Page 7 of Don't You Dare Marry Me

Nicola laughed. Her sister said that every time she looked at the ring. When Warren had first proposed and Nicola had raced over here to show it off and tell Alanna all about it, she couldn’t stop saying that. “It really is. Way too big for me!”

“You deserve someone who loves you big. Not an asshole who doesn’t want you.”

Nicola hated that Alanna was right. Because she’d thought that was what she had found with Warren. Not only someone who loved her for her, but someone who could actually support her so that she could focus on bringing her family back together again to be whole—well, as whole as it ever would be. But she’d been wrong. So very wrong.

“What else did he say?”

“Nothing really.” Nicola frowned, taking the ring back and closing the lid on it with a snap. She didn’t slide it back into her purse like she wanted to, keeping the warm box in her fingers as a reminder of why she wasn’t engaged any more. “I refused to meet up with him, so I’m going to bring it to his aunt tonight.”

“His aunt?” Alanna frowned slightly. “Why her?”

“It’s her ring, technically.” Nicola shoved the box into her purse finally, her stomach twisting in knots. Something about Abagail had always made her uneasy, and she’d never really been able to put her finger on it. She was an attractive older woman who certainly knew what she wanted in life and wasn’t afraid to make that happen. Maybe that’s what it was, because Nicola couldn’t be more opposite of that. She was blown thisway and that way by life, and most often felt like she was just struggling to hang on for dear life.

“Then you should really give it back.” Alanna pointed her hand at her. “Tonight?”

“Yes, I’ll give it back tonight.” Nicola hated that her sister was always the ethical one. Then again, it was good to have that compass in her life, because she was getting desperate for cash. Desperate enough to do some very unethical things. “What have they got you doing today?”

Nicola had to change the topic of conversation. It was veering far too close to conversations that Alanna didn’t need to know or worry about. Nicola leaned back into the uncomfortable family chair and listened as Alanna rattled on about all the therapies she had that day still and the ones she’d already completed. It was a long litany. They never kept her still there, which was a good thing. Alanna needed the stimulation.

When the assistants came to get Alanna for some physical therapy, Nicola cleaned up the room a bit before trying to leave unnoticed. Unfortunately, as soon as she opened the door to leave, Miss Trunchbull—at least that’s what Nicola called her—was right there waiting.

“Oh, hi.” Nicola plastered on the biggest smile that she could. She was going to have to charm her way out of this conversation. “I was just leaving.”

“Not yet. We need to talk.” Miss Trunchbull crossed her arms and blocked the door. Even if Nicola wanted to leave, she couldn’t.

“Fine. Your office?” Nicola tried her best to keep that smile plastered on her lips, but it was a little harder now.

Miss Trunchbull nodded and then put her hand out in front of her so they could walk side by side. She definitely wasn’t going to let Nicola get away from this one, was she? As soon as theywere inside the office, Nicola took a seat and nervously clung onto the side of her purse.

“We need a payment by the end of the month or we’re going to have to terminate services for Alanna.”

“I know.” Nicola frowned. “I’m working on getting a new job today, actually. I’ll be able to pay you something next week.” Why had she just made a promise she absolutely knew she couldn’t keep? Nicola held back the wince, not letting anyone see how weak she was. “I’ll catch up all the payments by the end of the year. I promise.”

Miss Trunchbull sighed heavily. “Alanna is making good progress here. I would hate for her to decline because she wasn’t receiving the proper medical care.”

“I understand.” That was honestly the only thing Nicola ever thought about lately—how to make money for Alanna’s medical care. She had to make sure that Alanna had the very best so that she could someday leave the facility and live on her own. That was the ultimate goal.

“Perhaps there’s some family you can call on at a time like this.”

Nicola pursed her lips. She’d already talked to her Aunt Simone, but she was going through her own drama right now, which meant that finances were really tight. Other than that, there was no family left. She’d been counting on Warren’s check, which had been stupid. She shouldn’t have thought he would actually follow through on that.

“I know. I’ll get you a check next week for at least the rest of this month. I’ll start working on paying everything off as soon as I have this job locked in.” The lies were adding up now. Nicola swallowed them down and let them churn in her stomach. The advantage to Alanna being holed up in the facility was that Nicola could control what information got to her—at least about this. And Alanna had no clue that Nicola had been living outof her car and had a negative balance in her checking account. Biting her lip, Nicola lifted her chin and faked the confidence she knew Abagail had in spades.

Maybe it wasn’t that they were opposites. Maybe it was just that Nicola wanted to be like Abagail. Rich. Confident. Free. Nicola squared her shoulders. “Was that everything you needed to discuss with me?”

“Next week, Nicola.”

“Just like I promised already. I’ll have a check to you then.” Nicola stood up and slid her purse higher up on her shoulder. She didn’t look behind her as she walked out of the office and through the hallways back to her car.

It wasn’t until she slid behind the wheel of her vehicle that she let everything go. Tears slid down her cheeks and fell onto her thighs. She pressed her forehead into the steering wheel and let herself succumb to the emotions that she couldn’t show to anyone else. No one could know just how bad it was.

Because she was at rock bottom.

She had no other choice than to beg Warren or Abagail for money or turn to the seedier side of life that she’d wanted to be a last-ditch effort.

And she already knew Warren and Abagail were a no, so that left her with one option.

She had to find a way to make money.

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