“Cedar!” she cried. “Lavender hurt me! I only told her I was pregnant, and she slapped me!”
Cedar froze. His gaze darted to Fern’s tear-streaked face, then to Lavender, still dripping wet and glaring at Fern. The word "pregnant" struck him sharply, causing his expression to shift from shock to fury.
“Is it true?” he demanded. “Did you hit her?”
“She pushed me first,” Lavender said quietly, her voice tight. “I—”
But Cedar didn’t let her finish. His hand grabbed her arm roughly, dragging her toward the house. “How could you? How could you hurt her? She’s carrying my child!”
Lavender’s heart twisted at his words, but she said nothing. She didn’t resist as he pulled her into their bedroom and slammed the door shut.
“You’re cruel,” he hissed, his face inches from hers. “You’re so bitter and jealous, you’d hurt an innocent woman? A pregnant woman?”
"She did it on purpose, Cedar. I was avoiding her, but she cornered me and started the fight!"