Better With You - Maddie Poppe and Caleb Hutchinson Series (Book 2)

Chapter 18

A Few Weeks Later

Maddie's POV

I sigh as I walk up to the front door of Bella and Caleb's house. I look down at the little pink gift bag I'm holding as I ring the doorbell. After a moment, the door opens and I see Bella.

"Oh, hi," she gives me a small smile, "come in."

I walk in and go over and sit in a chair in the living room. She sits on the couch across from me.

"I bought this for Caroline," I say, holding out the bag to her.

"Really? That's so sweet," she says, taking it from me. She looks inside and smiles when she pulls out the little onesie with a matching hat, "Maddie, this is so cute!"

I smile, "it is. That's why I knew I had to buy it for her."

She reaches in the bag and then pulls out the little stuffed horse, "awww, Maddie, thank you for these."

"Bella, I'm really sorry about everything that's happened," I say.

She shakes her head, "Maddie, none of it was your fault."

"I know. But still," I look down.

When Bella fell, it was after Jace had come over to her house and they argued. She made him leave and when she was walking back to the living room, she fell, causing little Caroline to come just a few weeks early.

"As you know, Caleb moved back in and now we're back together," she says.

"Oh, yeah, he told me," I say lowly.

"Do you wanna see her?" She asks.

I smile, "I'd love to."

She smiles before going to another room. She comes back out with Caroline and walks over to me. I look down at her.

"Do you want to hold her?" Bella asks.

I nod as she puts the sleeping baby in my arms. I smile down at her, "she's beautiful."

"Yeah, she is," she says, "she's my whole world."

Caroline makes little noises and opens her eyes slowly. She then looks up at me with her little blue eyes.

"Oh my goodness," I say.

"Yeah," Bella grins.

The door opens again and Caleb walks in, "oh, hey Maddie," he says awkwardly.

"Hey," I look up at him and then back down at his daughter, "she's beautiful, Caleb."

"Thank you," he smiles, proudly.

"Look how cute these are, Caleb," Bella says, holding up the gifts I brought, "Maddie bought these."

"Thanks, Maddie. We appreciate it," he smiles at me.

"Of course," I smile back, "I actually have to run now. I have to go record a new track."

"Oh, okay," Caleb says.

I give Caroline back to Bella before telling them bye and walking out the door. I make my way into the studio.

"Alright, Maddie. You ready to record this new track?" The sound engineer, Matt, asks as I put my headphones on.

"Let's do it," I say. I hear my music start and I start singing. I'm in the middle of the chorus when I feel a wave of nausea all of a sudden. I stop singing and step back. I look down and close my eyes.

"Maddie? You good?" Matt asks, turning the music off.

"Just a second," I tell him, before putting the headphones on the microphone stand and running out with my hand over my mouth, hurrying to the bathroom as fast as I can.

I come back a few minutes later and go back into the studio, "sorry," I mumble.

"You good?" Matt asks.

"Just a little sick. I've been pretty stressed out lately," I sigh.

"Stomach flu is going around too," he says.

"Uhh... uh, yeah," I say.

"Okay, wanna try it again?"

"Yeah. I'm ready," I tell him.