Page 109 of The Fiancé Hoax

27

FELICITY

I drove on autopilot through the dark Los Angeles streets.

My destination was unknown as I navigated the highway and took an exit without reading the sign.

My mind was numb. I couldn't feel my emotions yet. But when I looked around and saw that I was in my old neighborhood, the dam broke and I started crying. I pulled into the parking lot in front of my apartment building and got out of my car.

“Please let Lauren be home,” I muttered to myself as I climbed the steps to our second-story apartment.

I knocked on the door, which felt strange since I still technically lived there. But I had been living at Cooper's house for months, and I didn't want to barge in on Lauren unannounced.

She opened the door looking confused. But all it took was one look at my face for her to understand.

She wrapped me in her arms and ushered me inside where we sat on the sofa in the cramped living room.

“Felicity, I'm so sorry. Is it Cooper?”

“He broke up with me before I could even tell him about the baby.” I wiped at the tears. “I was all set to tell him. But then he ended it, and… I just had to get out of there.”

Lauren nodded in understanding. “What happened? What did he say?”

“He wants to stick to the terms of the agreement.” My voice cracked as I answered her, and I paused to catch my breath. “He was so cold, Lauren. He was talking like I was just another business transaction.”

Lauren reached for a box of tissues and handed me one, putting her arm around my shoulders. “You deserve so much better than that. After everything the two of you have been through. Does he still want you to go to the trial?”

“Yes,” I sniveled. “He wants me to pretend to be his fiancée in court on Monday. But after the judge’s decision, he wants me to move out.”

“Wow,” Lauren murmured. “That is cold. And strange. I thought you guys were getting so close. It sounded like the four of you were starting to become a family.”

That made me sob harder. “That's what hurts so much. It did feel like we were becoming a family. And then Cooper just stomped it all out.”

She narrowed her eyes. “So he was just using you for sex?”

“It seems that way.” I shook my head in confusion. “I guess he was just having a good time with me. And then he got bored. What else could it be?”

Lauren folded her arms over her chest. “I don't know. It doesn't make sense, especially since his daughters love you.”

“I was so stupid, Lauren. I was hoping he would ask me to stay, to move in with him and the girls.” I laughed bitterly. “I thought he might be falling in love with me. What an idiot. Of course he wasn't. He was just using me.”

She squeezed my hand. “You're not an idiot, Felicity. He was sending you a lot of mixed messages. You're not stupid for thinking there could be more.”

“Guys like him don't go for girls like me,” I said. “Not for the long-term. I was nothing but a good time to him.”

Lauren chewed on her bottom lip. “Do you think it has something to do with your dad finding out?”

“I don't think so. Cooper and my dad are friends, but Cooper’s not the type of guy to let him run his life. I don't think he would break up with me just to make my father happy.”

“No, probably not,” Lauren agreed.

“And now I'll have to tell him I'm pregnant even though he doesn’t care about me.” My hands flew to my abdomen, the reality of my situation sinking in. “I'll be tied to Cooper for the rest of my life,” I whispered. “I'll never be able to get over him and move on. I'll have to see him whenever the kid goes to visit.”

I sank into the couch cushion, wallowing in despair.

“You'll get over him,” Lauren said. “It will take some time, but you're not going to spend the rest of your life pining away for this guy. I won't let you.”

I met her eyes. “I don't know, Lauren. I… I really love him.”

---