Page 15 of If the Ring Fits

Next, they ask whether my parents know, and that finally breaks me. I sob uncontrollably while I shake my head.

Without another word, both my best friends stand up and envelop me in a bear hug, nearly squeezing the air out of me.

“You can stay here rent free for however long you want.” Hunter pats my shoulder.

I blink, rejecting the idea of becoming a charity case. “You can’t afford to pay double.”

“I won’t move out,” Nina jumps in. “Between the two of us we can pick up the difference.”

“Guys, I appreciate your offer to let me stay here without paying rent. But I can’t accept. It wouldn’t be right.”

Nina opens her mouth to protest but I hold up a hand. “And what about when the baby comes? I’m going to need a plan, security, and stability. I can’t just rely on your generosity forever.”

Hunter snorts sarcastically. “And you think you’ll find stability by moving in with some random dude you met in a bathroom? By becoming a kept woman?”

Her words sting, and I flinch. Nina shoots Hunter a sharp look. “Hunt! Don’t be like that. This is her choice to make.”

I nod gratefully at Nina before turning back to Hunter, forcing more confidence into my voice than I feel. “I know it seems crazy. Trust me, I’m aware. But please don’t judge me for considering it.” I twist my hands together anxiously. “I haven’t decided anything for sure yet. But if I do this, it will be my choice. Can you respect that, even if you don’t agree with it?”

Hunter’s skeptical expression softens. “Of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off so harsh. I just worry about you, Winnie.” She rubs my arm. “First Liam and now this.”

I manage a small smile, blinking back the fresh tears that threaten to spill over. “I know.” The idea of moving in with Adrian, of tying myself to a virtual stranger, terrifies me. But the fear of facing this pregnancy alone, with no support, looms even larger. I turn to Hunter. “And I’m sorry you’re going to have to move out, too, because I can’t keep a stupid job.”

She hugs me fiercely. “Don’t be silly, that is the least of our problems.”

“But what if the landlord doesn’t let us out of our lease early?” I sob into her shoulder.

Behind us, Dylan clears his throat. “Err… actually if you’re moving out, I could take up your room as well and turn it into a home office.” He stares at Hunter. “If that’s cool with you.” She nods, and he adds, “But you don’t have to go, seriously. If you want to stay, we’ll all chip in to cover your rent until you get back on your feet.”

“Yeah,” Tristan agrees. He scratches his chin thoughtfully. “Pretending to be engaged to this rando isn’t your only option.”

“Thank you, but it’s not just the rent, it’s medical expenses, too. I don’t have insurance anymore and I’ll need to go to a lot of appointments, plus buy a million things for the baby… I… I…” I trail off, overwhelmed.

Dylan rakes a hand through his golden fringe. “I’d tell you Icould check if we have any openings, but the head of the informatic division at our firm is a total douche. I wouldn’t want you to work for him.”

“But I can hire you,” Tristan jumps in eagerly. “We could always use a talented software engineer.”

“Please, Tristan, you told me two weeks ago that you phased out your entire legacy Java stack in favor of microservices and cloud-native architecture. Your IT department is already overstaffed.”

“You’re too smart for your own good,” he scoffs. “But how is me offering you a job worse than a stranger paying your expenses while you pretend to be engaged to him?”

I wring my fingers. “I know this may sound weird, but you’re doing it for me. He’s doing it for himself. It’s an equal exchange. And having you as a boss would be too weird, anyway.”

“Fair enough.” Tristan nods. “You said this dude works in your building?”

“Why?” I pause, frowning. “Are you going to google him?”

Hunter nods, pulling out her phone. “That’s a great idea. Name.”

“Adrian West,” I reply, feeling a knot in my stomach.

Tristan and Dylan both low whistle.

“Why?” My voice rises. “You know him?”

“We knowofhim. Dude’s a legend on Wall Street,” Dylan says with admiration. “Everyone calls him the next Warren Buffett.”

“But he’s also known as a bit of a shark,” Tristan adds, his eyebrows knitting together.

---