Page 76 of My Ex-Fiance's Best Men
Of course, it’s all ludicrous.
But the little voice in the back of my head has already jumped on the train, eager to proliferate it until my brain soaks it up andaccepts it as a reality. It’s nothing more than self-doubt sucking directly from my soul once again.
“You’re saying we should be careful so as not to give Helen another reason to make her case in front of the judge,” Dominic concludes, looking at Theo. “It makes sense, but I don’t like it. We’ve made a point of going public with our relationship since day one.”
“Yes, but that was purely to mess with Matthew,” Theo replies. “It’s different now. If that moral clause can be used to prove a connection between our relationship and the Baldwin Corporation’s overall well-being, then we’d be doing more harm than good if we stay out in the open.”
As much as I hate to admit it, his words make sense. It still feels like a kick to the gut. I’m afraid I might puke if I don’t get this nausea under control. What the hell is going on? Breaking into a cold sweat, I take another long sip of ice water and get up from the table.
“I think I should go home,” I say, my voice wavering slightly. “As much as I’d like to stick around, I think Theo’s got a point.”
“It doesn’t mean we have to like it,” August grumbles. “Phoebe, seriously, you’re really pale. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I promise. We didn’t get much sleep last night, remember?” I reply with a small smile. “I just need a few hours in bed to recharge, that’s all.”
Dominic gets up and grabs his phone. “I’ll get our lawyers on the line in the meantime. We need to prepare them for the rebuttal as soon as possible. Helen will try to keep this in family court, but I’ll push for a 3rd circuit judge, just to be sure we get a solid one. There’s a hell of a lot of money at stake here.”
“You’re already doing so much,” I sigh and wrap my arms around his waist.
I find comfort and peace in his arms. Maybe even the promise of some kind of happily ever after as he tightens the embrace. I breathe him in, his heart echoing against mine.
After a few moments, I gather my things and prepare to leave.
It feels like I’m running away as if I’m some sort of criminal.
Despite their reassurances, none of this feels right.
23
PHOEBE
“Holy shit. This can’t be happening.”
I sit on my sofa, staring at the plus sign on a pregnancy test. I have three men who swore they’d go through heaven and hell to keep me safe, pleased, and by their side.
I should be happy. But I’m scared.
Am I cut out to be a mother? What kind of mother will I be? I certainly don’t have the best role model. How do I tell the guys? How will we make this work?
The more I sit here, the more questions emerge, turning my brain to mush and building a storm of anxiety within my chest.
I pour myself a cup of tea and call my best friend. “Come on, Penny, pick up.”
Maybe she’s busy. Or in a meeting. I hang up and start to spiral. My pregnancy—if found out—will give my mother a whole new bag of ammunition to use against me in court.
A knock on the door cuts through my thoughts. I open it without checking first to see who it is and instantly regret my decision, awave of anger and nausea quick to take over and drain the blood from my face.
“Matthew. What are you doing here?” My voice is flat, emotionless.
He stands in the doorway with a gigantic bouquet of white lilies. I don’t like white lilies, but it’s not like this is the first time he’s gotten something about me wrong.
“Hi, Phoebe. Can we talk?”
“About what?”
“Us.”
I shake my head. “No. There is no us. It turns out there never was. You picked my sister, remember?”
