Page 50 of Faking It with my Small Town Billionaire

Selfish? Absolutely.

But this floodgate has been opened now, and there’s an ache in my gut that wasn’t there before. If I pace for much longer, I’m going to need to buy new shoes, and having debated my decision for half an hour, I give in. Grabbing the car keys, I head for the door.

With flowers and chocolates in hand, I follow a nurse down the corridor. Her shoes squeak as she takes hurried steps. I, on the other hand, am strolling quite comfortably.

“Here you go, Mr. Donovan,” she says, opening the door. “Your husband is here, Mrs. Donovan.”

It feels strange hearing that. I suppose I’ve never been announced before.

“Orson?” Lily gawks at me.

While her welcome is a little frosty, the other two women in the room—who I can only assume are her sisters—beam at me with delighted smiles and wide eyes.

Not to sound big-headed, but I am used to it. I’ve been eyed by many women over the years. But right now, I only have eyes for Lily, and smiling perfunctorily to her sisters, I stride straight toward her.

Not wanting her to completely freak out, I bend and kiss her cheek. I assume it’s what a husband might do in this situation, but truthfully, I just want to kiss her. We’ve been apart for four hours, and I feel like an addict, needing my fix.

“What are you doing here?” she gasps, taking the flowers and chocolates I hand her.

“That’s no way to greet your husband, Lily,” one of her sisters retorts, even though she’s smiling. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” Lily flusters a little. “Orson, this is Ellie,” she points to the younger of the women. She’s pretty, with hair the same color as Lily’s. “And this is Martha.” Clearly the older sister, and from what I can tell, someone who’s had some work done on her face. My first thought is that she was in a car accident, and then I recall Lily saying she’s married to a successful plastic surgeon.

Figures.

“And this is Orson,” Lily says finally.

We all shake hands, and there are smiles all around.

“It’s so good to finally meet you, Orson. Lily never shuts up about you,” Martha says.

I smirk. “Is that right?”

When I turn to Lily, she’s making a face and gesturing at her sister. I’m pretty sure the expression and gesticulations imply that she wants Martha to be quiet. I stifle a chuckle at her reddening face and feel a little hope in my heart.

“How is she?” I say, nodding towards the older lady lying in the bed.

“They’ve induced a coma until they know what caused the seizure,” Lily says. “But she’s fine.”

“Exactly.” Ellie grins. “While we’re huddled around her bedside worried sick, Mom’s having a great nap.”

It appears Ellie has the same witty sense of humor as Lily, and I smile in reply.

Turning back to Lily, I say, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

She frowns when she looks up at me, and then, as though remembering that we’re supposed to be married, the creases in her brow disappear, and she smiles. “Sure. Let’s go for a walk.”

We don’t speak as we move through the corridors. Once outside, Lily turns in the direction of a small garden, and I follow suit. Now by her side, I take a deep breath and begin.

“I’m sorry about your Mom,” I say, easing into it. “I’m also sorry about this morning. What I said clearly shocked you, and by your reaction, I feel like I’ve put you under pressure. That wasn’t my intention, Lily.”

“You don’t have to apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for,” she says. “But yes, you’re right. It was a bit of a curve ball.”

“I should have waited.”

“Waiting wouldn’t have made any difference. It just wasn’t expected; that’s all. Since this morning, I’ve had a little time to think about what you said. You seemed so clear in your mind of how you feel, and I suppose there was a part of me that wondered how.”

“I think we both know this hasn’t just happened overnight, Lily,” I say, confident in my deductions that we’ve had shared moments beyond the boundaries of our original contract. “Or am I the only one who has felt sparks between us?”

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