Page 16 of Surprise Pregnancy for Villain

I draw my knees up to my chest, curling like a fetus under the cooling shade of the oak tree. Neither of us speak for several moments, with only the breeze, the rustle of leaves and the faraway sounds of chatting students passing between us.

I wish I could help.

“Maybe you can,” I say.

Katie looks eager. “How? You know I’ll do anything, Nicki. Just ask.”

I take a deep breath. “Help me disappear,” I answer.

“Disappear? What do you mean? Tap my magician’s wand on the top of your head, and ‘poof’?” Katie laughs, but I’m deadly serious.

“Wouldn’t that be ideal,” I muse. “No, I mean help me sneak off campus, find a place to stay while I finish school.”

Katie looks uncertain. “Nicki, your dad is a literal mob boss. I doubt there’s anywhere he won’t find you.”

I groan, knowing she’s right.

“Disappearing—or trying to disappear won’t do you any good. You need a more drastic approach.”

“Like?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know… give Lucca a reason not to marry you, maybe.”

“Ugh.” I fall on my back, staring up at the gently swaying leaves. “I doubt there’s anything that will turn off that monster. I’d lose a limb, and he’d still want to marry me. Anything to secure his legacy.”

What can I do to thwart Lucca’s plans? My father’s goal? How can I change their minds completely? Appealing to Daddy’s conscience or his heart will never work. I need something to force his hand, but what?

“Maybe Lucca won’t marry you if he finds out you’re not a virgin anymore,” Katie says, twisting on her side to look at me. “You could let Simon pop your cherry.”

“Nah. I mean, Simon’s cute and a little hot, and I could sleep with him, but that won’t change anything. In fact, it will only make things worse. Dad would probably push the date further up, and Lucca… there’s no telling what he’d do to me after we get married.”

Katie sighs. “I can’t imagine going through something like this.”

I’m half-listening, and a light bulb goes off from something she just mentioned. I sit up, hope blossoming in my chest.

“I think you can help me, after all.”

“Okay, tell me.”

“It’s crazy, but…”

“Try me.”

“Well…what if I got married to someone else? Bigamy is still a criminal offense, isn’t it? Then, by law, I couldn’t be allowed to marry Lucca.”

Katie gives a vehement shake of her head. “You can’t just snap your fingers and be married.”

“I’m eighteen,” I reply firmly. “I may not be able to order a drink in a bar, but I’m of age for everything else. I can vote, own property, join the army…or get married.”

Katie raises her eyebrows. “I suppose. But who would you get married to, anyway?”

I look down at the grass beneath me and pluck at its green blades, hesitating to answer. It sounds crazy even to me. “I was thinking…maybe Simon.”

“Simon?” she repeats, her eyes widening. “You’re kidding.”

“Why not? He likes me, doesn’t he?”

“Well, yes, but…you guys haven’t even been on a date, not really. And you did throw up on him the last time you saw him.”

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