Page 110 of The Fiancé Hoax

“You'll find someone else to love, Felicity. In the meantime, you'll have a cute little baby. And I’ll be by your side, so you'll never be alone. Everything will be okay.”

I nodded, but I knew she was wrong about finding someone else to love. And about everything being okay.

I had never known anyone like Cooper. I'd never felt this way about any man.

Deep down, I knew there would always be a gaping hole in my heart where he once was.

28

COOPER

Each minute that Felicity was gone felt like an eternity.

I carried my glass of whiskey into my office, hoping to distract myself with work. But as soon as I powered on my computer, I knew it was a lost cause. I shut it off immediately. I couldn't focus on work now.

I went up to check on the girls. They were sleeping soundly, and I pulled the covers over Eva. She had a tendency to kick them off in her sleep.

Lily was in her own bed. I always used to find her in Eva’s bed, but soon after Felicity arrived, she had stopped crawling in with Eva. I knew it was because she was doing better with Felicity's presence in the house.

My daughters’ faces were innocent and peaceful as they slept. I wished I could shield them from any pain and suffering forever.

But even if I won the case and kept custody of them, things could never return to the way they were before. The girls had bonded with Felicity.

And I had told Felicity to leave.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I left the room and closed the door softly behind me. I picked up the whiskey I had set on the hall table and trudged toward my bedroom.

But first, I poked my head into the sewing studio, flipping the light switch on. The girls had been drawing in here. I picked up their latest creations and unfolded the papers.

Fuck.

My heart constricted to see my daughters’ love for Felicity depicted in crayon—happy scenes of the girls together with her.

Quickly, I looked away from the drawings. It was too painful to see them right now. I folded them again, but I carried them out of the room with me. They were too precious to be lost or thrown away by accident.

In my bedroom, I shut the door and switched the bedside light on, though I wouldn’t be able to sleep until Felicity was back safe and sound.

I knew exactly what was wrong with me.

I was in love with Felicity, but I was too broken to be with her.

Felicity's life was just getting started. She was young and full of possibilities. She didn't need to get saddled with a middle-aged man with a family and a slew of problems. A guy who couldn’t even trust himself enough to let his guard down.

Standing at the window, I stared into the darkness below. Wherever she was, I hoped Felicity was okay. I hoped she wasn’t feeling this gut-wrenching pain that I was. But I knew she wasn’t exactly having a good time. I’d seen the look of hurt on her face.

If she decided not to show up at the trial on Monday, I couldn't blame her.

I had made a mess of this whole thing. I couldn't keep my dick in my pants around her. That was my first mistake. Then I let myself get too close to her emotionally. And in doing so, I gave her mixed signals. I made her think that we had a future together.

I’d gotten jealous and possessive because I thought she had been cheating on me that night she was out walking. And then the next day I told her I didn't want to be with anyone else.

We had never fully agreed to be exclusive, but that was about as close as you could get.

But then I pulled away from her like it had never happened. Like this whole thing had been nothing more than a business arrangement.

Felicity had every right to be furious with me. Hell, I was furious with myself.

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