But every few minutes, I’d glance up to find Mason staring at me again. He kept looking between my face and my belly, and it made me uncomfortable. At one point, I was pretty sure I saw… was that hurt in his eyes?
Did he really think he deserved to feel hurt after what he did to me?
By the time dessert was served—a decadent chocolate cake that I couldn’t stomach even a bite of—I was ready to scream. My back ached, my head throbbed, and I couldn’t take one more minute of the smell of my father’s cologne or Mason staring at me or Vera’s weird uncanny valley face.
“If you’ll excuse me,” I said, standing. “I’m feeling a bit tired. Pregnancy, you know.”
The table murmured their understanding, and Isaac half-rose from his chair. “Would you like me to accompany you?”
“No, plea
