Page 92 of The Wedding Hoax

“That’s it? She’s coming?” Hope welled up within me. “She’s really coming?”

“So says Eileen.”

“Yes!” I pumped the air with my fist, losing myself in a moment of excitement. “Shit! I’ve got so much to figure out by Saturday!”

“Language, Harry.” Mom smirked. “But yes, it does sound like you have quite a lot of work to do. You should get on that.”

“I will!” I practically took off running down the hall. I had to come up with something worthy of Simone.

Something that would finally make her want to stay.

36

SIMONE

Being pregnant was the worst.

But also the best?

Everything was so confusing. My emotions. My physical state.

It didn’t help that I was seemingly nauseous all the time now, no matter what. I seemed to be one of the unlucky women who were woozy their entire first trimester.

Still, even with all the nausea, I wouldn’t have traded being pregnant for anything in the world—

Wait. What day was it?

I’d been mostly spending my days going from my bed to the bathroom, with a few trips to the kitchen fridge thrown in for good measure. And since I was still reeling from my relationship with Harry ending in disaster, I’d been trying my best to stop thinking about him. Which meant that I’d filled my days with conversations with Taylor, conversations with my mom, conversations with anyone who’d talk to me about anything other than Harry O’Donnell.

Unfortunately, with each passing day, I was starting to worry that getting over him wasn’t actually possible, no matter how much I avoided talking about him.

Ugh.

I pulled up the calendar on my phone, wanting to distract myself from thoughts of Harry, as I made my way to the kitchen. Even if I didn’t have anywhere to be anytime soon, it was probably still good to know what day it was, just in general.

Of course, by trying to avoid Harry, I ran into another reminder of him.

It was Saturday. Harry’s birthday.

If things were better between us, we probably would’ve gone out to celebrate at some fancy restaurant. We would’ve been trying each other’s pasta as Harry asked the server which wine he recommended with his dish, and the best dessert that would’ve paired with it, too. I would’ve cracked a few jokes about him taking his food way too seriously. He would’ve rolled his eyes before he called me beautiful.

And we would’ve come back home to spend the night together, getting lost in Harry’s bedsheets as he reminded me, again and again, that I was his and only his.

My heart broke at the thought of it. It would’ve been magical, being like that again.

Just being us.

I shook my head as I reached for an apple on the kitchen counter. There was no point in living in a fantasyland. I needed to focus on taking care of the baby and taking care of me.

I needed to focus on what was real.

“Simi?”

I jumped at the sound of my mom’s voice. “Mom! You scared me.” I squinted as I looked over at her. “Why are you dressed up right now?”

“We have somewhere to be today, don’t we?”

“No?” I finally took a bite of my apple, enjoying its crisp texture. “It’s Saturday, so I know we don’t have a doctor’s appointment. And you look overdressed for the doctor’s office, anyway.”

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