by Joya Ryan
“Tell me about it.”
Preston talked about Adam too. They had a lot in common, being business moguls and whatnot. I wanted to roll my eyes a little, but it was good Preston had made a friend out of Adam. He had only spoken of one other man, Rhys, who I met at the Armory event. He was showing up for the wedding—a fact Emma avoided like the plague so I didn’t push her on it.
“Adam said that Preston has a hotel in Chicago. Any chance you might be coming back home to set up shop?” Kate’s eyes sparkled, and I couldn’t help but love the idea too.
Preston has said we’d look for a house after the wedding. Chicago was near Kate and my parents. And Emma would go back there eventually, I hoped. Like Rhys, it was a touchy subject and every time Adam approached her with coming home, Emma tensed up.
“That would be pretty awesome.”
“Come on girls, your turn.” A plump little woman in her sixties clapped her hands at Emma and Kate. “Time to see how you look in your bridesmaids’ dresses.”
“Make sure you come show me!” I said.
“Duh,” Emma called back and winked. “Thank God you ditched the parasol idea.”
“It’s not too late to get them,” I called after her.
I had my two friends in my wedding, my father was getting the health care he needed and my parents wouldn’t lose their home. And I was standing in a gown on the brink of marrying the one man I’d ever felt this insane about.
“I love him,” I whispered.
No ifs. It was a fact. My stomach turned and I palmed my belly. Taking a deep breath, I willed away the heartburn I’d been dealing with over the past couple of weeks. Between the fast pace of all this planning and the inevitable stress, my body was suffering. I just hoped this little stomach bug went away before this weekend. I smiled. I told myself the same thing I had the past few weeks: It’s nothing I can’t handle—
Dizziness suddenly swept over me and I jerked forward, almost falling off the platform.
“Oh, dear, you alright?” The seamstress grabbed my arm and steadied me.
“Yeah,” I swallowed, putting the back of my hand against my mouth. Nausea crept over me, leaving my skin feeling cool and sticky. I wanted to throw a fit because this was ridiculous—almost a month and these flu symptoms were still hanging around. “I just feel a bit dizzy.”
She helped me sit down. “Poor thing. I know in my first trimester I was dizzy and sick all the time.”
My eyes snapped to the woman. “Excuse me?”
She looked at me with shock and worry on her face. “Well…you’re…you’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
I shook my head furiously. “No.”
“Oh…” She looked at my stomach. “Are you sure?”
My mouth just hung open. I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry. Maybe feel insulted? I had been getting sick lately, but that was the bug. Right?
“I’m on the pill.” I blurted out. It was the only thing that made sense that I could cling to in that moment.
“Well, maybe go chat with your doctor, because I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m going to have to take your dress out a good inch. Unless you’ve been giving into a doughnut addiction?”
My skin was already cold but now the mist of sweat that broke made me freeze. Out of nowhere, a hot flash skated over me, drowning out the iciness in my veins and replacing it with fire. I was certain I would pass out. I mentally ran though the checklist of my symptoms the last several weeks: Nauseous, bloated, and my breasts hurt a little. Vomiting and dizzy spells.
“Oh God…”
Chapter Eighteen
“You don’t look so good,” a snotty voice said.
Stopping in the middle of The Strauss Hotel lobby, I looked up to find Darlene smiling at me. She, Charlie and John all lived in the city, but, “Why are you here?” My voice was flat and a cold sweat covered my entire body. Darlene was the last person I needed to see right now.
“Oh, I was just popping in to catch you actually.” She glanced at her diamond-encrusted watch. “I thought you’d be done dress shopping a while ago. What happened? Make a detour?”
Her insinuating tone and smirk drained the little blood left in my face. She couldn’t possibly know…could she? I had left the dress fitting early and Preston’s driver took me straight to the doctor. Preston told me once not to put anything past Darlene. The fact that she knew my schedule was beyond unnerving.
“What do you want, Darlene?”
People shuffled around us in and out of the front doors. She stepped several paces to the closest corner, away from the bustling comers and goers. Part of me wanted to complete my mission and run upstairs to find Preston instead of deal with her right now. But again, that evil grin splitting her face had me uneasy.
I moved to her. “What?” I snapped.
“So moody.” She glanced at my stomach. My pulse raced and those dizzy spells I had been having kicked into high gear. Standing upright was taking the majority of my focus.
“You shouldn’t be so testy with me when I came here to give you a friendly heads up.”
I shook my head.
“John is waiting for you in the office upstairs.”
I glanced at the elevator.
“Oh, don’t worry,” she examined her nails, “Preston isn’t here.”
“Whatever reason you’ve found to take a personal interest in mine and my fiancé’s schedule needs to stop. We’re getting married and you need to accept that.”
“Are you?” She nearly giggled with glee. “Well, I suppose you must be getting married since that is what the whole contract entails.”
My stomach bottomed out and a fresh flash of cold coated my bones.
“I knew you two were up to something. I just didn’t think Preston had to buy his women now.” She scoffed. “I guess that’s what fishing for losers with a bad history will get you.” Her eyes trailed the entire length of me, and if looks could kill, hers would maim. “You settled pretty cheap, don’t you think? Only five million? Needless to say John was very upset when I told him and gave him a copy of the contract.”
She tilted her head and glanced at my belly again. “Not that any of it matters now.” No woman had ever smiled as big as Darlene did in that moment.
The world was spinning way too fast, and I couldn’t get a grip. Couldn’t get my feet to completely touch the ground. Couldn’t even muster words to fight back. My mind was spent, terror and uncertainty had already been circling, but now blood-chilling fear that I was on the brink of losing everything I held dear was crashing down.
When her leer didn’t leave my waistline, a spark of raw ferocity boiled over in my chest.
“You are a sad, disgusting woman.” I stepped closer. “Don’t ever come near me or Preston again.”
She blinked rapidly as if shocked I had spoken. Her throat worked hard on a swallow and she straightened her stance like my words literally knocked her down a peg.
“You really think he’s going to keep you after he finds out you lost the deal for him?” Her smirk was back in place.
“He loves me,” I growled. Though he’d never said it, in that moment, I knew that to be true. It had to be. While the words didn’t come out, everyday loved was what he made me feel.
Darlene plucked her sunglasses out of her purse and put them on. Walking past me, she brushed my shoulder and mumbled, “We’ll see about that.”
***
John was pacing in front of the large desk in the office. When he heard me walk in and shut the door, he swung around and faced me.
“Is this true?” he asked, and pointed at the contract on the desk. The poor man looked genuinely hurt and confused. He broad shoulders were slightly sunken and his normally sparkly eyes dimmed. Now was a time I really needed Preston, and after three calls and only getting his voicemail, I was in this on my own for the time being.
“Yes,” I whispered.
He folded his arms over his chest—not in an angry way, but in a way that loo
ked like he was giving himself a hug.
“John, I’m sorry I lied to you. Things between Preston and I did start off with that.” I lifted my chin at the contract. “But,” I closed the distance between us and looked him in the eyes. “Please believe me now when I say that I love your son more than anything.”
He let out a loud breath and gently cupped my shoulders. Then, he did the most unexpected thing, he pulled me into a hug.
“Oh, child, I know you do.” His voice was soothing and the tears I’d been fighting all afternoon broke out. I hugged him back, feeling so lost, so scared, so unsure.
He ran one palm over the back of my head, softly stroking my hair. My father used to do the same thing when I was a little girl and the comforting action made me sob a little harder.
“I never meant to drive him to this. Having a family, children of your own, is something I’ve always valued. After Preston’s mother died, he took on the world by himself, never relying on or wanting anyone else. And that’s my fault.” He slowly pulled back and looked at me. “Preston has been through a lot in his life, but I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he does you.”
A small watery smile tugged at my lips.
“I just want him to be happy. I never meant to hurt you or deceive you.”
“I know that too. Which is why I’m leaving this up to you two. I meant what I said, I’m giving him the three percent as a wedding gift.” He cupped my cheek and sadness marred his face. “If the wedding still happens on Saturday.”
My breath hitched. It was a fear I’d been having all day. I didn’t know how much John knew and what exactly Darlene had said, but I had my own discussion with Preston to worry about.
“Have you spoken to Preston about this?”
John shook his head. “No. But I would assume that Darlene has found a way to tell him by now.”
That wouldn’t be surprising.
“I’d be so proud to have you in our family,” John said and the sweet tone that laced his words forced me to believe him.
“Thank you.”
My knees shook and my face was flickering between hot and cold. John believed in Preston and me. I could only hope his son felt the same way.
Chapter Nineteen
“Jesus Christ,” Preston said, slamming the door.
I was curled up on the couch in our penthouse. He sat next to me and rubbed my shoulder.
“I take it you know about Darlene and the contract?”
“Short of breaking and entering, I have no idea how she got her hands on it.” My money was on the sneaking and thieving explanation. “I spoke with my father on the way home, everything will be fine. We’re still getting married and this whole thing won’t matter.”
“It matters to me,” I whispered. I drew my knees up to my stomach and hugged them. “I’m tired of being a contract, Preston.”
He frowned.
He was obviously on the frazzled side but dealt with it well. A blow like this out of nowhere could do that, but Preston looked pretty collected, as if he always had a backup plan.
“Is there something else going on, Megan?” His tone was a bit gravelly. He was examining my face like I was some kind of suspect.
“Yeah.” I glanced at my hands. “There is.”
I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye, which was difficult because as soon as I did, mine started buzzing like angry hornets had set up a hive behind my retinas. He looked so worried. About me.
Another deep breath.
The last couple hours had been hell. All kinds of thoughts and scenarios were playing through my head. Shock didn’t begin to describe the state I was in—and had been in since this afternoon. But somehow, with those green eyes glaring back at me, I felt a little better. Like everything would be okay. It had to be okay.
This wasn’t two months ago. This was now. I loved Preston. And somewhere deep down, I believed he loved me. The contract wasn’t a forefront fixture in our relationship anymore.
“What we have…it’s real…right?”
“Yes. This is real, sweetheart,” Preston said and rubbed my shin. For the first time in the last few hours a surge of happiness raced through me and beat all the doom out of my head.
Clinging to his words, I told him the truth.
“I’m pregnant.”
Preston’s face turned from concern to a mask of shock and finally, rage. My heart pounded in my ears and my chest felt too tight to hold my ribcage.
“What?” He stood and ran a hand through his hair. His glare licked over me like flames. There was so much hate and animosity seeping from him, it almost choked me. “How did you do this?”
“I didn’t…I mean, I didn’t purposefully—”
“Bullshit!” he yelled and I jumped in my seat at his outburst. “I check your birth control pills every evening.”
“You what? You’ve been checking to see if I take them?”
“Yes. So what, you’ve been tossing them? Should have fucking known,” he growled.
My entire chest completely hollowed out as if Preston’s words grew claws and snatched the heart straight from between my ribs. Not a single word made sense. It couldn’t be happening. Not this way. I knew this was a surprise but…
“I thought this was real? You just said that…You and I…”
“You are lying and conniving and I am not going to be trapped with this!”
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t even work my mouth closed and open to produce words. I wanted to tell him that I didn’t mean for this to happen. Tell him what the doctor told me. Tell him that even though it was a shock, I was excited about this baby. Our baby. Anything to make him stop looking at me like I was evil incarnate. Unfortunately, I knew Preston, I knew how terrible his thoughts could be and now they were aimed at me.
The sickness I’d felt over the last several weeks was nothing compared to the present churning in my gut. It didn’t matter what my defense was. Reality, love—I shook my head. I’d been naïve. Jumping straight to blame and horror was a clear expression of exactly how he really felt about me. His reaction was more than enough. And it was too much to bear.
“You may think you’re getting away with something, but you won’t get a thing from me.”
“I don’t want anything from you,” I whispered.
He scoffed, obviously not believing me.
I stood up, my legs shaky and all my will gone. I was tired. So unbelievingly tired I could barely see. Tears danced on the rim of my eyes. The only thing that came to mind was the truth.
“I love you, Preston.”
And my heart broke because it didn’t matter. The look on his face made that clear. “It’s true,” I said. “But I don’t think I’ve ever hated someone this much in my life.”
I bit my lip because the tears came down hard. I couldn’t look at him anymore. My chest was caving in and my lungs were burning. There wasn’t enough oxygen in the world at the moment. I turned and walked to the door.
“I thought you were different,” he growled.
I looked over my shoulder and opened the door. “So did I.”
Chapter Twenty
“We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry, Meg.”
I sat on Kate’s bed while she hugged and rocked me. I would have gone back to my apartment but didn’t think I could make it. Once the penthouse door shut behind me, I’d broken down. Kate and Adam’s suite was only an elevator ride away.
I sniffled. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to barge in on you.”
Kate shook her head. “Don’t you be sorry. You just worry about you right now, Meg. I’m here. Everything will be okay.”
I had cried all night and the words I so desperately needed to hear came from my best friend instead of the man I was in love with…the man whose child I was carrying.
“It hurts,” I breathed.
It was the same thing I told my mother with a smile a month ago. I loved him so much it hurt. She told me it was the best kind. But right then,
I didn’t see how that was possible. Gravity was pushing against me and my bones were slowly cracking under the pressure and digging into my muscles. I was suffocating and my body caving in around itself. Pain. Total and utter pain.
“I know it does,” she whispered.
It was well past four in the morning and Kate had cried with me all night. Adam was pacing by the bedroom doorway, occasionally stopping to glower. At first I thought he was mad at me, but soon realized he was upset with Preston.
“Here you go,” Adam said, and set two cups of tea on the nightstand.
“Thanks, Adam.”
He nodded and before he left said, “Men can be really stupid.”
His blue eyes landed on Kate and I knew what he was talking about. Several months ago he had almost lost her and the look on his face showed he still hadn’t forgiven himself.
“Why didn’t you tell Preston what the doctor said?” Kate asked softly. “That when you took the antibiotics for your ear, it messed with your birth control. Why did you just let him blame you?”
“It doesn’t matter. His first reaction was hate and denial.” Holding desperately to my control, I forced myself to keep the sobbing at bay. “I honestly thought he loved me.”
“He does!” Kate hugged me tight. “He wouldn’t have proposed if he didn’t.”
I looked at her and all the control on the planet couldn’t keep the tears from starting up again. “It wasn’t real.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It was fake, all of it. I needed the money and he needed a wife,” I began and over the next hour I told Kate every humiliating detail—from the first night, to the contract, to the money, to my parents’ losing everything. It didn’t matter anymore. Preston had said that pregnancy voids everything. The contract wasn’t valid anymore.
“Oh, Meg…”
“It’s stupid, I know.”
“No, no it’s not. You’re a good person, an amazing daughter and what happened in Chicago with Tim was not your fault. You have to stop blaming yourself for that.”
I shook my head. I was so lost. So far beyond lost. Sadness drowned me like frozen lake water and I couldn’t catch my breath. Bone-chilling cold seeped from every pore and I didn’t think I’d ever feel true warmth again.