Chapter 1 - THE APOLOGY AFTER THE FALL
Khloe’s hands were already against Emma’s shoulders when Emma understood her sister wasn’t bluffing.
“Maybe falling will teach you not to tell me no.”
The shove came hard and straight.
Emma’s heel missed the edge of the carpeted step.
At eight months pregnant, there was no graceful way to fall. She twisted on instinct, throwing one arm across her belly as her hip struck the wall and she dropped several steps before catching the railing.
Pain shot through her lower back.
Her phone skidded beside her.
For a second, nobody moved.
Then Diane rushed from the hallway.
“Emma!”
Emma reached for her mother.
Diane grabbed her forearm and hauled upward so sharply Emma cried out.
“Stop. Stop pulling me.”
“You need to get up.”
“My stomach—”
“You’re upsetting yourself.”
Emma looked past her.
Khloe stood one step above, breathing hard, not apologizing.
Robert remained in the living-room doorway.
He had watched the entire thing.
“Dad.”
Robert rubbed one hand over his jaw.
“Everybody needs to calm down.”
Emma stared at him.
“Khloe pushed me.”
“She lost her temper.”
Diane shoved Emma’s shoulder against the wall when Emma tried to point at her sister.
“Apologize to your sister.”
Emma thought she had misheard.
“What?”
“Her divorce is destroying her life. You know how much pressure she’s under.”
Khloe folded her arms.
Diane lowered her voice as though explaining something to a difficult child.
“You came here knowing she’s barely holding herself together, and you refused to help.”
“I refused to lie.”
Robert finally stepped closer.
“Emma, this can still be handled privately.”
There it was.
Not Are you hurt?
Not Is the baby moving?
Privately.
Emma’s hand found the cracked phone beside her.
Khloe reached down for it.
Emma caught her wrist and shoved it away.
“Don’t.”
“What are you doing?” Khloe demanded.
Emma used the railing to pull herself one step higher.
The baby shifted hard beneath her ribs.
Relief nearly buckled her knees.
She looked at Diane.
“You’ve protected her my whole life.”
Then at Robert.
“You’ve pretended not to see it.”
Finally Khloe.
“You’re not sacrificing my daughter too.”
Robert moved into the bottom of the staircase, blocking the hallway.
Diane reached for the phone.
Emma suddenly stopped fighting.
That frightened them more than yelling would have.
She unlocked the cracked screen and tapped one contact.
Marcus answered immediately.
“Emma?”
“Marcus,” she said quietly. “Use the recording. All of it.”
Khloe’s face changed.
She lunged.
Both hands closed around Emma’s wrist.
“Give me the phone.”
Emma pulled back.
Diane gasped.
Robert moved too late.
Emma managed four more words.
“Including what she said before she pushed—”
Khloe clamped a hand over her mouth.
Emma bit down.
Khloe jerked away with a curse.
May you like
And through the phone, Marcus said something that made Robert go completely still.
“I already have it.”
