Chapter 2 - Secrets Between Us

Vienna’s POV

"Long night, V?" my friend Bella asked, side-eyeing me as I smothered a yawn with the back of my hand. She’d been my most trusted employee at my very own bakery—a dream come true thanks to Warren’s sponsorship. 

We were restocking the shelves with fresh croissants, but my body felt like it was running on empty.

"Yeah…" I hesitated, watching her line up a tray of croissants. "Warren didn’t come home last night. Desiree was in the hospital."

Bella’s hands froze. "Oh…" Her voice softened. "Is she okay?"

"She had a miscarriage." My voice came out flatter than I intended. I wasn't sure what emotion I was even supposed to feel—sadness? Suspicion?

"That’s terrible." Bella frowned and bit her lip, as if debating something. She didn’t speak right away, and the silence between us grew heavier by the minute.

"What is it, Bell?" I asked, studying her face.

She hesitated, then cleared her throat. "I, uh… I saw Warren and Desiree together at a jewelry store last week. They seemed really close."

My stomach clenched. "At a jewelry store? Doing what?"

"Just… browsing. Laughing a lot. She was touching his arm, leaning in close. It just—felt off."

Something twisted in me. But I forced a tight smile. "They’ve always been like that. It’s just their sibling dynamic, you know?"

But my words rang hollow in my own ears. I didn’t even believe them. I just needed to say something to push the doubts back down.

Yet my mind raced with images of Warren and Desiree. What were they doing at a jewelry store together? If he was buying something for her—

Ding.

The bell above the door chimed, interrupting my increasingly panicked thoughts. I turned toward the client, smoothing out my apron and my expression in one practiced motion.

But then, I froze. It wasn’t just another client.

It was Warren.

He stood there in the doorway, tall and disheveled. With a gift basket in hand and that familiar apologetic smile that always made me forget how to stay angry.

"Vienna, hi. I got you a little something." His tone was casual, as if he didn’t just have me worrying all night.

The basket overflowed with my favorites—chocolate truffles, blueberries, strawberries. Was he trying to buy my forgiveness, or just ease his own guilt with the gesture?

"Oh. Uh… thank you," I managed, glancing briefly at Bella. She gave me a sympathetic look, then cleared her throat.

"I need to go take stock in the back," she announced, tactfully disappearing into the storage room. God bless her.

Warren set the basket down and took my hands.

"I’m sorry I didn’t come home last night, babe," he said, his voice low. "I didn’t mean to worry you. I was just trying to be there for Desiree. And your questions last night—honestly, I think you were overreacting a little."

I pulled my hands back. "Well, you didn’t answer them. Why wasn’t her boyfriend at the hospital with her? He should’ve been the one to support her, be there for her. Not you."

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "The truth is, she had a one-night stand. When the accident happened… the guy vanished."

"OK, so... whose baby was it?" My impatience at his evasive answers was growing by the minute.

"Some college ex," he said. "Total ghost. She doesn’t even have a number anymore—he blocked her. If I ever find him, I swear…"

His jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened. Protective. Angry. But none of that soothed the ache in my chest. In fact, it made it worse.

"Right," I said quietly. What else could I say?

He took a breath and stepped closer. "I love you, Vienna. You know that, right? I care about Desiree, sure. She’s my little sister. But I don’t—can’t—love anyone the way I love you."

He flashed his dazzling smile, and his warm brown eyes chipped away at the wall I’d built overnight. I didn’t want to be this jealous, suspicious version of myself. I didn’t want to doubt the man I loved.

"I know," I whispered. "I love you too."

He kissed me, and it was like always—warm, deep, disarming. A rush of emotion swept through me. Maybe it was the right time to tell him.

My hand instinctively drifted to my stomach, still flat, still holding secrets. I opened my mouth.

"Warren, I—"

"You know," he cut in, "maybe Desiree’s miscarriage was for the best."

My heart stuttered.

"…What?"

He shrugged, tone casual. "A baby is a huge deal. You can’t just raise one fresh out of college. It would’ve wrecked her life. Kids… they change everything. It’s a twenty-year sentence."

I blinked at him. Did he really just say that?

"Don’t you think a child is a blessing?" I asked quietly. "Even if it’s unexpected?"

His face twisted in thought. "I mean, sure. But they’re expensive, exhausting… They steal all your time. Desiree wasn’t ready. Hell, no one really is."

My fingers slipped away from my belly. I wrapped my arms around myself. His words settled over me like frost.

He wasn’t ready. Not even close.

This wasn’t the moment to tell him.

"I think Desiree should stay with us for a bit," he added suddenly. "Her and Dad are fighting again. Stepmom too. She needs time… and privacy. If our parents find out about the miscarriage—"

I opened my mouth to object. But before I could, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen.

"It’s the hospital. She’s getting discharged. I have to go pick her up."

"I’ll come too," I said quickly. I didn’t want to be left out of any other part of this story.

At the hospital, Desiree sat on the bed with a blanket draped around her shoulders. She looked more composed than yesterday, but her skin was still pale.

"Desiree," I said gently, placing a hand on hers. "I’m really sorry. For everything you’re going through."

She gave a small shrug. "I’ll be fine. In fact, I’m relieved I’m not pregnant anymore. That would’ve been a disaster, honestly." 

Her careless chuckle made my skin crawl. I pulled my hand away from hers, fighting the instinct to place it protectively over my belly.

"I suppose it’s for the best then," I said quietly.

"For sure… So, looks like we’re gonna be roomies for a while, huh?" she said with a smirk, a strange glint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"I’m going to get the car closer so we can get you out of here, Des," Warren interrupted before I could reply. 

"Thanks, Warren. You’re the best," she replied, blinking up at him with a sugary smile.

"You know it," he said with a playful wink, then turned and left the room.

As soon as he was gone, Desiree turned to me with a strange look.

"Hey, V, you know why my brother fell for you, don’t you? Why it was love at first sight?" Her tone was casual, but something about her demeanor made me feel on edge.

I blinked. "What are you talking about?"

She pulled out her phone and tapped around before holding up the screen. A photo of Warren and a girl. Long mahogany hair like mine, same build, same blue eyes, similar full mouth. Basically, my lookalike.

Was this his ex? Why had I never seen pictures of her before?

"She was his everything once. You look just like her. It makes sense he was instantly attracted to you," Desiree said, a small smile playing on her lips.

My breath caught in my throat. My mind scrambled for meaning. But the honk of Warren’s car outside cut the moment short.