Page 15 of Fake Fae-Ancée

Lily’s former fiancé had literally left her at the altar a few years back. No wonder that the bride was a teeny tiny bit nervous. Although her now future husband Claudio, Half-Daemon and semi-professional grump, would never, ever do that to her. (And if he dared, I would personally launch him into the sun.)

I gave the door a soft knock.

"Lily, it’s me."

The sobbing stopped.

"Can you come out?"

"No use," Jennifer huffed behind me, but Sarah and Charly shut her up with some glares and a very loud " Shhhhh!".

"Listen, Cinnamon." That nickname had somehow stuck to Lily ever since she’d been working in a sucky pastry store a few years back. "Whatever's going on, I'm sure we can fix it."

"I don't think so," came a terribly quiet voice from the bathroom.

Jennifer groaned, threw her hands in the air in frustration and stomped off. Charly and Sarah exchanged another worried glance.

"Cinnamon," I said. "If you don't want to come out, will you let me in?"

The sobbing turned into soft coughing and then stopped.

"Please let me in. We're worried about you."

I glanced at the girls. They nodded.

"But just you," Lily beeped from the bathroom.

A tense second passed, then another one, then the door lock clicked from within. I slipped inside, and quietly pulled it shut behind me.

"Hey, Lily…"

The bride-to-be was a white heap on the bathroom rug and looked less like a happy bride but more like a forlorn raccoon.

"Hey," she answered in a thick voice.

"What's wrong, Cinnamon?" I crouched down next to her.

"I wish you would finally stop calling me that." Lily sniffled.

"How about this: you tell me what's going on and why you’re sitting here crying on what’s supposed to be the happiest day of your life, and I'll never call you Cinnamon ever again."

I had meant it as a joke, but unfortunately Lily started sobbing again. She buried her face in her hands, ruining her silky princess gloves even more than they already were.

"Lily, sweetie..." I was about to put an arm around her when her head swooped right back up, blue eyes wide and round.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered.

I stared.

"What?"

"I'm so, so pregnant." Lily deflated again, her voice so low I almost couldn't hear her.

"Uh..."

I stared, dumbfounded.

"And you're not happy about it?" I asked carefully.

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