Page 9 of Dark Embers

“What are those?” I point to the weird looking contraptions scattered over the beige cushions.

“Your different sized bellies over the next seven months,” Tara replies, picking up the first one. “This one you’ll need to wear at four months. My friend who works at a movie studio creating prosthetics lent them to me.”

She throws the fake belly at me. “It’s heavy.”

“It’s made from medical-grade silicone and it’s the real deal,” Tara tells me excitedly. “It’s made for the partner that is not pregnant and mimics not just the tummy but the distribution of weight and pressure as the pregnancy progresses.”

“The material is warm to the touch.” My fingers glide over the weird contraption.

The fake pregnant belly looks like a fat weighted vest. The front of it curves outward into a bulbous belly that feels firm yet gives just enough to make it eerily lifelike.

“It feels so real.” I get a cringe shudder.

“Oh, it’s going to feel real,” Tara says a little too gleefully for someone trying to convince me to be fake pregnant. “These all have weighted inserts to simulate the baby's movement,pressure on the bladder, and shifts in balance, making standing, sitting, or bending a whole ordeal.”

“Oh, great. So you want me to be uncomfortable, awkward, and miserable with you?” My eyes scan the bellies that grow in size.

“It will be fun,” Tara tries to sell me on her totally deranged idea. “You’ll get to experience what I’m going through and it will be more real for you to sell your fake pregnancy.”

“Awesome.” Standing, I strap the thing on and stare at it. “It really does look life-like.”

“Wait until you have it on correctly,” Tara warns, then looks at me hopefully. “Does this mean you’ll do it—for me?”

Sighing, I hand her the fake belly. “You already knew I would.” My hand swooshes over the fake bellies. “Where are you going to hide?” I look around our apartment. “You can’t stay here.”

“I’ve already taken care of that.”

“Just how long have you been planning this?”

“For about two weeks when I did a home pregnancy test and it came up positive,” Tara admits. “I knew what it was going to mean.”

“So you made one of your planning charts!” I guess.

“I did.” Tara nods. “A taxi is coming to pick me up and take me to that biker tavern near the edge of town where Sam will fetch me then take me to one of the holding cottages near Dad’s cabin.”

“Fuck, you really do have this all planned!” I swallow, my heart picking up speed as my eyes land on the fake bellies once again. “Won’t Gavriil wonder why you’re not at work?”

“I already quit,” Tara replies, shoving the fake bellies back into the large bag. “I’m going to take these with me, and you’ll have to go to Dad’s cabin as often as you can. As my stomach grows we’ll grow yours.”

“What about my work?” My eyes widen.

“You have your own dressing room so no one will see you get dressed,” Tara points out and gets a sly smile. “But you will have to go without sex for roughly seven to eight months.”

“Oh!” I hadn't really thought about that. Not that it’s going to be a problem as I’ve hit a bit of a dry spell. “This is what I sacrifice for the love of my sister.”

“And I thank you for that.” Tara hugs me. “I’m sorry I’ve had to ask you to do this. But this baby’s safety depends on it.” Her tone is serious now. “You remember when Radomir thought Leigh was pregnant?” I nod. “He had to protect her because of who he was as she’d become a target. Gavriil is Bratva too and if anyone were to find out who the father of this baby is…”

“I understand.” Taking a deep breath I give a nervous laugh. “I guess I’m about to become a mom.”

“And you understand that you will have to keep up the ruse?” Tara warns. “Everyone, even Mom, and Leigh, have to believe this baby is yours.”

Her phone bleeps and she looks at it. “My taxis here.” She gives me a hug, takes the bag of bellies, and the duffel bag I didn’t see beside the sofa. “Come to Dad’s cabin on the weekend.”

I nod and watch her walk through the door knowing my life is about to change forever and this time it's through no stupid mistake of mine but rather my perfect sister’s! Although, of course to the world they will still see it that way.

CHAPTER 5

Oleksi

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