use a picture of Atti, he is movie star gorgeous, there’s no denying it.”

*

Charlotte kissed her friends goodbye after lunch and they promised to meet the next week, same time, same place. She buckled the seatbelt of the Volvo and dialed Finn’s number as she sat in the parking garage.

“Hey stud, wanna meet me in the restroom at Starbucks?” she asked, and they both laughed.

“I’ll meet you anywhere, my love, but tell me, are we ever going to simply have sex at home in our own bed again?”

“Maybe” she said, “what’s wrong, did you get a little nervous when what’s-her-name from the loft caught us in her bed?”

“Well, we did have to agree to three months free rent to stop her from having us arrested,” Finn said, and Charlotte could feel him smiling.

“Don’t forget the new set of sheets she insisted on,” Charlotte said as she laughed. “Now, I’m going to pick up Atti at your mother’s house because I miss him like crazy. Meet us at home in an hour and we’ll have quality family time. Then later I’m thinking we might watch a DVD I ordered on the internet, it’s called, The Lady Submits. I think it’s supposed to be educational, in fact, I believe you can earn college credits just for watching it and acting it out.”

“Hang up the damn phone and meet me in our big bed, soon,” he said, and his voice meant business.

When Charlotte turned onto Georgina’s street she could just see the roof of her house, and she wondered if Atti was wiggling his toes in the grass, enjoying the California sunshine. That was the last thing she remembered before another young mother ran the stop sign while texting, and totaled the Volvo. Charlotte didn’t wake up as her car lay upside down with her trapped inside, and neighbors from up and down the street gathered and screamed for someone to call 911.

“Oh, dear God!” Georgina said as she walked toward the wreck with Atticus on her hip. She stopped when she saw the blood on Charlotte’s face, and her next-door neighbor stood at her side.

“Is that your daughter-in-law?” her neighbor asked.

“Yes, here, take the baby to the house, do you have your cell phone?” Georgina asked, and she handed the baby over and called 911, and then Finn.

When Finn ran out of the office and flattened a parking meter with his car, JP caught up with him and told him he would drive. JP had never imagined that Finn would cry over anything, but when they reached the scene of the wreck, huge tears rolled down his face. Firemen were using the Jaws of Life to cut Charlotte out of the overturned car, her face was streaked with blood, and although her eyes were closed, she was moaning.

Policemen yelled for everyone to stay back, but Finn pushed his way through the barricade they’d set up. He got as close to Charlotte as he could, without disturbing the paramedics and firemen, and he spoke to her.

“My love, hang on. Do you hear me Charlotte? Don’t give up, we need you, Atticus and I need you desperately. Please don’t leave us, please my love,” he begged, and his voice was heavy with pain and raw fear.